According to a poll done in 2003 by Harris Interactive 16% of all adults have at least one tattoo.
The younger you are the greater the chance you will have one:
25 to 29 years – 36%
30 to 39 years -28%
If you live in the West you are 20% more likely to have tattoos and
and if you are gay there is a 31% chance you have one.
and for the politico’s the breakdown is:
Democrats 18%
Republicans 14%
Independents 12%
You wonder if the tattooed independents will ever become a crucial swing vote?
I would also tend to believe that these numbers have risen in the last 4 years.
The point is there are a lot of people writing on their bodies and Ina Saltz’s book Body Type: Intimate Messages Etched in Flesh is the first book “devoted entirely to typographic tattoos…from Shakespeare to Radiohead, from Dante to James Joyce, from celebrations of love to homage and memorial, the wide breadth of messages captured provides insight into the human condition.”
The book is published by Abrams and includes over 200 photos. In addition to the commentary by Saltz, the people with the tattoos share their stories on the words they chose for their body.
On the image above:
“This was my first tattoo; it represents a personal commitment to evolve, and my general belief in the theory of evolution. The font represents the time we live in, the digital age. Also my belief that technology is evolving to integrate with humans…and vice versa.” Photo: Nicole Dallis
There is a nice website to accompany the book and a solid myspace presence (remember 36% of 25-29).
Saltz is already at work on Volume 2