I was intrigued. I'll call it a "tat-tease," because you only get a glimpse and have no idea what the fragmented piece is linked to. You have an inkling, but the only way to find out what the whole thing looks like is to ask.
I was guessing a serpent, or something tribal. The possessor of said tattoo was stopping to smoke outside of Borders on the Plaza. Our subject, Nick, was happy to share his tattoo. He raised the fabric of his jeans up over his calf to reveal (drum roll please.....):
This is what I love about Tattoosday. What first appears to be merely a tail of ink turns into something so much more interesting.
Nick explained the piece. He found the design on a site called deviantART.com. I think I remember hearing about the site, so I checked it out when I got home. No luck finding the art in question (there's tens of thousands of images).
Nick said this piece of art spoke to him, reminding him of being young again. Young meaning, childhood. "It captures my dreams," he explained, adding that, as I understood him to mean, the art opened up a whole world of possibilities to his imagination.
What's great, in my opinion, about tattooing a work of art onto oneself, is that the meaning can change over time, and can evolve along with the individual. This piece is very simple, yet its context is cool. The clouds, as well, add texture to the overall piece, and develop the landscape of the flesh.
This piece was inked in 2007 and was Nick's second tattoo. He has since had two more added. This was the only one visible. He resides in Brooklyn but got this piece at Marc's Tattooing and Body Piercing in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Dani was the tattooist who inked the piece.
Thanks to Nick for sharing his cool tattoo with the rest of us here on Tattoosday!
On deck: An amazing back piece from Texas!