A single line tattoo

June 13, 2019 11:35 AM

A single line tattoo. Across the chest, down the arm and around the fingers. Up forearms and down forearms. Back up the arm and over the shoulder. Across the chest and crawling down the back. Along the thighs. Up and down the spine once more. Neck flows into ear. Ears and ears and ears. Chin. Lip. (All links to artist Instagram posts.)
posted by not_the_water (21 comments total)

I've always fantasized about a tattoo like this! So good!
posted by poe at 12:00 PM on June 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

I remember seeing this for the first time on Bethany Meyers (instagram). It's such a beautiful statement.
posted by Mouse Army at 12:08 PM on June 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

TEAR HERE TO OPEN
posted by Splunge at 12:10 PM on June 13, 2019 [9 favorites]

I've never seen that sort of tattoo before. Is there some sort of meaning or subculture relating to it, or is it simply a specific style?
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:15 PM on June 13, 2019

Single line are definitely super cool but it also makes me realize how maximal my personal tattoo aesthetic is versus minimal.

And as far as I know it’s a style choice. There are a lot of minimalist tattoos that have become popular, this being one of them.
posted by Crystalinne at 12:39 PM on June 13, 2019 [4 favorites]

From the description, I thought this was going to be a single line that ran around the body of the same person not a bunch of different people each with their own lines. These are interesting, but not at all what I thought they would be. I like the ones on the hands and ears, where the line is following a detailed but narrow contour. Something about them just seems so precise.
posted by jacquilynne at 1:08 PM on June 13, 2019 [15 favorites]

I have wanted a line around my ankle for a long time. I appreciate this content.
posted by sockermom at 1:13 PM on June 13, 2019

Seamy.
posted by pracowity at 1:46 PM on June 13, 2019 [7 favorites]

I see the beauty in these but I wonder if the chin tattoos might be offensive to native Inuit people.
posted by cazoo at 1:54 PM on June 13, 2019 [3 favorites]

> it also makes me realize how maximal my personal tattoo aesthetic is versus minimal

Yes, I am feeling old and out of touch looking at these and other ones on the artists' Instagram feeds. Is it all ironic? Is none of it?
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:32 PM on June 13, 2019

Is anyone else getting a bunch of error pages with a FB logo on it instead of the actual Instagram posts? Chrome on PC. Super weird.
posted by allkindsoftime at 3:49 PM on June 13, 2019

The 'Gram is hosed right now.
posted by sideshow at 4:03 PM on June 13, 2019

One of the artists has a whole series of "top of people's mouths" tattoos (example) -- I am impressed with anyone who could sit through a tattoo on the roof of their mouth, that has to sting.

The line tattoos are nice. This one is by far my favorite.
posted by Dip Flash at 4:10 PM on June 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

It may be a trick of the lighting, but it almost looks like the line in the photo Dip Flash linked to might be separating two areas with slightly different skin tones, like for instance a burn scar or birthmark. In which case I wonder if they chose a B&W photo to minimize any dramatic skin discoloration and direct attention to the tattoo itself. Not to take away from the artistry of it, in any case...
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:31 PM on June 13, 2019

I think these are cool. When I visited Cambodia about a decade ago - we hired a driver to take us around as part of a tour package. He was in his late 50's (now in his 60's) and had a line tattoo across his throat, right over his Adam's apple.

My friend's young children noticed the tattoo - and discreetly asked us if it had anything to do with the Killing Fields we had just visited. We did not know, and obviously could not ask anyone about it (it is still an extremely difficult topic to discuss in Cambodia). It stunned us to think about the implications of the tattoo - something I am still processing.
posted by helmutdog at 4:51 PM on June 13, 2019

They seem dystopian.
posted by amanda at 6:37 PM on June 13, 2019

One of these is just a fakeout with a Sharpie but I'm not telling which.
posted by glonous keming at 6:41 PM on June 13, 2019

Many of the works on the instagram page that aren't just lines (and the lines are compelling and wonderful) are just stunning and the kinds of images I've never imagined as tattoos. That's some really compelling stuff. I do wonder how some of the finer work will look as time goes on and that would be my hesitation in getting an elaborate (vs single line) piece -- because so much of the aesthetic seems to be about the almost impossibly clean edges. Regardless, I'm floored. Stunning work.
posted by treepour at 9:27 PM on June 13, 2019

Yeah, roof of the mouth is a new one for me. Plus gums. I wonder how long they last? I'm sure they hurt a bit, however I think they do stick and poke for those so it may not be that bad compared to a machine. The inner mouth heals really well and swelling subsides quickly. Tattoo application is fairly superficial and they may also be able to use a numbing ointment like Oragel.

My lower lip tattoo has stuck around for close to 10 years now but I also tend to hold ink pretty well and I took good care of it. It's due for a touchup, but overall it didn't hurt much at all - like someone pinching your nose really hard. Less than a mouth sore or cut and felt "normal" within a couple days.
posted by Crystalinne at 11:48 PM on June 13, 2019

Those were more interesting than I thought before I clicked the first link!
posted by Harald74 at 4:07 AM on June 14, 2019

Those were less interesting than I imagined before I clicked the link. Still sort of interesting, sort of. I like the minimalism in theory, but in practice it's underwhelming. Inoffensive though.

One of these is just a fakeout with a Sharpie but I'm not telling which.

Which is what I thought when I looked. It seems like just drawing these on with a Sharpie would be easier and you could change it up.
posted by bongo_x at 2:34 PM on June 14, 2019