THE PRESERVATION OF ART, SKIN & SOUL.
This past weekend, BTSOE had one vendor that really impressed me.
Who was it? Read up and find out.
What will you leave your family when you pass? Memories? Pictures? Perhaps a video montage? Well, Save My Ink now gives people a chance for members to leave a piece of art, while leaving a piece of them – literally.
Art is as much about creation, as it is about preservation. Regardless of the discipline of art you practice or collect, there will always be those who create it, those who collect it, and those who spread the history. In the same breath, it is that word which will soon be passed from one generation to the next, and in turn, it becomes the chronicles of our culture and a part of history.
With that said, the culture of tattoos is no different. Each day that passes, there is an untold story waiting to be shared, and so long as it is accurately told and represented, then the future artisans of the world will have a better idea as to how our art came to be.
While historians aim to educate and inform, collectors, on the other hand, keep in their possessions the artifacts of time. We have the ancient ruins in which art is scribed in stone, and when it comes to art on paper or canvas, we have those who keep them in their private collections and museums who keep them in their galleries. But when you stop to think about the medium of tattoos, it’s an art form which typically dies with us simply because it’s on our skin – till now.
The gents over at Save My Ink have created an ingenious way to preserve our tattoos and they have now given us the ability to share not only a piece of art but a piece of ourselves, which in turn can be passed on from one generation to the next. Consider it an art, a moment frozen in time, but we consider it something much more powerful: A legacy.
Though some may be appalled, or a little disturbed by the service, it is a gift of personal treasures – literally. In essence, getting one of your tattoos framed and preserved is much more visual, and much more personal than having the ashes of your loved one contained in an urn, and it’s a gift that provides a visual reminder of a piece of art which once adorned your loved one’s body.
When I first heard about this service, this past weekend at BTSOE, we were impressed. It’s an incredible service of preservation, and in all honesty, it’s the most sacred gift one can give to loved ones and not only a memorial of art – but the soul.
In a statement, they said, We want to provide resources and support [our members] may not otherwise have access to, Charles Hamm, NAPSA executive director and chairman of the group’s board, said in the news release, which references a 2012 Harris Interactive poll that suggests one in five American adults has at least one tattoo, a 14 percent increase from the Nielsen group’s 2008 survey.
According to the release, removing a tattoo from one of its member’s deceased bodies involves a chemical and enzymatic process that permanently alters the chemical structure, thus permanently fixing it against decomposition (while preserving the integrity of the art). The group said the final product isn’t classified as tissue and isn’t toxic. They further added, This process rejuvenates the art and brings it back to essentially its original look”.
I’m glad to have met the gents over at Save My Ink and I can’t thank them enough for giving me a personal tour of their gallery. The experience was uplifting, mesmerizing and I wish them nothing but the best in their endeavor. To have someone think outside the box and give us the ability to give a gift that keeps on giving, is priceless and I encourage all of you to check them out. You can visit their official sit by clicking here.
SO HOW DOES IT WORK?
The tattoo removal process begins within 18 hours of a member passing, whereby the designated beneficiary alerts NAPSA. From there, NAPSA sends paperwork and a package with the removal kit to the member’s funeral home overnight. Within 60 hours, a mortician that agrees to participate follows provided instructions to remove the tattoo, placing it in a nontoxic, temporary preservation compound, and returns it to the NAPSA. The organization then preserves the art and sends it to the beneficiary, who receives a certificate for his or her participation, within six months.
