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These Badass Tattooed Seniors We Captured Prove That You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Tattoos When You’re Old

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‘TattooAge. Never too old,’ is a photography project where we photographed 25 elderly people with tattoos in their living rooms. In these photographs, they show their aged tattoos and share the stories behind them: from a gift from a grandchild to the memory of a lost loved one. Some of these cool people got their first tattoo ideas done as late as 80.

In addition to the cool photo project, we also published a book with the same name. Besides photographs, it includes teaching material on tattoo culture, which could be used in the academic community. It discusses the meaning behind tattoos, people’s experiences, and life lessons, such as dealing with loss, aging, etc. The exhibition showcasing the brave older people with tattoos began its tour across the Netherlands on September 20.

People often assume that tattoos are only done at a young age, so they ask the senior citizens whether their tattoo aging process involved fading or sagging. With this project, we not only want to tell the stories behind the tattoos but prove that age does not matter. It’s a fact – you are never too old for a tattoo!

More info: getoud.nl

Jan

These Badass Tattooed Seniors We Captured Prove That You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Tattoos When You’re Old

Chris

These Badass Tattooed Seniors We Captured Prove That You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Tattoos When You’re Old

Cor

These Badass Tattooed Seniors We Captured Prove That You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Tattoos When You’re Old

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Albertina

These Badass Tattooed Seniors We Captured Prove That You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Tattoos When You’re Old

Jack

These Badass Tattooed Seniors We Captured Prove That You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Tattoos When You’re Old

Riek

These Badass Tattooed Seniors We Captured Prove That You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Tattoos When You’re Old

Jan

These Badass Tattooed Seniors We Captured Prove That You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Tattoos When You’re Old

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Thomas

These Badass Tattooed Seniors We Captured Prove That You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Tattoos When You’re Old

Rebha

These Badass Tattooed Seniors We Captured Prove That You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Tattoos When You’re Old

Toos

These Badass Tattooed Seniors We Captured Prove That You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Tattoos When You’re Old

Hans

These Badass Tattooed Seniors We Captured Prove That You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Tattoos When You’re Old

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Hans shares what his tattoos mean to him

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Albertina explains why she chose a swan tattoo

Thomas talks about how people react to his tattoos

217Kviews

Ingrid Meijering

Co founder of the GetOud foundation, (GetOld) in the Netherlands.

Co founder of the GetOud foundation, (GetOld) in the Netherlands.

What do you think ?

Zenozenobee 6 years ago

Well, that's for every remark tattooed people get about "come on, did you even think how it will look like when you will be an old man/woman with tattoos?"

28points

Brivid 6 years ago

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So if you liked tattoos before, you probably still do. And if you didn't like them before, this proves nothing.

17points

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Sheila Robinson 6 years ago

My Mother got her first tattoo when she was 88. She told them she was 90 and they did it for free! It's on her lower arm and very visible and she loves it, makes her feel like a bit of a rebel amongst the other old ladies!

27points

Neurotic_Octopus 6 years ago

Hans had to go with the bright purple skivvies....

22points

Anne 6 years ago

He seems an awesome dude to hang with!

4points

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Gabrielle Daylano 6 years ago (edited)

I love those pictures. My grandpa got his first tattoo when he turned 60. Too bad he could not enjoy it for very long, because he died of a heart attack when he was 61 . Total badass grandpa. Still miss him. He teached me one thing. Don't give a f*ck about what others think and live in the moment, cause you never know if there is a tomorrow. Who cares how my tattoos look when I am old, they show that I lived. And even so, I already look rimply so why not colored rimply?

13points

boredkoala 6 years ago

Beautiful photos! Loved seeing these distinguished people in their homes, so interesting!

6points

Ashley Fernandes 6 years ago

LOL my mom is always like....what will they look like when you're OLD! Wrinkly....just like the rest of me. End of discussion.

5points

Megan Flanagan 6 years ago

The good ones still look good, the crappy ones still look like c**p. Know your artist people, bad art is forever

3points

Miss MonMon 6 years ago

Everybody gets old (if they're lucky) and if you are old with tattoos, great! What's the problem?

2points

Gvantsa Jugheli 6 years ago

having stereotypes is very human thing, its in our nature and appeared for easy communications, but today it's useless and l hope we will naturally get rid of it. grandma should not have to sit in rocking chair, knitting all day or baking crazy amount of cookies to look cute :)

2points

La Petite Morte 6 years ago

Unless you like knitting and still rock the tats.

0points

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Lisa Watson 6 years ago

I got my first one 40 years ago. I'm now 63 and female and just got my third one. And I'm not done. Love tattoos.

1point

Anne 6 years ago

Shut the front door.. you are 63?

0points

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Helen de Roo 6 years ago

Nederland of België?

1point

Ingrid Meijering (Post author) 6 years ago

Nederland :-)

6points

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Helen de Roo 6 years ago

Oeps. Niet goed gelezen:)

1point

Sanne H. 6 years ago

Hans, Toos, Riek en Cor. Veel Nederlandser krijg je ze niet. 😊

0points

phil blanque 6 years ago

Damn, your tattoos are yours...fine for you...just put more clothes on! Ewwwww!

-1point

KT Trondsen 6 years ago

I wish Hans wore shorts haha

-1point

Anna Salerno 6 years ago

GAG!! These are so dang ugly that they make me vomit!!

-2points

Joe Bloe 6 years ago

Yeah, sure, a 70 year old with tribal tatoo on his face looks cool, right..... That's what tacky people says.

-2points

Jace 6 years ago

Proves nothing to me, since I still think they’re utterly unappealing. No article will change my aesthetic preference and I don’t see why it needs convincing otherwise. At best, an article about older people with tattoos just bypasses my self-interest of wanting to look at attractive young(er/ish) people without tattoos making them look mutilated or bruised (because that’s what tattoos look like to me very often). So, yay(?), no self-interest conflict experienced while looking at these older folks. :-/

-2points

Pale Thanatos 6 years ago (edited)

Tattoos don't make people look mutilated or bruised. Unless every tatted person you've come across had s**t artists that did a bad job. A well done tattoo can be quite beautiful.

5points

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Sabal Minor 6 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

noitall man 6 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Sabal Minor 6 years ago

Lol

0points

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J Toose 6 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Bonita Bielawski 6 years ago

Yes. You're just a person with tattoos. But I think you're misunderstanding the point. They're badass in a more contemporary colloquial way. As in cool people regardless of their old tattoos.

7points

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Grumble O'Pug 6 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Aunt Messy 6 years ago

Those grapes a little sour?

1point

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MammaG 6 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Vonskippy 6 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Zenozenobee 6 years ago

Well, that's for every remark tattooed people get about "come on, did you even think how it will look like when you will be an old man/woman with tattoos?"

28points

Brivid 6 years ago

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So if you liked tattoos before, you probably still do. And if you didn't like them before, this proves nothing.

17points

Load More Replies...

Sheila Robinson 6 years ago

My Mother got her first tattoo when she was 88. She told them she was 90 and they did it for free! It's on her lower arm and very visible and she loves it, makes her feel like a bit of a rebel amongst the other old ladies!

27points

Neurotic_Octopus 6 years ago

Hans had to go with the bright purple skivvies....

22points

Anne 6 years ago

He seems an awesome dude to hang with!

4points

Load More Replies...

Gabrielle Daylano 6 years ago (edited)

I love those pictures. My grandpa got his first tattoo when he turned 60. Too bad he could not enjoy it for very long, because he died of a heart attack when he was 61 . Total badass grandpa. Still miss him. He teached me one thing. Don't give a f*ck about what others think and live in the moment, cause you never know if there is a tomorrow. Who cares how my tattoos look when I am old, they show that I lived. And even so, I already look rimply so why not colored rimply?

13points

boredkoala 6 years ago

Beautiful photos! Loved seeing these distinguished people in their homes, so interesting!

6points

Ashley Fernandes 6 years ago

LOL my mom is always like....what will they look like when you're OLD! Wrinkly....just like the rest of me. End of discussion.

5points

Megan Flanagan 6 years ago

The good ones still look good, the crappy ones still look like c**p. Know your artist people, bad art is forever

3points

Miss MonMon 6 years ago

Everybody gets old (if they're lucky) and if you are old with tattoos, great! What's the problem?

2points

Gvantsa Jugheli 6 years ago

having stereotypes is very human thing, its in our nature and appeared for easy communications, but today it's useless and l hope we will naturally get rid of it. grandma should not have to sit in rocking chair, knitting all day or baking crazy amount of cookies to look cute :)

2points

La Petite Morte 6 years ago

Unless you like knitting and still rock the tats.

0points

Load More Replies...

Lisa Watson 6 years ago

I got my first one 40 years ago. I'm now 63 and female and just got my third one. And I'm not done. Love tattoos.

1point

Anne 6 years ago

Shut the front door.. you are 63?

0points

Load More Replies...

Helen de Roo 6 years ago

Nederland of België?

1point

Ingrid Meijering (Post author) 6 years ago

Nederland :-)

6points

Load More Replies...

Helen de Roo 6 years ago

Oeps. Niet goed gelezen:)

1point

Sanne H. 6 years ago

Hans, Toos, Riek en Cor. Veel Nederlandser krijg je ze niet. 😊

0points

phil blanque 6 years ago

Damn, your tattoos are yours...fine for you...just put more clothes on! Ewwwww!

-1point

KT Trondsen 6 years ago

I wish Hans wore shorts haha

-1point

Anna Salerno 6 years ago

GAG!! These are so dang ugly that they make me vomit!!

-2points

Joe Bloe 6 years ago

Yeah, sure, a 70 year old with tribal tatoo on his face looks cool, right..... That's what tacky people says.

-2points

Jace 6 years ago

Proves nothing to me, since I still think they’re utterly unappealing. No article will change my aesthetic preference and I don’t see why it needs convincing otherwise. At best, an article about older people with tattoos just bypasses my self-interest of wanting to look at attractive young(er/ish) people without tattoos making them look mutilated or bruised (because that’s what tattoos look like to me very often). So, yay(?), no self-interest conflict experienced while looking at these older folks. :-/

-2points

Pale Thanatos 6 years ago (edited)

Tattoos don't make people look mutilated or bruised. Unless every tatted person you've come across had s**t artists that did a bad job. A well done tattoo can be quite beautiful.

5points

Load More Replies...

Sabal Minor 6 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

noitall man 6 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Sabal Minor 6 years ago

Lol

0points

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J Toose 6 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Bonita Bielawski 6 years ago

Yes. You're just a person with tattoos. But I think you're misunderstanding the point. They're badass in a more contemporary colloquial way. As in cool people regardless of their old tattoos.

7points

Load More Replies...

Grumble O'Pug 6 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Aunt Messy 6 years ago

Those grapes a little sour?

1point

Load More Replies...

MammaG 6 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Vonskippy 6 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

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