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These Badass Tattooed Seniors We Captured Prove That You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Tattoos When You’re Old
‘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
Chris
Cor
Albertina
Jack
Riek
Jan
Thomas
Rebha
Toos
Hans
Hans shares what his tattoos mean to him
Albertina explains why she chose a swan tattoo
Thomas talks about how people react to his tattoos
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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?"
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.
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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!
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?
boredkoala 6 years ago
Beautiful photos! Loved seeing these distinguished people in their homes, so interesting!
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.
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
Miss MonMon 6 years ago
Everybody gets old (if they're lucky) and if you are old with tattoos, great! What's the problem?
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 :)
La Petite Morte 6 years ago
Unless you like knitting and still rock the tats.
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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.
phil blanque 6 years ago
Damn, your tattoos are yours...fine for you...just put more clothes on! Ewwwww!
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. :-/
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.
Load More Replies...
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.
Load More Replies...
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?"
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.
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!
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?
boredkoala 6 years ago
Beautiful photos! Loved seeing these distinguished people in their homes, so interesting!
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.
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
Miss MonMon 6 years ago
Everybody gets old (if they're lucky) and if you are old with tattoos, great! What's the problem?
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 :)
La Petite Morte 6 years ago
Unless you like knitting and still rock the tats.
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.
phil blanque 6 years ago
Damn, your tattoos are yours...fine for you...just put more clothes on! Ewwwww!
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. :-/
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.
Load More Replies... 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.
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