Everybody knows tattoos are a life-long commitment. That doesn’t stop millions from going under the needle every year, spending untold millions to adorn every inch of skin with a splash of ink. And it’s a painful process too; an extended ritual of blood and bodily mutilation that (hopefully) results in a resplendent masterpiece. When these facts are taken into consideration, it seems a shame that so many unique pieces of art are doomed to decay when a person passes from this world—but they don’t have to.
Entrepreneur Charles Hamm, 60, recently founded The National Association for the Preservation of Skin Art (NAPSA), “a non-profit membership association of tattoo artists and enthusiasts that provides a means of preserving our members’ tattoos, an unmatched online tattoo community, and much more!”
From the Official Website: “For only $60 you can join NAPSA today and register your first tattoo, roughly the size of a half chest piece, for preservation. Your yearly membership dues of $60 also support our unmatched tattoo community featues, including an advanced tattoo image search engine, an international artist directory, original news, forum boards, and much more. On top of it all, you will receive a custom-designed membership certificate!” Find out more and register: HERE.
In a recent interview in Vice, Hamm discussed his motivations for establishing NAPSA:
“I’m pretty much tattooed from my neck down to my waist, with the exception of a couple little spots here and there. They all have meanings to me—my grandson designed a couple, and I even had one of my business partners develop one for me. And I’m quite proud of them, they’re very big works of art—I probably have $10,000 on my back, and it is a piece of art.”
The entire interview is a great read; check it out: HERE.
As a heavily tattooed dude myself, I love the idea of preserving my art. Johnny Depp once said “My body is a journal and my tattoos are my stories”, a sentiment I completely concur with. Still, I’m not sure my future grandkids will actually want to display chucks of my flesh on their mantels—no matter how awesome my ink is!
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What do you think about having your tattoos preserved and framed after you die? Is it a sweet sentiment or just sick? Sound off in the Comments Section!
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