The conception of art is in every way superior to the epxression of it.

To express art is to capture a relatively short-lived and inaccurate representation of the raw ideas which formed it. This remains true in spite of any novel technique, medium, or format that an artist chooses to employ. A fully rendered piece is compressed, either more or less so, to the point of significant and irreversible degradation. And though through proper record keeping and analysis it may be extrapolated in part, the whole is fated to remain unkown even by the person who crafted it. Such is the fate of art and artist.

Imagine the disgusting vanity then, felt by those who deign to think that their body can somehow elevate these mere figments in any noteworthy fashion, or the hollowness of those that believe they might be elevated by them in turn. Mere representations of true art are worthless when compared with the majesty of the soulbearing body. The body is made perfect and sufficient when unafflicted, as is the case with the majority. To elect to stain it in any way can only be considered an act of intense self-loathing.

Even if it weren't just a pointless show of vanity, the overwhelming majority do not posess the aesthetic sensibilities required to choose complementary tattoos. They end up looking so visually fragmented that your eyes reflexively cross at the mere sight of them, like when viewing a poorly considered consumer catalogue. The habit of collecting many such tattoos in increasingly shorter timeframes betrays the lowly flesh canvases lack of confidence in their inital commitments. This spurs a sunken cost that leaves one an incongruous freak from head to toe, bereft of the sense of symmetry which nature has so blessed us with.

Tattoos may be meritless, but they can serve a practical function in extreme cases. Here are some of the situations in which a tattoo may be permissable on the gorunds of necessity.

Personal Accountability Tattoo

A tattoo designed to keep one honest by showcasing a strong personal oath or conviction. This only works if the rest of the world is able to clearly discern the tattoo, enabling a passive form of support in the form of external social pressure.

Tattoos as a form of Record Keeping

Getting a tattoo of something one would otherwise forget due to having lost the ability to forge lasting memories. Only applies if you're old as dirt or a terminal amnesiac.

Gang/Prison Tattoos

Marking oneself as belonging to a specific minority group, either to gain acceptance or to avoid being murdered.

Tattoo of the Wisened Sage

Using ones body to boldy convey messages of greater wisdom/truth to others. These truths must be easily discernable by their intended audience. Simple platitudes do not qualify, reverting instead to mere vainglorious virtue signalling.

In rare cases it may be permissable to selflessly allow a genius level artist to use ones body as a living, fully articulated canvas. The finished work must use a combination of the canvases unique physical traits, as well as the fact that they are an organism that is constantly in flux, to truly profound effect. Also, if one were to, as a mere canvas, take excessive pride or become too attached to the finished piece, then it would return to being a mere expression of their worthless vanity. Better to leave such sullied ink in the vessal from which it was mined.