I was about to leave the James Farley Post Office when Melanie called me on my cell. During the several minutes that we spoke, a woman named Anna walked up next to me and started preparing an envelope for mailing. Had Melanie not called, I would have been out on the street, completely missing her.
Anna has a remarkable tattoo that travels up her arm, over her shoulder, onto her back, and down her side. Representing a species of kelp, the tattoo which honors her father, a marine biologist, was both too large and partially covered, for her to share with us here at Tattoosday.
Rather, she allowed me to photograph this tattoo on her right biceps:
This tattoo, which looks a lot like a woodcut, is a representation of an ink drawing of a farmer in the city which, in turn, was inspired by the Scott Walker song "Farmer in the City (Remembering Pasolini)" from his album Tilt.
Take a listen:
Rather than exchange wedding bands, Anna and her husband instead got matching tattoos. "Farmer in the City" is their song, and the tattoos are matrimonial bonds that are in their flesh, rather than on their hands.
It's quite a lovely idea and reminds me of what our friend Carrie and her husband did (read about it here) after their wedding.
This tattoo was inked by Zee at Studio Zee in New Haven, Connecticut.
Thanks to Anna for sharing her matrimonial tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!