Aubrey Dean

How much do you have to love Nike to get this tattoo? Not so much as it turns out. Nike or Winged Victory, was a goddess who personified triumph throughout the ages of the ancient Greek culture. Aubrey saw this picture in art history class in high school and decided she would have it inked on her arm one day. Ten years later she found the right person to handle this detailed work - Nate Hudson at Optic Nerve Arts on Alberta in NE Portland. A couple of years after she got the tattoo, she visited the Louvre in Paris and saw the actual Winged Victory in all its glory.



The art history lesson continues. On the inside of her left arm there is a very cool script inking that translates as, "To my one desire." This is from a series of tapestries called "The Lady and the Unicorn" or La Dame à la licorne. There are a series of six tapestries woven in Flanders of wool and silk, from designs drawn in Paris in the late fifteenth century. The suite is often considered one of the greatest works of art of the Middle Ages in Europe. The tapestries are commonly interpreted as depicting the six senses - taste, hearing, sight, smell, touch, and "À mon seul désir" (to my only desire), often interpreted as love or understanding.


And finally we have the early mistake. At 19 she wanted to get a wave in a circle tat. The design is based on a piece of hammered metal, but Aubrey was not happy with how it turned out. She plans to cover it up in the future with a sleve of flowers down her entire right arm.