Tattoos have permanence.

Of course I mean this in a literal sense, but the physical longevity of body art also serves as an apt metaphor for the time it has spent as a cultural mainstay across the globe.

Tattoo: An American Evolution and Inked: Tattoo Imagery in Contemporary Art, sister exhibits on display in the Jack Olson gallery of the art building, provides an illustration of how tattoos have evolved from expressions of tribal unity to popular American art form.

Inked, which opened Monday, gives insight into the tattoo culture as a whole. Traditionally inspired “flash sheets” like the kind done by local artist Mitch O’Connell hang next to paintings influenced by the medium’s time in circus sideshows (“World’s Strangest Family,” by Glen C. Davies ). Photography of tattooed subjects provides context for Tattoo’s historical timeline of events and the influences that have brought what was once considered deviant behavior to a new level of appreciation. Familiar with Sailor Jerry spiced rum? The namesake for the popular alcohol tattooed sailors in the early 20th century, contributing heavily to classic styles that are still popular today.

It’s strange to see how tattoo culture has both evolved and remained static over the course of history. The designs showcased in Inked range from the primitive beginnings all the way to the more recent use of glow-in-the-dark liquids. But where the technology and styles have changed, the reasons behind their applications seem to stay the same; Tattoo and Inked show its patrons that, no matter what level of acceptance mainstream society has in any given era, there has always been some sort of appeal. From fascination with taboos to gang affiliation, it’s hard to argue that the study of a generation’s tattoos serves not only as a window inside of a person, but as a reflection of universal values held on a broader scale.

Anyone with even a passing interest in tattoo art and culture is encouraged to take some time and visit Inked and Tattoo. The history lesson won’t be nearly as painful as getting inked, but like tattoos themselves, it will stick with you for a while