French tattoo 'king' struggles for recognition of his art

The undisputed "king" of French tattoo artists says his industry is struggling to win recognition as an art form on a par with painting or music. "Everything proves that we are artists according to the UNESCO definition," said Tin-Tin, whose clients have included fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, the rapper Joey Starr and tennis legend Yannick Noah. "For now, (the government is) killing us, considering us as simple merchants," said Tin-Tin.