Travis Barker rose to worldwide fame as the lead drummer of the punk-rock band Blink-182 since joining the group in 1998. Even before making it big in the music industry, the California native knew it was either drumming or nothing. To ensure he fulfill his dreams, the artist even decided to forgo a plan B. And to do that, he went on a mission to cover almost every inch of his body in tattoos. Yes, you read that right. When his father warned him against getting inked as a teenager, Barker immediately knew that was exactly what he needed to do – not to be a rebel, but as a reminder that this was his only viable career option.
“I didn’t have anything to fall back on,” Barker told GQ in an interview. “We didn’t have money for college or anything. It really narrowed things down for me in the best way possible. Play music or die.” However, over the years, his relationship with body art transformed. It became a medium to express his life story and preserve memories. “For me, it’s documenting part of my life or people, things, times in my life. When I’m dead and gone, I want people to be able to look at my body and basically relive my life in some ways,” he said. And Barker certainly isn’t one to shy away from the messy bits of life, adding, “It’s all memories. I don’t care if I have nice, shiny tattoos. Mine all tell a story and make up who I am.”
Barker even collaborated with Inkbox and longtime tattooist Chuey Quintanar to create a limited-edition collection of temporary designs inspired by his own. Much like the meaning behind his ink, the five temporary tattoos are inspired by his family and love for art with Dolce Vita vibes.
From touching tributes for his closest friends and family members (including his three kids) to his unwavering faith in God and his ever-growing list of designs for his wife, Kourtney Kardashian, here are all of the notable ink in Barker’s tattoo collection. Keep reading for a complete breakdown of his expansive body artwork, along with the meaning behind each design.
