Joshua Harris’s tattoo is all about evolution. The evolution of his own life, the evolution of the universe, the evolution of his faith. Even the design of the tattoo itself was an evolution, a process of thinking and planning over time.

The large completed tattoo, chosen at random by Baldwinsville, New York-based tattoo artist Jamie Santos, is a spiral sequence that contains a fern, a galaxy and a nautilus — a mollusk that looks like a cross between a snail and a squid — as well as other featured images. All the symbols he has chosen are things that are early aspects of the evolution of the universe.

“Spirals exist universally, they exist in physical nature and we see life takes that same form, its like as the universe is constantly evolving life follows that same pattern,” Harris said.

The graduate student studying biochemistry gave lot of credit to Santos. Harris said he had no predetermined ideas for his large piece, deciding he would collaborate with his tattoo artist to figure out what would be added next.

“My philosophy behind tattoos is that, I feel some people go talk to the artist and they kind of talk to them like a machine,” he said. “But (tattoo artists) are the real artists. I want to inspire you and let your art come out on my body — I’m just a canvas.”

The image in the center of Harris’s tattoo, called a Merkabah, represents his syncretic belief system. Harris said he works to find similarities between science and faith, and the Merkabah can be found in nature. The symbol is important in showing how he connects his belief in science and religion.

“From science, I learned that no matter how much science progresses there’ll always be more we don’t know than what we do know,” he said. “So what do you do about the things you don’t know? You have faith; faith is based on not knowing.”

Harris said that evolution itself has also supported his relationship with faith. Though his tattoo appears complicated, everything is interconnected and relates back to science.

Reflecting on his own philosophy in life inspired Harris to get a tattoo in the first place. He said he doesn’t fully know who he is, because he is always changing, just as the universe is always changing, just as life itself is always changing. He said over time, his present and future tattoos will reflect that change.

“I want to make sure I keep getting the new me tattooed every time, so that when I look back I have moments throughout my life,” he said.

Harris has plans to get many more tattoos in the future, saying he has always wanted a colorful and out-of-control bodysuit. Tattoos are more than just a design to him; he said it is a cathartic experience for him and will remain as such.

“It’s an evolving philosophy and it only needs to make sense to me,” he said.

Published on October 4, 2016 at 12:01 am