Just because you don't like most tattoos doesn't mean they're not art. Having said that, the really good artists that do the great stuff are like 600+ bucks an hour and not everyone has that kind of cash, so they go with what they can afford.
Also, the tats you're referring to are not representative of what is possible today. You'd be amazed!!!
By the way, Chinese and Japanese art looks very much like tattoos because that's where the Chinese and Japanese tattoos got their style from. You wouldn't find anyone, besides yourself maybe, who wouldn't consider that art.