Tattoo Artists: Masters of the Living Canvas By: Genevieve Wronski 12/17/2010 Introduction Ever since I was a little girl, I have been fascinated with tattoos. I always thought that it was amazing how flesh could be used as a canvas for beautiful works of art that one could keep and look at for the rest of their days. I got my first tattoo when I was nineteen years old. My tattoo artist had great artistic talent, great taste in music, and was very easy on the eyes. I always wondered how he became such a wonderful tattoo artist and why he chose to do so, but I was always too shy to ask. I have grown up a lot since then. I am no longer the shy girl who was fleetingly enamored with her tattoo artist. I am a woman who is studying anthropology at Western Kentucky University. In taking a class on field methods in ethnography, I find myself with a fantastic opportunity to research a subculture of my choosing. I decided that this would be a great time to satisfy my curiosity and learn more about the men and women who have chosen to make a career out of tattooing others. In this study, I have composed a brief history of tattooing followed by a description of the modern equipment used and some technical aspects. I will then describe the work environment of three local tattoo artists who served as my informants: Zach Burcham, Sammy Jo Freeman, and Brooke Hume. I will talk about their decision to become tattoo artists, the learning process, and their preferred styles. I will conclude by discussing their favorite parts about being skin artists and what I have learned during my fieldwork experience. A History of Tattooing The tradition of tattooing predates written history. The oldest dated tattoos were found on a 5,000 year old frozen man that was discovered in the mountains between Austria and Italy. The body had several tattoos that consisted of a series of parallel lines around the ankles and the lower back. These tattoos were believed to have therapeutic purposes.1 Evidence of ancient tattooing has also been found in the artifacts and writings of Egypt, Peru, northern Asia, and throughout Europe. 2 In 787 AD, Pope Hadrian I outlawed tattooing of any kind. Because of this, the practice was almost unheard of until the 19 th century. 3 Tattooing was rediscovered by the western world when Captain James Cook first came to the Polynesian islands of the South Pacific in 1769. The natives, who were highly skilled in arts and crafts, were covered with intricate tattoos. 4 As a souvenir of their travels, Cook and several members of the crew decided to get tattooed. This fad caught on quickly. Sailors learned tattooing techniques and practiced them onboard ship. Many of these sailors retired to open tattoo parlors in European port cities. 5 In the late 1800s, early tattoo artists were heavily influenced by the tattoo masters of Japan. 6 The tattooing trend spread to the New World in the mid 1800s. In 1870, a German immigrant by the name of Martin Hildebrandt established the first known American tattoo studio 1 Steve Gilbert, Tattoo History: A Source Book (USA: Juno Books, LLC, 2000), 11. 2 Gilbert, Tattoo History, 11-16. 3 Gilbert, Tattoo History, 17. 4 Gilbert, Tattoo History, 21. 5 Gilbert, Tattoo History, 23. 6 Gilbert, Tattoo History, 103. in New York City. In 1891, tattooing was revolutionized when another New York tattoo artist, Samuel O’Reilly, invented the first electric tattoo machine which was based on an engraving machine patented by Thomas Edison. By 1900, there were tattoo studios in every major American city. 7 Over the last century, tattoo artists have improved on the old machines, developed new inks in a variety of colors, and have created an infinite number of designs. In the late 20th century, tattoo artists began sharing ideas at conventions, publishing magazines and books, and coming up with countless innovative techniques for achieving different looks. 8 Tools of the Trade and Technical Aspects Up until the invention of the tattoo machine, modern tattooing was done by hand in the United States, Europe, and Asia with a set of needles attached to a wooden handle. With the new mechanical device, a once tedious and time consuming process was made nearly as fast as the artists could draw. 9 According to Zach, the mechanism that makes the modern tattoo machine work is similar to the circuit found in older models of the household doorbell. Electricity flows through two coils of copper wire creating an electromagnet. The needle, which is attached to the armature bar, is drawn up and down through the sanitary tube when the circuit opens and closes, turning the magnet on and off. This process happens over and over and very quickly. The sharp end of the needle is dipped in an ink which is made from pigment particles held in a carrier solution that allows fluid application. The carrier solution found in premixed tattoo ink is a combination of 7 Gilbert, Tattoo History, 126-127. 8 Gilbert, Tattoo History, 197-206. 9 Gilbert, Tattoo History, 128-127. distilled water, alcohol, and glycerin. As the needle punctures the skin, the permanent marks of the tattoo are left behind. Tattoo needles come in several different configurations. Different needle configurations are needed for different parts of the tattoo. Outlining is done with round needle configurations, while shading and color are done with flat needle configurations. Several tattoo machines and a variety of premixed inks . One of Zach’s tattoo machines set atop a pencil drawing. Different tattoo needle configurations. Even though the machinery is fairly simplistic, there are many different variables involved in doing a tattoo. My informants have told me that working with the tattoo machine is hard to get used to. Zach says that using a tattoo machine is like drawing with an engine that must be constantly adjusted. If the artist bumps the machine in a certain way, it completely changes the way it runs. Brooke says that there’s a huge learning curve. The artist must balance out the vibrations of the machine, the tension of the skin, and the penetration of the needle. Tattooing requires close attention to the task at hand in order to foresee the different areas of the skin that may cause any little jumps or tugs. Zach and Sammy Jo told me that there are things that the tattoo artist must take into consideration when doing a tattoo. Every person takes tattoo ink differently and tattoos don’t always come out the same way on everybody. The kind of skin people have makes a big difference. Black skin can be very sensitive. The tattoo process can cause swelling and even scarring if the artist is too rough. Some really fair skin can be so sensitive that the ink spreads out in little veins from the line being tattooed. This effect, sometimes called “lightning,” can happen if the machine is running too fast or if the needle is hitting the skin too hard. The tattoo artist can change the settings of the machine, but sometimes the skin is just too sensitive regardless of the setting. A similar effect, called a “blowout,” can occur with any skin type if the needle goes too deeply into the skin. This causes the ink to spread outward under the skin, leaving a permanent blue haze around the tattoo. Tattoo artists must also be wary of any markings on the skin. Dark freckles and moles cannot be tattooed, so the artist must find a way to work around them or pick a new area for the tattoo entirely. Scar tissue can be finicky; sometimes it takes the ink and other times it does not. Because of this, heavy scar tissue is usually best left alone. In today’s world, there are many blood borne diseases that people must worry about when the skin is broken. Sammy Jo says that because of these health concerns, tattoo artists must make sure that their equipment is sterilized. To avoid cross contamination, every needle used comes prepackaged in sterile plastic. Before and after every tattoo, the sanitary tube is removed, cleaned, and placed into an autoclave where it is sterilized with extreme heat and steam. The World of the Tattoo Artist In doing my research, I felt that it was important for me to visit the tattoo shops where my informants work in order to get a feel for the environment in which they spend most of their days. The first shop that I visited was West Main Street Tattoos, which is owned and run by Zach. He is currently the only artist working there. As I entered the shop, I was greeted by Kevin Vanduyn, who has been apprenticing there for a little over a year. The shop is separated into two rooms. The front room of the shop could be considered a reception/waiting room. Everywhere I look on the goldenrod yellow walls, I see various pieces of Zach’s art. There are several paintings, some wood carvings, and a wall full of framed photographs of tattoo pieces. West Main Street’s Front Sign. Some of Zach’s wood carvings that decorate West Main One of Zach’s many paintings. Main Street Tattoos. After taking in all of the artwork in the front room, I find my attention being drawn to a curtained doorway with a sign just above it that reads, “MENTAL WARD.” I get my chance to take a peek when a customer comes in to have some final work done on her back piece.