Making a Mark An Ethnography on a local Tattoo Shop and its Artists ...

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Laven 6painted with a traditional unique style of art. Ben proudly announced to me that he painted it andit was a painting of a maelstrom. It is a traditional symbol meaning storm, and trials andtribulations that a person goes through in life that make them become who they are.Ben had a tattoo on his right forearm with multiple colors of two hands with a lock andkey, birds and swirling clouds. I wanted to know the meaning of this interesting tattoo. He toldme the left hand represented the hand of evil and the right hand represented the hand of good.The lock and key symbolized a quest for love and companionship. The birds represented thedesire to be free, and the swirling clouds symbolized the maelstrom. To think that one tattoo heldso much meaning and depth struck me profoundly. I assumed people got tattoos because theyliked the design and style, which sometimes is the case, but I never took the time to understandthe true symbolism and underlying meaning woven into a tattoo.Drawings and sketches covered Ben’s bookcase and door. As I walked back out to thelobby area, I noticed a sign hanging on the wall. It was in big bold letters, and when I read it, Ichuckled to myself:!!NOTICE!!IF YOU ARE:DRUNK,HIGH,SUNBURNED,UNDER 15 YEARS OLD,WITH CHILDREN OR INFANTS,STINKY, DIRTY,BITCHY,
Laven 7OR AN ASSHOLE…PLEASE COME BACK WHEN YOU ARE NOT!!!Later, Ben told me that sign was up from past experience. I found it ironic that such asign had to be posted in the tattoo shop where I had assumed the tattoo artists would possess atleast some of the qualities.Folders on the coffee table displayed different artists’ sketches for the customers to viewwhile waiting. This subculture was reminiscent of a hair salon because people can pick theirfavorites, get inspired by drawings, and find a tattoo artist they really like based off of sketches.Ben was giving Nick a tattoo because they had free time and were in a way, “playing around”,trying new things on each other, which is what I’ve seen stylists do in a hair salon. In the lobbyby the register there were five business cards; Janell (Nelly), John, Kyle, Clayton, and Ben. Eachartist creatively designed their card their own way; each one with a different theme, color, andlayout. I thought this was really interesting and probably meant to attract customers to theirartistic talent and abilities.Comment: Does this sound okay andfit??As I went back into the room where Ben was tattooing Nick, I noticed a protractor andseveral other basic stencils placed on the bookshelf. The roughly 8 by 12 foot room contained somuch art, uniqueness, and personality; I was quite surprised. I thought it would be grungy, dull,and unfriendly. I was very curious how they related their shop to Miami or L.A. Ink, becausethat’s really all I could fathom a tattoo shop to look like before I arrived. “It’s not really thesame. Not everyone who comes in has had cancer, and we’re definitely twice as funny!” Benremarked as he focused intently on Nick’s leg. I think the popularity of those shows has affectedthe tattooing industry greatly because it doesn’t make it seem so scary or only for a certain genre
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Making a Mark An Ethnography on a local Tattoo Shop and its Artists ...

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