Customizing the Body (PDF file) - Print My Tattoo

83 The Tattooist
THE TATTOOIST'S CAREER GOALS
Most tattooists are involved in a relatively simple, independently
organized work activity within a nonbureaucratized and noncentralized
occupational world. As a consequence, their career goals
are rather narrowly conceived and few see themselves as being on
a career path in which indicators of advancement are clearly demarcated.
When asked to project the future of their careers the
tattooists most commonly said that their primary goal was to gain
more technical and artistic skill or to develop a unique personal
style. Given the mediocre quality of most traditional tattooing,
both street and fine art tattooists saw the prospect of doing better-than-average
work to be a limited and reasonably attainable
career goal. When asked what he would most like to change about
his job, a street tattooist replied:
I don't think I would change anything about the way I'm
tattooing now. I just want to get to be a competent tattooist
where I can put out a nice tattoo and make a comfortable
living. I don't have any overwhelming desire to own a large
home or a fleet of Cadillacs or anything like that. I just want to
make a decent living and do better-than-average work. I know I
will never be an [well-known fine art tattooist) but, at the same
time, I'm already better after a few years of work than many
people are after twenty or thirty. They had a whole career of
tattooing and they never were any good. But they made a living
and people bought their product.
Gaining visibility and status within the tattoo subculture is another
goal pursued by tattooists. As in other arUcraft worlds, one's
reputation is based primarily on the evaluation of other practitioners
(Becker, 1982: 351-371). Information about the quality of
one's work is passed by word-of-mouth as tattooists travel from
shop to shop and discuss business. One may also acquire a reputation
through the display of photographs of his or her work in
the major tattoo publications. The tattooing world tends to be
fragmented into various factions centering around equipment
suppliers and a few influential artists. Suppliers and key artists
are primarily responsible for producing tattoo magazines or newsletters
and interviewees consistently expressed dissatisfaction