Customizing the Body (PDF file) - Print My Tattoo

28 Introduction
(Clients usually) don't say. "I want this or 1want that:' They
pick a design off the wall and 1 try to prompt them to think
about it-what the tattoo means.... They pick a design which
is reasonable. 1 mean. 1 only put designs on the wall that 1 feel
are either valid aesthetically or have some kind of cultural
context. 1 try to keep the designs within that range.... 1
always feel that 1want to touch a bit-not physically. 1just
want to touch base and say, ''I'm gla.d 1can help you get
through this point. Why don't you give me some feedback on
your decision behind the tattoo-what you want to do.... " 1
become their hands-which is satisfying in that respect. 1
focus my entire energy on that tattoo to make it the most
beautiful thing 1can. 1 impose my own set of aesthetics and
value judgments as to what beauty is and what it isn't in the
context of the image that they choose. 1 feel that, through my
life's experience. and studying the history of Western art. and
being bombarded with the imagery and the evolution of beauty
in our culture. 1can manifest those qualities in a language
that everyone can understand despite their education.
The fine art tattooist tends to drift (or be propelled) into tattooing
out of dissatisfaction with the constraints and occupational
limitations encountered in the traditional art world. Although
they usually bring new aesthetic orientations and modes of evaluation
to tattooing (cf. Kealy, 1979; Schroder. 1973: 294-310), tattoo
artists consistently express appreciation for and connection to
the history and tradition of western tattooing (cf. Bell. 1976: 101;
Danto. 1964: 579). At the same time. they find much of the symbolic
content of American folk-style tattooing to be boring. repetitious
or. in some cases. morally and/or politically repugnant.
The Tattoo Market
As touched on above. the clientele is a central element of the
organizational set which revolves around the process of cultural
production. The client pool is. in essence. a "market" which is
identified. defined. and targeted by system actors whose interests
are primarily financial (Peterson. 1982: 146; DiMaggio. 1977).
The growth and changing character of the tattoo consumer pool
in the past two decades has had considerable impact on tattoo