Tattoos Essay Research Paper The tattoo industry

Tattoos Essay, Research Paper The tattoo industry is an often type cast field, in many instances it is thought of as a delinquent activity carried out in remote and filthy cesspools of social deviancy by large hairy burly men who cant get a “real” job due to past felonious activity. I hope to shoot this popular misconception full of holes. One will find through experience only that this is truly not the case, these are legitimate places of business, ran n accordance to all health ordinances by law abiding citizens. I have targeted a tattoo studio on Bessemer avenue, by the creative name of “Inkslingers.” As a matter of fact I received three of five tattoos here by Kevin Spainhour who is also the subject of my interview. Judging by the parking lot, you would never

suspect this place as being a successful propriety. The lot is ragged and broken with no more than half a dozen parking spaces, of those three are occupied by employees. As you approach the bright yellow sandstone building you cant help but admire the airbrushed artwork for a moment. The entrance is surrounded by tonguerings earrings dice and other assorted items. As you walk in the front door you find yourself standing in front of a glass jewelers case. This is the counter where you pay for your overpriced tattoos, jewelry or other items. The man behind the counter was a very friendly black man about six feet tall with a pierced eyebrow. He greets each visitor with a welcoming “hello.” There is a partisian to the right that sections off the tattoo artist’s offices. This is

where they go to prepare the stencils for each tattoo. Past this room is a lounge with two bright red couches and a glass coffee table with between them. On top of the coffee table sits two tall stacks of tattoo magazines. All four walls of this room are covered from the floor to the ceiling with flash. Flash are the pictures and designs that the studio provides for customers to choose from. Each section of flash is about the size o a piece of notebook paper and can have anywhere from one to forty different pictures on them. The studios are usually rather protective of these as each page costs anywhere from two to seven dollars. Of course customers do not have to chose their tattoo from the flash, they can bring in their own pictures from the internet, television, magazines, even

your very own artwork or drawings. Their repetuar consisted of hundreds of different things tribal desighns, flowers, surreal objects and scenery, skulls, an assortment of animals, and any number of other things. It was quite impressive. From this room the piercing room branches off. Inside there is a reclining dentist’s chair, a counter, and cabinets. It’s full of medical grade equipment, sanitizing solutions, and Dixie cups. It is really not that much difference in appearance to an ordinary examining room that would be found at any reputable doctor’s office, with the exemption of the pictures of past piercings pinned to the walls. The last main room has a large pool table and a coke machine. There are four doors in this room one leading to the bathroom, and the others

leading to small tattoo roooms. The rooms are decorated by their designated tattooist. Kevin’s room was covered from top to bottom in very interesting pictures. On top of the shelves sit macabre action figures of Spawn, Kiss and Ozzy. It is slightly cluttered with all the various trinkets, but it is interesting. It was in this room that I gave the interview. Kevin Spainhour has been giving tattoos for over seven years. He began as a tattoo enthusiast. He received several from a man named “Bull” at a shop called “Dynamic Design.” He ended up spending so much time there, even when not getting tattoos that Bull took him in as an apprentice. Kevin reminds me that this was just his experience. Eventhough he fell into it many people plan and prepare for it by attending a