Tattoo Parlor - Ethnography

Abstract

This essay describes the job of a tattoo parlor and the tattoo artist, and the interaction between the artist and the customer. The description is of a normal day where I visit Blue Moon Tattoo, watch a lady being tattooed, and receive a tattoo of my own. I describe the complete day in the parlor, from watching a woman find the perfect tattoo, to watching her getting the tattoo. Along with the description, the main point of this essay is to explain how people can actually be comfortable with a tattoo artist and be comfortable with needles being poked into their body. A small amount of interaction between the artist and the customer makes the tattoo have a bit of personality, and a memorable experience.

The Life of a Tattoo Parlor

Throughout the past thirty or so years, the human body began to show originality, not through bone structure, but through personality. Wilham and Bulark (2003) believe sixty five percent of adults (18+) in the United States chose to add originality to their skin. This form of art is called tattooing. The process of tattooing is described by Mirriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003) as, "to mark or color (the skin) by pricking in coloring matter so as to form indelible marks or pictures." Even though originality may seem ideal, there is a controversy over whether getting tattooed or to worry about the stereotype of promised disease, infection, and easy fading. The question is, why would a person allow an unknown individual to place foreign inks into their skin, with sharp needles? The answer lies in the tattoo parlors that shape our body modified world, and the god/goddess if the shop, the tattoo artist.

In front of Blue Moon Tattoo located in RingGold, VA, the first sign I see is a prominent "NO ONE UNDER 18 MAY ENTER!". My first impression is, "my god, what am I thinking, this isn't a porn business, I hope." I am greeted by a friendly smile of a typical long-bearded Harley rider, Mike Vaughn, who is the shop owner. "Welcome to Blue Moon Tattoo, how may I help you?" he belts out with his deep voice. For some reason in this tattoo shop, which I had never been in before, it seemed as if I was at home. "I'd like to get my first tattoo, if that wouldn't be a problem," I say, as if I'm a child. I've had an idea since age 14 that I wanted to put a pink ankh on the top right of my back. So that is what I picked. I was too anxious to wait, but I had to. There's a lady getting a tattoo before me, which is to my advantage so that I may watch the process of a tattoo being made, and to make sure I am absolutely sure of what I was doing, before I destroy my skin.

Picture and Paperwork

The tattoo artist is a blonde-haired blue-eyed female around the age of 26, named Jesse Smith. I didn't want to bother her work, since she does do art for a living, but the tattooing process is a complete wonder. Jesse explains the complete process of her work to the woman ahead of me, before she even touches the tattoo gun. Even though the artist specializes in drawing perfection, the best way to the perfect tattoo is by listening to what the customer wants. The tattoo artist doesn't just draw what they think may look decent, but if a customer requests a purple Playboy bunny with green eyes and a pink bow on it's head, then that is what the customer gets. The person being tattooed picks a light blue star with tribal on each side to place on her left wrist. The tribal is picked out of a book of flash (pictures used often in tattooing) and is changed to the customer's preference.

The customer has to fill out a permission form to be tattooed so that the artist can't be sued, just incase complications arise. The permission form consists of the customer's name, address, phone number, driver's license number, and birth date. A colored copy of the customer's ID/driver's license has to be kept on file for 5 years, so that the artist has proof that they are not tattooing anyone under age without parental consent. Listed on the permission form will be the exact colors that will be used in the tattoo and a picture or drawing of the tattoo expected, if touch ups on the color are needed.

The Cleaning Process

The most important part about tattooing is the cleaning process. In order to have a healthy tattoo, and for the customer to be disease and infection free, the tattoo gun must be sterilized and extremely clean. The gun consists of the motor section and the disposable parts that have to be changed after every tattoo is finished. Fresh needles, needle covers, rubber bands, plastic cover protection, and oil added to a sterilized motor before each tattoo session. As well as the tattoo machine being clean, the skin on the customer needs sterilization. Alcohol is used on a swab to make sure dead skin and dirt is off of the tattoo area. Also, the skin has to be shaved so that the hair will not be dyed during the process. Just before the tattoo is started, A&D ointment is applied to the area so that the skin will be moist and susceptible to the ink. Because of this strict way of cleaning, the Centers for Disease Control (1997) report that there are "no cases of HIV transmission through tattooing."

The Tattoo

The lady being tattooed, named Janna, appears extremely nervous. Jessica calms her down with a soda and tells her to take deep breaths. The process of even getting the guts to go in a tattoo parlor is harder than you would think. The artist is professional enough to sit down with a customer and work their guts up to sit still enough and not to break down and cry from pain. A stencil has been drawn to place on the skin so that a free-hand mess up won't happen.

The first step of the tattoo is the outline. Most outlines are in black, especially cartoons, but Jenna wants her tattoo only to be light blue. Jessica outlines a small star, about half and inch by half an inch, in light blue on the center of Jenna's wrist. As Jenna is tense and balls her first up, Jessica has to slow down with the tattoo because muscles are tightening up in Jenna's wrist. Blood drains from her skin, as most fresh tattoos make the skin seem as if it is cut, and Jessica uses "white-wash" (regular paper towels) to clean the area with carbonated water to release oxygen in the skin. Also, Jenna has to stop tensing up before Jessica can proceed with the process, so communication is a big key in tattooing.

After the star outline is made, the star has to be filled in, like coloring in a book. You have to be careful not to go out of the outline,