Sherry Konneker
COM 111-11
Essay #4

THE ARTISTS’ EDGE:
A UNIQUE TATTOO PARLOR

It is a warm November. Tuesday afternoon in Springfield, Illinois. I pull off of North Grand Avenue into a strip mall parking lot across from Krekels. In the northwest corner of the lot is a One Stop Tobacco Shop. The rest of the strip mall consists of four businesses: Antonio’s Pizza, a Fast Cash Store, the Artists’ Edge Tattoo Parlor, an On-Line Consignment Store, and Monical’s Barber shop, located in the back. The parking lot is only partially full today. The business is easily accessible, which is important in this industry. A parlor is a hangout for the tattoo subculture, so their location and accessibility are very important. If they were located in a large office building, it would probably hurt their business. This is my last visit to the tattoo parlor to finish my school project. I was scared the first time I came; I really thought the people would be strange, rude, and vulgar. I was so very wrong and now look forward to my visits. I see and learn something new every time I stop by. The staff has always been very friendly, and more than willing to share their knowledge with me. I have visited some other tattoo parlors, and this place seems like a very special shop. The level of responsibility and ethics they apply in their industry are, I believe, unusual.

The outside of the building is brown brick. In front on the two large windows are the staff names and what they do. The windows also have red curtains with gold dragons on them that are sometimes closed. The ledges of both windows have numerous trophies that have been won by the staff for their work at different tattoo conventions. They range in size from one to three feet in height. Most are silver and a sky blue metal. The entrance is a glass door with the parlors name and business hours on it.

When I walk inside the first thing I see is a black leather love seat with an artificial tree in the corner. Some kind of rock music is playing softly in the background. The floor is white with black speckles that shine in the bright lighting. A counter, eight feet long, is located on the left side of the parlor. Behind the counter is cash register, and behind this, in the far left corner, a table has a glass cage on it, with two iguanas inside. They are both light brown in color, which matches the sand in the bottom of their cage, as well as the pieces of driftwood inside it. A desk with stereo equipment and a computer sits next to the iguanas with a two-drawer filing cabinet on the floor. I see a small, white refrigerator and a black microwave that end at the start of the tattoo area.

There is a gray half wall, four feet in height, that partition off the tattoo area from the rest of the parlor. Four barber style chairs and four stools on wheels, that the artists use when doing a tattoo, are scattered throughout the area. Numerous paintings adorn the entire wall, which are tattoos that have already been done. On the far right wall is a selection of designs on display. One can choose a tattoo design from these selections, but most tattoos done in this particular parlor are original designs. In the back right corner is the piercing area. An L-shaped wall separates this area. Curtains are attached to the ceiling so the space can be closed off to the public. They are usually kept open unless a client wants privacy or the area being pierced is in a private place.

Each tattoo station has a cabinet on the wall to store all their equipment. In the piercing area are an autoclave (Sterilization Equipment) and a sink. In the corner a door opens into a storage area. Every time I have been here the counters are free of clutter. The only things I see on the counters are the items being used to do a tattoo: Paper towels, ink containers and the various styles of needles. The needles are used in groups and remind me of different sizes of paint brushes, from thick to thin. The size of the area being tattooed determines the type of needle groupings to be used. I have always thought a tattoo involved the use of only one needle. I had no idea that they are used like paint brushes. It does look like they are painting a picture, it just happens to be on a body instead of a canvas.

The first man I see is a large white man, over six feet tall and four hundred pounds, wearing a baggy, black, t-shirt, jeans and black tennis shoes. His head is shaved and there is a small strip of yellow-blonde hair down the middle. A large silver ring pierces his septum. Both eyebrows are pierced with silver metal bars. The bottoms of both earlobes have large, white discs that are one inch in circumference. The right ear also has four, silver hoops in the top portion. At each corner of his mouth are silver, metal rings. I see tattoos on his arms and neck. There is even a tattoo that goes up the back of his head. I think he looks scary. He tells me his name is Big John Cluney, the Piercer.

I ask John how long he has been a piercer. “It will be five years in February,” John answers. John tells me that he was an apprentice for a year before he started piercing on his own. It seems like most of the staff were apprentices for one to two years before they went out on their own. First Aid and Blood Borne Pathogen Training Certificates are posted at each tattoo station. I ask John if they are required to have these posted in their shop. John informs me that there are no regulations governing their industry at the present time. They have been working with the Department of Public Health trying to decide what guidelines should be used. Regulations will be going into effect starting next year (Cluney). Since, they are not regulated now; I inquire why they have these certifications. “We deal with bodily fluids on a daily basis and we want to protect ourselves as well as our clients,” states Cluney. The staff would like to have regulations in this industry so they can weed out the shops that give the tattoo industry a bad name. It seems hard to believe that in this day and age where the government seems to control everything, that there is a business asking to be regulated. Here we have a place that regulates themselves and really cares about their reputations. The extent that they go to insure the safest place for their clients is really quite commendable. I really do not think that you will find many businesses like this one. In today’s society, many businesses are trying to find ways to get around rules and regulations. How refreshing to find a business that goes in the opposite direction.

While talking to John I learn a lot of different facts about piercing. There is a school in San Francisco called the Fakir Institute where you can go to school to learn piercing techniques. John tells me that Fakir invented most of the techniques that are used today in the industry. Trade magazines, conventions, and word of mouth are also resources the staff uses to keep up to date on their trade. The staff insures that they are well trained in their business. All of the staff have apprenticed under people for at least a year and or two. They pay a fee to do this or work in their mentors shop to pay off their fees. Most of the tattoo artists are clients as well. I have not met anyone involved in this industry that is not a client. This makes sense to me. I think most of the tattoo artists had tattoos long before they started doing tattoos.

I see Jason “Shag” Campbell is working on an older mans inner right arm. Shag is a thin white man wearing an olive green t-shirt, jeans and brown work boots. He has on a brown corduroy hat that looks like the kind worn by golfers and black sunglasses, and a reddish-brown beard with two little pony-tails on each side. Shag reminds me of a beatnik. I can picture him sitting in a Coffee House, discussing the philosophy of life. His right arm is completely tattooed from the wrist up and his left earlobe is pierced. Shag has been tattooing for ten years. He asks if I can come over and watch. A client’s privacy has always been a priority whenever I have been in the tattoo parlor. I really like how they consult each client before I am allowed to come into the tattoo area. The man, Bob, says yes and tells me that he is a family friend, and has known Shag since he was a little boy. His tattoo is going to cover up an older tattoo that he no longer likes. “We have to be counselors as well as tattoo artists,” states Shag. Since tattoos are a life long decision, we need to make sure that our clients make good decisions when it comes to their tattoos. We don’t want them to be like Bob and regret their decision. “I consider myself an artist who just happens to do tattoos,” Shag responds with pride. Bob tells me that is very true. “I drew what I wanted for my tattoo, but Shag turned it into a piece of art.” responds Bob. This is what usually happens in this particular parlor. A person will come in with their sketch of the tattoo they want done. The tattoo artist will then tweak their design to make it better. Some parlors are called “Street Shops”, which means you go in and choose a design from what they have displayed and get it done right then. This is another aspect of tattoos that I did not know. I thought all tattoo parlors were like street shops. The artistic aspect of tattooing is another aspect I had never considered. Shag tells Mark to give me the restaurant scenario.

Mark Lahman, the shop manager, is white, five feet eight inches and one hundred sixty pounds with short, black hair. There are tattoos on both arms and piercing in his ears and the left side of his nose. He has been tattooing for ten years. Mark worked as a sign painter apprentice and also did graphic designs before becoming a tattooist. We compare our shop to a fine restaurant that has no menu. The Maitre De tells you what the menu is. Your surroundings are very luxurious and the food is very high quality. Compared to the fast food place which, is what we compare the street shops to (Lahman). What an interesting analogy. I have visited a street shop and agree with this completely. It is like comparing apples to oranges. The may both be fruits, but they are nothing alike.

Mark asks his client if I can come over and watch. The man says that it would be ok and tells me that Mark is covering up an old tattoo he no longer likes. The client’s tattoo is a dragon on his right shoulder. Mark impressed me when he asked his clients permission for me to watch. I really like how the staff interacts with their clients and visitors. Privacy is always an important issue at this parlor. They have always made me feel very welcome and have always made sure it was ok with their client before I observe.

I ask Mark if there are any kinds of tattoos that they will not do. We do not do
tribal signs, arm bands, band logos, trendy tattoos, and we really try to discourage people from having someone’s name put on their body (Lahman). Both Shag and Mark
have had customers in the last year that had someone‘s name done and within six months, both people were back to have the tattoo covered over. I see why they say being a counselor is an important part of their job. A lot of other shops do not do this. They just do whatever you want without talking to you about your decision. I think that you should really do a lot of research before getting a tattoo. There are so many different things to take into consideration. After visiting some other parlors I feel like this shop is the cream of the crop. I would recommend them to anyone looking into having a tattoo done. If the staff just wanted to make money, they would do whatever a person wanted done on their bodies. I really like a place that is concerned with you and not just making money.

While we are talking a young white woman comes in and she seems to be a little upset. She tells Mark that she thinks something is wrong with her tattoo and her friend told her to come in and let them look at it. Mark looks at her tattoo and tells her it is fine. That all tattoos go through a phase where the skin dries up and falls off. That would scare me. Mark tells the woman that she should come in anytime if she is not sure if there is something wrong. Again, they really seem to care about their clients well being. I found it interesting that the woman would come to the tattoo parlor instead of going to the doctor. Instructions are given to each client on the proper care of their tattoo. Since they are the people who gave you the tattoo, it makes sense to get their advice first. Here is another aspect of tattoos I never thought about. It seems to me that they are also medical advisors
at this parlor. The staff seems to wear many different hats on a daily basis.

Shag tells me that Frank had a regular client that got a very bad staph infection from a tattoo he had once done. When the woman went to her doctor, they found out that she has a condition that makes her susceptible to staph infections, and that she should limit her time in the tattoo chair to two hours. Frank decided that it would be best if she limited her time to only one hour to insure that she does not have any other complications from being tattooed. Mark said that diabetics or anyone on a blood thinner are very important concerns to take into consideration before you do a tattoo. We make sure their blood levels are where they should be (Shag). There has been very little blood, if any; on the tattoos I have seen done here. The staff spends at least one visit with their clients before a tattoo is done. They have a very professional standard of ethics. I have really come to respect what they do, which is not how I felt when I started this project.

I ask if they have a medical questionnaire that has to be completed by the clients before they can be tattooed. The only thing that has to be completed is a medical waiver (Cluney). The waiver included several different aspects that I found interesting. It states that any misinformation can be punishable by law; you certify that you are not under the influence of any kind or pregnant. John said that many people will tattoo pregnant women, but they do not. There is no evidence linking tattoo‘s with complications of a pregnancy, but we just do not think it is a good idea (Cluney). The waiver also states that
a tattoo is a pertinent part of your freedom of expression and is protected by the United States Constitution. What an interesting thing to be included in their waiver. I never really considered this something that would be protected by the Constitution. Most of the people I have interviewed have said that their tattoos have some personal meaning to them. Freedom of expression is a Constitutional right, I just never thought of a tattoo as being covered under these rights. .

I turn around and ask Frank how long he has been in the tattoo industry. Frank Ryan, the owner, has many tattoos, and his ears are pierced. He got his first tattoo at the age of fourteen, and has been tattooing for seven years. “It has been great for me,” Frank answers. Frank is only twenty-eight years old, and already owns his own shop. While I am talking to Frank he finishes with a client and immediately starts to wipe down his work area. The entire chair is cleaned with anti-bacterial wipes, as well as the counter and any other equipment that was used. He then proceeds to the sink where he washes his hands like I was taught in CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) class. This was very impressive since hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent the transmission of germs. Health concerns are very important in this business. Since they deal with bodily fluids everyday, I am impressed that they really try to insure a safe environment for their clients.

The old saying, “You can’t judge a book by its cover,” really applied to me in this situation. Before, I had a very negative outlook on the tattooing industry and really thought the people were quite bizarre. Since then my attitude has changed completely. I have come to have a lot of respect for, not only what they do, but how they do it. From ensuring that their client’s privacy is respected, to regulating themselves on health issues, they are truly a unique parlor in an industry filled with little ethical or moral standards. I would highly advise anyone getting a tattoo, to check out more than one parlor before you make a life long decision. I have really enjoyed this experience. I have had a wonderful time doing this project I may someday get a tattoo of my own, just so I can experience what it is all about.





Sources citied:

Lahman, Mark. Personal Interview. 27 October 2007, 13 November 2007.
Cluney, John. Personal Interview. 27 October 2007, 13 November 2007.
Campbell, Jason. Personal Interview. 27 October 2007, 13 November 2007.
Ryan, Frank. Personal Interview. 13 November 2007.
Bob. Personal Interview. 13 November 2007.