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Many local tattoo veterans concur.
"Tattooing has been labeled a growth industry, but in reality it's more unprepared and inexperienced people trying to "cash in on the craze' and cutting the pie up into ever smaller slices," says Jeff "JFK" Kohl of Old Glory Tattoo. "I had 16 years experience and had traveled the world, learned from the greats, won awards, was published in tattoo magazines, and worked the big international expos before I opened my shop. It's a hard time to be in the business."
In an age where people from every perch of the social strata are getting tattooed and every third corner boasts a tattoo parlor, what does the curious tattoo neophyte or seasoned veteran do to stand out from the crowd? As simple as it may sound, the easiest way is simply making sure to get quality work."The number of studios has greatly increased all over the country," says Vernon. "Unfortunately, the number of quality studios is very few. People jumped on a trend with tattooing and saw dollar signs. People came to the conclusion that no artistic talent was needed, thinking (that) all we do is trace lines. They simply lack the love of the art that so many (serious) tattooists do have, and don't realize the negative impact they're having on the industry. They offer an inferior product at a cheaper price -- this is where the ignorance of the consumer comes in. It's amazing the number of people who don't know what a good tattoo looks like. I honestly wonder sometimes if people care, they want it so cheap. People will go out and spend $200 on a pair of shoes that will last them a few months, and bitch about the price of permanence."
Another way to stand out is to simply get more work done, such as what's known as a sleeve (an arm tattooed nearly completely to the wrist), or a tattoo in a more conspicuous place, like the neck or head.
"People whose identities are more tied up with the tattoo community, the more "hardcore' aspects of it, are indeed getting more head and neck tattoos and other very public works," says DeMello. "As it becomes mainstreamed, those who are at the forefront of either the artistic community or the younger, Gen-Y groups, do seem to need to make themselves stand out from the rest."
"I think there are more people getting large scale work than before to set themselves apart from the rest," says Vernon. "Not to mention there is always a new generation of kids that find large work more appealing -- with any luck it will continue to increase."
"It's hard for the people who get tattooed to make themselves different from others when everybody else has one too," says Steve Steve Huntsberry, of Charlotte's Immortal Images. "That's cool, though. The idea is to just get something that's special to you, for you, and not just to make a statement of rebellion."
"As tattooing has transcended class, gender and ethnic lines, you can find everyone getting tattooed," says DeMello. "However, you'll still find strong class differences among artwork, and other "identities' will be expressed differently as well, such as rural vs. urban folks, sexual communities, age differences, and more."
As DeMello points out, there are numerous subcultures within the tattoo subculture itself. The more urban, graffiti-like tattoos a rapper might adorn himself with will differ from the work on someone of Samoan or Japanese ancestry. In this way, the tattoo world is no different from the art world at large -- there are numerous schools of tattooing, numerous styles, and numerous overriding popular tastes, which inevitably tend toward the banal.
Which brings up yet another question: with the breakdown of the rebel image of tattooing, what remains taboo? Where is the line drawn, what kind of design is too unsavory? The answer, apparently, lies in who's doing the tattooing.
"(With) unsavory subjects, a line is definitely drawn," says Vernon. "I just don't want to attach my name to them. Then there are the tattoos I think people will regret later in life, like a spouse's name or something in a highly visible area such as their hand or neck. I discuss long-term complications -- job situation, etc. -- with them before they make a solid decision."
"I don't tattoo minors," says Kohl. "It's against the law in NC. I don't tattoo people on hands, face, or neck unless they're already heavily tattooed. I don't discriminate against anybody's choice of personal emblem in any way -- it's a free country."