Tattoos are a popular part of our youth's culture
today. I was personally drawn to the subject of tattooing as an art student.
Many young people want to be bold and expressive, and tattoos can make a personal
statement. Many young adults want to be tattooed with a symbol meaningful
to them, since tattoos are permanent. In addition to tattoos, body piercing
is in high demand. Today, piercing is done just about any place on the body
that a customer wishes. Popular piercings, including the tongue and nose,
have a shock value. Sometimes young consumers want to get attention by these
markings and other times the purpose is more personal. The high demand for
both services, tattooing and piercing, creates a good business opportunity,
especially in a campus town where there are a lot of young people.
The business I chose to observe, New Life Tattoos
(located on the northwest end of campus on Green Street), opened up about
two and a half years ago. In choosing this site, I hoped to learn about the
tattoo process and how the workers interact with customers. Currently, this
business attracts many college students, who mainly attend the University
of Illinois. According to the manager, Jeromey McCulloch, known as Tilt, everyday
is like fishing. You never can tell how many customers will come in, though
generally business is better during the warmer parts of the year. I asked
Jeromey how successful his business is. He replied he's doing well financially
but doesn't expect to be successful until about seven years into his work.
I got to know Jeromey and some of his staff by observing
them on the job. The workers at New Life can do both tattooing and piercing,
but each one prefers to specialize in one or the other. During my five
visits, which lasted an hour each, I mainly observed in the backroom where the
tattooing and piercing takes place. I paid special attention to how the customers
interacted with the workers. I wanted to observe the business during
different periods of time, so I tried to come in during various times of day
throughout the week. Jeromey and his co-workers (all male) have a very casual
relationship. Though obscene language is constantly used among the workers, no
one seems to take any offense to it. Instead they joke around. Over time, these
men have become close friends, and Jeromey does not even refer to them as his
workers. He considers them more important than just employees.
Derick Dahlstrom was a client and friends with some
of the workers at New Life Tattoos before he started working there as a piercer.
He never really planned to become a piercer, but when offered the position
about fourteen months ago, he decided to take it. Just as Chris, Derick did
not like college; and he decided it was not for him. Derick usually does about
five to eight piercings a day, but some days he does as many as twenty-three.
New Life Tattoos charges between twenty-five and forty-five dollars per piercing,
though genital piercings go at fifty dollars and up. Derick claims piercing
is not difficult.
Much like Chris, manager Jeromey, is also covered
in tattoos. Before Jeromey became a tattoo artist, he attended Eastern where
he studied sculpture. He decided college was not right for him, so he chose
the life of a tattoo artist, which he considers the best occupation. Jeromey
considers tattoos an important personal statement because they are a lifetime
commitment. Jeromey's tattoos all represent parts of his life that were meaningful
to him. Jeromey sees tattoos as more of an art form than piercing. A piercer
needs about six to eight months of practice to be able to work and about
a whole year to master the technique. Tattoo artists, on the other hand,
are continually improving their technique throughout their work life.
During my observations, I mainly was in the back
room, which is spacious and well lit. This is where Jeromey draws original
tattoo designs. It is also where customers get their tattoos and piercings.
To enter the room, customers go through swinging doors that remind me of an
Old Western saloon. The room is painted in red and black; and black chairs,
resembling chairs at a dentist office, are near each of the three black desks.
Bumper stickers decorate desk drawers, and a few posters are on the walls.
Jeromey often would work on a design, while Chris or Derick would work with
a customer.
Despite the very casual atmosphere, the workers are
very serious about their work. While the workers swear among themselves, they
act more professional around the customers. The workers converse personally
with each customer during the tattoo or piercing process and give advice on
how to properly care for a tattoo or piercing. All the tattooing is done slowly
and carefully, especially for the more detailed designs. The more complicated
a design is, the more time it takes to finish, just as any piece of artwork.
According to Jeromey, this business must be taken seriously. The workers care
about the customer's health, and they advise that special precautions should
be taken. Customers are asked
to be sober for at least forty-eight hours before getting a tattoo.
Alcohol thins the blood, which causes a person to bleed easier while
receiving a tattoo. Bleeding also creates scabs by the area of the
tattoo. Both piercers and tattoo artists are very sanitary, cleaning
off the customer's skin and wearing latex gloves for protection.
My experience observing at New Life Tattoos has been
rewarding. I have seen the work environment of a tattoo parlor, witnessed
and better understand the tattoo process, and interacted with these artists
and their customers. I met my main objective of this project, which was to
understand the subculture of a workspace on the campus.
I find it interesting that Jeromey and his employees
are college dropouts who provide a service that is in great demand by college
students. The New Life staff probably uses their college experience to better
relate to their college student customers. Jeromey chose this location because
he knows college students are experimenting, growing, and trying out new
things. He knows his services would be in demand in a campus town. This
work subculture is inviting and accepting to new people. The atmosphere
at New Life Tattoos is appealing to young people with loud music, a pinball
machine, and bold colors. If a customer looks nervous, the artist talks
with them to assure their comfort. Sometimes customers become friends with
the artists, and a few of them even became employees at New Life Tattoos.