Today is National Tattoo Day and we have decided to explore the world of tattooing via our series Skin Deep sold in our World Wide Motion Pictures website theindiemoviestore.com. The mini series Skin Deep features the works and styles of prominent tattooers such as Greg James, who tattooed rock Gods like the members Motley Crew or legendary rapper Snoop Dogg. The series details the individual tattooer’s progression into the world of tattooing, their experiences, and, most importantly, their art.
Episode 1 of the series featuring tattooers Greg James and Billy Brown who tattoo in the parlor the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, Ca. This episode brought about an interesting question from the world of tattooing. Can an tattoo artist be moral while being in the business of tattooing? The artists at the Sunset Strip were adamantly against doing any racial tattoos, any tattoos on overly emotional clients, and they did not want to do risky tattoos on new clients. For instance, Brown describes how he turns down customers who come to him, without tattoos, and ask for their first tattoo to be on their hand.
“If an individual comes in here with no tattoos on his arms and wants to tattoo his hands. I really don’t recommend it and I won’t do it. Anything on your face, I won’t tattoo.” says Brown.
He explains that tattooing is fun for him but some decisions his client makes are those he is unable to abide by because of his morals. However, tattooing is solely a customer service oriented business. The whole process of tattooing depends on customers coming into a tattoo parlor asking to be tattooed. It’s a tattoo artist’s job to draw from their clients wants and needs in order to create a good tattoo. Tattooing is art but it’s art that survives on its customer service.
For instance, the popular show Tattoo Nightmare features a story about a woman whose parents paid a tattoo artist double to give her a painful, ugly tattoo to dissuade her from getting tattoos in the future. Where were the morals of that tattoo artist? Was he in it for the money? Did he believe her parents were doing the right thing? Or did he just not care? If a patron is paying, should the tattooer care about the subject he is being asked to ink on someone? The Sunset Tattooers believe tattooers should care. They believe their jobs have profound effects on their clients and their consciouses.
“You have to go home at night and you have to say ‘I did a good job today’ and you gotta live with yourself.” Brown muses.
The tattooers at Sunset believe their conscious should be involved in their art. They describe how they turn away clients and also, how they bond with their clients during their sessions. How they absorb their clients good days or bad days, how they treasure their clients momentous experiences and occasions. They explain how they realize how much their job impacts their clients lives. How their client’s tattoos impact their lives.
“You have to know how you’re changing your life,” Brown explains. “It does affect the way you live.”
Remember to check out our series Skin Deep on our website theindiemoviestore.com. It is on sale as of July 15th through the 19th at 10 percent off when using the promo code Deep10.
Happy tattooing!
