Story and Photos by Victoria Davila
Getting a tattoo can be a long and arduous process for many individuals itching for some fresh ink. Once the decision is made, many people spend a long time finalizing the details of their decorative, but permanent, body modification. They weigh the options of black and white versus color, big versus small, traditional versus stylized, and so on and so forth. They want to take their time.
Kat Fakke isn’t one of those people, or at least at this year’s Oregon Ink Tattoo Convention she wasn’t. The University of Oregon philosophy major usually plans her tattoos at least a year in advance. This time, however, the self-described ink junkie says she just went for it.
Ticket paid for and hand stamped, Fakke entered the convention drawn in by the promise of tattoos and beer. Local Portland event sponsor MacTarnahan’s Brewing Company offered free tattoos for anyone willing to be branded with their logo.
“They gave me the flier. And it’s like ‘Hmmm: free tattoo, put a beer company on my ass, why not?” she describes with a big grin. “Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. Look at my ass.“ The dark brown curly-haired woman’s eyes electrified as the tattoo gun pulsed, vibrated, and pierced her skin.
However, for those that did plan on comparing portfolios, styles, prices, and even artist compatibility the Oregon Ink Tattoo Convention provided the perfect opportunity. Only in its second year, Oregon Ink offers people the chance to find the right tattoo artist to adorn their bodies with an everlasting souvenir.
“That’s kind of what these conventions are for – people that don’t normally go into a tattoo shop,” says Jimmy Singleton of Eugene’s The Parlour Tattoo.
The buzzing of hundreds of needles filled the air throughout the three-day event giving everyone an itch for ink, even those who were simply strolling the stream of artists. Graffiti style skateboards, old school tattoo work on mannequins, traditional paintings, decade-old works of art on longtime tattoo lovers, and works-in-progress on teenagers getting first tattoos filled the booths.
With the influx of planned and unplanned appointments, artists were as busy – or free to network – as they wanted. The desire to connect with clients and colleagues, do work, and make money pushed tattooists to work as hard as they felt necessary. Most were booked back to back for the whole weekend.
Eugene Tattoo and Body Piercing Company artist Matteo Holmes was running on pure adrenaline by the end of Saturday as he lost track of time explaining his busy weekend. The non-stop action started after a full day of normal tattooing at the shop Thursday followed by another full day tattooing at the convention Friday. Even before the weekend began, the booth was booked with appointments so Holmes and fellow worker Andrew Todaro brought convention attendees back to the shop to get work done. By the end of the day both artists were too beaten to even care about going to the after party events. Although he planned to take some personal time Sunday to enjoy the convention, Holmes confessed he’d probably wind up tattooing again.
Walking and wandering as an artist provided a different experience than that of an attendee. Artists examined the work of their peers, signifying the change in the tattoo industry of breaking from its hardened stereotype of competitive shops and almost-rivalry relationships.
“The old-school mentality was ‘if you’re not a part of my shop – you don’t belong,” Todaro says. “Now it’s a little different with [tattoo artists] talking. It’s made a bigger experience and you get to grow more as an artist.”
Working to open such lines of communication is crucial, Singleton says, for moving past traditional divisions: “It’s a good challenge to meet new people and just try to break down barriers rather than have a ‘tattitude.’”
Read more about The Parlour Tattoo and other local artists.
