Blue Magic Tattoo

Greetings and Salutations.

Welcome to another edition of the Echo Outpost. This time I promise I wont delve into school work, nor other boring mix.

Instead I am writing about a subject that many people have experience with.

Tattoos 

These aren't your Grandpops tattoos I'm talking about. Probably not your Father's either. Not so very long ago in the scheme of things, tattoos were for sailors, bikers, criminals, and other cultural outsiders. In case you haven't noticed, this is not the way of things anymore.

Depending on who's poll numbers you look at, between 14%-16% of the American population has at least one tattoo.

 For those of you who don't feel like doing the math and looking up census data don't worry, I crunched some numbers and came up with approximately 44 million on the low side and 50 million on the high end. So out of a population of 308 million at least 44 million of us are carrying around some sort of tattoo. Broken down by age groups, Thirty-six percent of those ages 18 to 25, and 40 percent of those ages 26 to 40, have at least one tattoo... which brings us to the next question 

Why do people get tattoos?

Silly question.

Not a stoopid question, but a silly one.

No single answer is going to adequately address the reason for the upsurge in tattoos and their general acceptance by "normal" society.

A better question would be, "why would I (meaning you) get a tattoo?" If you cannot answer this question, then you probably shouldn't get one. 

Me. I love the art. And the endorphins. And the sound the needle makes. And, well you get the picture.
 Sure, over time mine may fade or look funny as I begin to age and my skin loses its elasticity. (no wise cracks about my gray hair). But each one is mine, I own it, I wear them daily. If I had the money I'd be covered with them.

Anyways, I bring up tattoos because this past weekend I had one of those life experiences that will stay with me until the day I shuffle lose this mortal coil.The story begins a few months ago when my Best Friend Britta asked me if I would help her with her husbands Birthday party. Maybe I volunteered, anyways not important. We talked about making it a surprise party, decided against it, planned on doing a taco bar on May 5th to coincide with his birthday and Cinco-de-Mayo. Well it turns out Bob had a Better Idea. Tattoos!

Bob knew of a great local artist and wanted to make it an evening of fun. I had a rough idea of what I wanted. Turned out my girlfriend did too. So We were in. We had approximately a week to get our ideas to Amelia at Blue Magic Tattoo. I was giddy just thinking about it. 

So at 3 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, 6 of us sauntered inside the shop. Amy was finishing up with a client and would be with us shortly. The first thing we did was the paper work. Yep, bureaucratic hoops to jump through. Like I said these aint your Grandpops tattoos anymore. Nothing Serious, just the usual Yes I am over the age of 18, yes I know there are risks, no I wont blame the shop should it get infected, etc.etc.

The paper work was handled by Matt the Apprentice. That's not his nickname, that is his position. Tattooing is one of the few professions still handed down the old school way. Matt is the shop minion. Anything that needs doing like bathroom cleaning, maintenance, taking out the garbage, dealing with customers and walk-ins falls on his shoulders. In talking with him, I learned that he had more than enough hours under MN state law to qualify for his own license, but was waiting for Amy to tell him he was ready to go out on his own. That's old school dedication. (He did a cover up for a lady while we were there that was excellent)

Anyways once the paper work was out of the way Amy came and sat with us and showed us the designs she had come up with. Needless to say they were spot on. A few minor details needed to be worked out, but that was more a case of sizing than anything else.

First up was Britta, who wanted to fix a tattoo she had received when she was much younger. One of those tattooing at the kitchen table type. It was a set stars outlined on her left foot. They did not look bad in my opinion (Not great either), but in her words she wanted them to look "more girly" Amy and Britta sat down and talked it over for a good twenty-thirty minutes. The tattooing took another hour and a half, if not longer (I was kind of distracted because at this point we had pizza delivered to the shop). Anyways, The end result was AMAZING. Amy had taken a rather nondescript tattoo done by another artist and transformed it into what may have been the best work of the night (probably the most difficult from my point of view). 

Next up on the table was Britta's sister Summer. Summer already had a tattoo of her of her son's name and birthday on her leg and she wanted to add to it, make it an even more special reminder of the most important male in her life.

I observed a bit more closely as Amy applied this tattoo. Working with celerity and deftness, this one took shape relatively quickly. The quality of this work is in the depth of its colors and shading. Just when I thought it was done and looking Awesome, Amy broke out the white ink and did some highlighting. It may be difficult to see in a photograph but the accents she added really made the tattoo pop. It's rather Zazzy in my humble opinion.

I asked if she picked the time at random, displaying my maleness. It was the time Landon was born. DUH!

 Next up was my girlfriend Sara, who choose to do a tattoo she had been thinking about for a number of years. In memory of her grandfather and his battles with cancer including the leukemia that finally claimed him, she had found a number of examples online of what she would like. With orange being the designated color of the leukemia ribbon and yellow representing cancer in general, she selected a design very reminiscent of faerie/butter fly wings. Amy further reinforced this concept by the addition of the antennae and recommend some subtle shading. The final product is an excellent memorial to the grandfather she continues to love dearly.

As the tat heals, the colors will better settle into their respective orange and yellows

 After the three ladies had finished laying on the table to receive their tats, I was the first to get to sit in a chair. I had provided Amy with several images of  Mjolnir,  as well as the approximate dimensions of the area I wished to get the tat. The work she produced not only looked awesome, but fit the location perfectly. Even though it was starting to get late in the night (9ish), Amy took her time in applying the stencil and making sure it lined up correctly. Whilst in the chair, I chatted with Amy about the state regulations and such. I found it interesting that the tattoo business is regulated very much like the restaurant business. My tattoo took just under an hour from start to finish and turned out better than I had imagined.

Next up was Stubby, a tattoo virgin. He chose to get the word "Justified" in Old English Font, tattooed down his calf. Unfortunately I do not have a picture of this one, but it turned out just as excellent as the rest. From The sizing of the letters to the length, it fit perfectly on his calf, as if it had always belonged there.

At this point it was 1130 at night and Bob was up. Unfortunately, Bob and Britta's babysitter was only on the clock until midnight so I ran Britta home while Bob climbed into the chair. The finished product was once again, clearly the work of an absolute professional.

Needless to say we shared an experience that I for one will never forget (kinda difficult when you have a permanent reminder). From sitting around eating pizza to watching Summer's leg twitch to the near constant electric buzz it was a great way to spend an evening. So much so that I'm thinking it's a great idea for my own birthday celebration(s).

If you are considering a tattoo or possibly just want to talk to a professional if you are unsure, then I recommend going to Blue Magic Tattoo without hesitation. Not only are the artists skilled professionals, but they are friendly and accommodating. I did not get a chance to meet T.J., but anyone with a kick ass hand painted mural of the Joker on the wall and a Frank Miller Art book on the shelf has be awesome right?


Mix

Been a long time

Been a while since ive actually posted anything, though there are numerous drafts I could revise and post. Instead you get another school paper. Enjoy!

Moral Reform

An outgrowth of evangelical Protestantism, the moral reform movement of the early 1800’s marked one of American women’s first entries into the field of politics and public social life. As an attempt to change morality, it may have ultimately failed, but the movement remains important for the changes it wrought for women as a whole.

The first female associations were primarily church based. As this was one of the few social outlets allowed women during the era, it should come as no surprise that they multiplied quickly and developed various goals. Activism rose within urban areas of the Northeast and Midwest. As the population became increasingly urbanized, the challenges faced by the associations became more immediate as poverty and vice increased. Intending to cure society’s ills, moral activists sought to combat these trends by running various institutions for the poor and propagating the idea of raising children to be pious and moral.

The moral reform movement was simultaneously a benevolent organization and a militant pressure group (Woloch, 2006, p.171).  Their primary goal was to establish a single standard of sexual morality upon all Americans, female and male. Teaching mores of behavior to children at home was fully within the women’s sphere of the time, the movement took their beliefs one-step further by putting their ideas into public action.

The moral activists sought to end prostitution and to punish seducers and adulterers (Woloch, p. 172). Activists would visit almshouses and jails to speak to the “fallen” women. Campaigns in which women would pray and sing hymns at brothels occurred. Reformers lobbied state legislatures. Homes and institutions were established were women could find refuge and support.

With its limited scope, the moral reform movement quickly fractured. The Utica society fell apart over the issue of whether or not it was “proper” to hold a public discussion regarding sexual matters (Woloch, p. 174). The societal limits placed upon women were not yet sufficiently loosened to allow for an open, public exchange of ideas on sexual topics.  Within a decade, the Moral Reform movement was losing steam, but another contemporary movement was gaining ground and putting women into leadership roles. The abolition of slavery quickly became the means by which women’s associations and women themselves would enter into public politics.

The double standard in regards to sexual behavior is still present in society today, though to a much lesser extent than the 19^th century. The criminal and social stigma attached to prostitution remains.  A recent article by the New York Times profiled Barbara Terry, a 52-year-old prostitute who has spent most of her adult life in the sex trade.  Ms. Terry has raised four children as a single mother. She has been arrested numerous times over her career, often-spending days in jail.  Her customers can be anyone: lawyers, city workers, husbands, and fathers. Ms. Terry has never worked for a pimp, noting that, “I never did drugs and never worked for a pimp for protection. What protection? If I’m in someone’s car, about to die, ain’t no pimp in there helping me” (Kilgannon).

Ms. Terry has shown younger workers the means of survival on the streets. She credits God for her own survival. Ms. Terry’s children, two of whom she put through college, beg her to get off the street, yet she admits she is addicted to the stimulation of street life. Ms. Terry began her career as a sex worker at the age of twenty-one, when her husband left her with two children to support. Ms. Terry’s knowledge about prostitution came from television. She knew about a local neighborhood where prostitutes gathered and went out on her own volition. In a profession often regarded as synonymous with abuse, drugs, and violence, Ms. Terry considers herself to be a survivor noting, “Most women don’t make it to my age out here” (Kilgannon).

Although the sexual customs of American society have changed considerably in the past 200 hundred years, it is safe to say that the moral reformers of the 1830’s would find Ms. Terry’s story eerily familiar. The moral reformers attempts at changing morality may have been unsuccessful, but it helped set the stage for the increasing role of women in public life.  

References

Kilgannon, C. (2011, December 30). At 52, still working the streets. The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2012 from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/nyregion/at-52-a-prostitute-still-working-the-streets.html

Woloch,N.(2006). Women and the american experience: a concise history (5th ed). New York: McGraw-Hill