Tattooing has been around for centuries, but Bloomington's tattoo studios are now able perform this ancient art in its most contemporary form. Those with a design or an idea have several choices for safe, quality body art. \n"Tattooing is no longer for whores and sailors," says Mark Ascheman, store manager of New Breed: The Future of Tattooing and Body Piercing. "It's art in skin." \nThe social stigmas that used to be in place concerning this ancient form of body decoration are slowly fading as tattooing becomes more commonplace each year. Ascheman mentions that although the stereotype used to include sailors, prostitutes, military figures and bikers, tattooing is now mainstream, and others say the same.\n"You used to be able to tell the tattoo type," says Shannon Simpson, owner of Big Red's Genuine Tattoo Parlor. "But in the industry now, there is no average, there is no trend… I tattoo doctors, professors, policemen, gutter punks, you name it." \nNot to mention college students. The beginning of the school year is the busiest time for tattoo shops in Bloomington. Both Ascheman and External Design Tattoo Art Studio owner Ransom Haile say students show up at the beginning of the year with their parents' credit cards.\nColin Mclain, tattoo artist at Skinquake Precision Tattooing and Body Piercing, says that at the start of the year, "students are feeling a little more rebellious. They're getting away from their parents, they've got a little bit of money, and they're wanting to do something to seal their independence."\nAs a way to comfortably rebel within the boundaries set by their parents, students often get a tattoo on impulse. As Haile says, "So often for the ones who get one on impulse, they don't know what they want. They just have this urge to be tattooed real bad." \nHe continues that one of his clients' greatest concerns is their parents' reaction to their new body decoration. Other customers are more worried about the cost of the project than anything else. Ascheman says they are often surprised by the cost of a tattoo. \n"People wouldn't hesitate to pay $100 for a pair of shoes they'll wear for three months, but then when you say $100 for a tattoo they say, 'Wow, that seems like a lot,' even though it's something that will stay on your body forever," he says. \nWhile the amount of impulse buyers varies from shop to shop, it is more common for customers to come into the shop with either their own design, a rough sketch or an idea of a design. \n"[The process] always involves a lot of communication," says Mclain. "You have to make sure that you know what they want and that they're comfortable with you drawing something for them. Usually, if the communication is really good, the designs go over really well."\nWhile there are a lot of people coming in with complicated ideas and designs, all of which require individual attention, tattoo artists still try to maintain the artistic integrity of the piece.\n"We don't just get their money and let them go," Mclain says. "We try to do things on an individual level… and do the best we can with the design." \nThe same goes for the other shops as well, with employees saying they each put forth a genuine effort to make sure that these permanent designs are the best they can be. Sometimes it comes down to more than just artistic integrity. \n"We have an ethical standard to maintain," Haile says. "I won't do rebel flags or swastikas. Anything that could be seen as a hate logo I will not tattoo. I won't do corporate logos, either."\nHere's a rundown of some of the tattoo parlors in Bloomington:
External Design\nHaile, owner of External Design, employs only one person other than himself, tattoo artist Rachel Gratz. With 21 years in the business, Haile is one of the most experienced tattoo artists in town, but his shop is the smallest. \nSize isn't everything, and although the atmosphere of the studio could be lacking, Haile's obvious dedication to his art likely dispels any negative reactions to the physical appearance of the place. \nAs client Whitney Jones says, "I went to a lot of tattoo studios, and no one else could do the original work that I wanted done for my third tattoo. I found [Haile and Gratz] to be very talented and excited about it. They were very flexible artistically." \nHaile loves tattoos in their realized form -- on the person. \n"The most satisfying part is when I watch the person look at themselves in the mirror, smiling," Haile says. "All the sudden it's like they're holding a new baby or something, like, 'God, I'm so cool now. I've got this badass tattoo.'"
SKINQUAKE\nSkinquake has the potential for an intimidating initial reaction because of its hardcore appearance, but client Boice Tomlin says the people really make the place. Of the decor, he says, "I feel like there should maybe be some people in here not wearing very many clothes and dancing to techno or something."\nDespite the slightly abrasive appearance of the store, Skinquake is the oldest tattoo shop in Bloomington, which suggests a distinct quality of work that keeps customers coming back for more. \n"There is a tradition involved with the city -- experience, commitment to the profession we've chosen," Mclain says. "We try to put a little extra energy into what we do."\nThe commitment is obvious. Mclain says his favorite part of the job is being comfortable where he works. The laid-back environment has allowed his art to progress significantly since he started. \n"I have something that very few people have," says piercer Jason Gallagher, known better as Nixxon. "I'm doing what I love, and I get to have a good time doing it. I can be myself -- wearing what I want and looking the way I want to."
NEW BREED\nNew Breed's owner and primary artist, Joshua Calton, says his favorite part of the job is trying to push the art further than anyone has. In Bloomington he has succeeded. New Breed specializes in realistic tattoos and photo reproductions. Many of the tattoos are entirely without the traditional thick black outline. Calton strives to give tattoos the appearance of an oil painting.\nThe quality of work is not the only attractive aspect of New Breed; the prices there are some of the lowest in town for the quality. The atmosphere is very clean and inviting, and safety is taken very seriously. While every studio is careful to adhere to the safety standards set by the government to prevent the spread of such diseases like hepatitis C, New Breed requires all its employees to have training in blood-born pathogens, first aid and CPR. \n"A lot of students see tattoos as just something to do," says Calton, "but we try to look at it more from an artistic standpoint."
BIG RED'S\nThere are quite a few things that make Big Red's different from the other tattoo shops in town, including not only the colorful, vintage-style vaudeville feeling of the place, but experience as well. Simpson has been tattooing for 16 years and trains all of his employees. \n"I won't take all the trash people learn off the streets or in other studios," Simpson says. He says this standard guarantees that every artist in this studio approaches and designs tattoos from the same standpoint.\nSimpson prides himself on the olden-days feeling of the place. He says Big Red's attracts some of Indiana's good ol' boys and average-joe types simply because they can feel safe in a parlor where shock value means nothing. \n"A man can walk in here wanting a tattoo and get exactly what he wants, when he wants it from a real old-timey tattoo man he can trust," Simpson says. "I mean, I don't have no shit crawling up my neck or all over my face. It's just about getting the tattoo." \nFar from the social stigmas it once faced, the ancient art of tattooing is becoming a mainstream practice -- evolving and advancing as more and more people take an interest in it. IU students are exploring their options around the town seeking decoration beyond what nature has granted them. Owners and employees of Bloomington tattoo shops are ready to give customers what they are looking for.
