FREE ESSAY ON ETHNOGRAPHIC PAPER

ETHNOGRAPHIC PAPER

The Pleasure of Pain
These days anything can be considered art. The structure of a building, the human body,
music on the radio, love, Versaci's new line of winter, and pretty transvestites walking
down the street are just a few of hundreds of thousands of examples. That kind of art is
overrated. Most of these only exist because of society. As people grow and change so does
the values and traditions that they are accustomed to. True art hangs on the walls of
museums all over the world. Paintings by Monet, Da Vinci, and Picasso represent all that
can be made beautiful by a man's touch.
The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian word tattau, which means 'to tap,' and can be
traced back through a part of history. The art of tattoos has been evident since ancient
Egypt and more than 1,500 years ago the Japanese marked criminals as a symbol of shame
for their punishment (Britannica, 2000). In the nineteenth century tattoos were viewed as
frightful and grotesque, but as the twentieth century rolled by technology gave way to
the trend. The electric needle created a sense of precision and control. This is how the
various designs developed and tattooing became more about expression, rather than
branding. 
It is a guarantee that tattoo and piercing artists can be found by the thousands in a
metropolitan city. Their form of art may be simpler to an extent, but it has been growing
in popularity for years. By using the body as a gateway for expression, people can
present themselves in a new light, and as a mean for recreating their image. The concept
of transferring art on paper to the body for the mere purpose of self-pleasure is
attracting all types of people. It is impossible to walk through a mall without spotting
people of all ages with this type of branding. " Young adults have accepted this practice
as a normal part of their culture. You can't escape it." Says Walter Hewitt, who recently
completed a 19-school study on tattoos and piercing (Vogel, 2000). 
There are big ones, small ones, tasteful ones, tacky ones, and probably some temporary
ones, and because tattooing is forever and also carries a mental heath risk known as
regret, the decision to get one shouldn't be taken lightly. The customer is very
vulnerable when entering a tattoo and piercing parlor, because all their trust for a good
product is put in the hands of the artist. But how are we to know the artist's level of
experience, the reputation of their business, the cleanliness of their needles, the
moderate price of a piercing or tattoo, or even if the area of work on the body is prone
to infection? An article from The San Diego Union-Tribune states that, " It [tattoos and
piercing] has become so popular that professional piercers around the globe are seeking
legislation that would establish sanitation and safety regulations for those in the
piercing business." Since the hollow needles that are used in piercing and tattooing can
carry hepatitis, tuberculosis, the virus that causes AIDs and various skin diseases,
business are looking for legal protection and supervision by the state. Despite its
growing popularity, body piercing is only regulated in seven states.
Before entering Ground Zero Tattoos, located at 329 Northwestern Avenue, I assumed that
every tattoo and piercing parlor looks the same. Of course, there should be an area where
the tattoo and piercing artists do their work, and another area for the customers. Also,
there would be mirrors, couches, a coffee table, and a few ashtrays resting on magazines.
Pictures of naked women, tribal art, and Chinese symbols would line the walls so the
customers can find something they like. The atmosphere would consist of cigarette smoke,
and an intense mood floating in the air. I decided to go to Ground Zero to see if it fit
my mold of a tattoo parlor.
I found myself parking my car in between the yellow lines in front of Ground Zero. The
beige bricks hugged the building, and the dark brown door begged me to come in. As I
stepped out of my car, the sign that said Ground Zero displayed just a sample of the art
that I found inside. There, above the wooden door, mounted on the bricks, was a woman
lying in a black net hammock, wearing a simple pink bikini. The soft colors of the
drawing looked as if it were airbrushed to the canvas. The purple and pink neon sign said
open, and I reassured myself I'd be fine. I made my way to the door and a chime sounded
when I pushed it open. The music of Sublime was playing in sound speakers around the
room.
My feet dragged on the beige carpeting until I approached the glass display case to see
what was inside. I found a number of tongue, belly, and earrings in every size, shape,
and color. Directly in front of me was a cow skull and horns hanging off of the white
wall. I peeped my head around the corner and called for someone to talk to. When Jared,
the piercing artist, approached me he fulfilled some of the stereotypes I had about the
employees of the business. He is a tall, thin, Caucasian guy, about 24 years old. Jared
didn't have very much muscle, and I didn't see any tattoos on him. What he did have was
his ear holes stretched out to fit those tiny black plastic dots, and a chin piercing
that defined his lips. 
To my right was the waiting area that holds about 8 customers at a time. It looked fairly
comfortable considering the girls occupying the seats were there to about undergo pain
for the sake of decoration. They began to fidget as they were looked at the variety of
tattoos. There were posters and posters of their art.
The walls were painted a rusted dark red that went along with the Texan theme. Located
near the chairs were shelves that held a few candles. That wasn't what caught me off
guard. The candles had pictures of Jesus on them. To my left I saw the famous painting of
the Last Supper, where Jesus and his disciples are gathered around a long table. Near the
right side of the building there's a small hallway that directs people to the male or
female washrooms. On those white walls there are pictures of Indian art such as Shiva,
which is a woman dressed in an orange, yellow, and purple gown. 
On another visit to Ground Zero I got a chance to interview. As I approached Jared, he
greeted me with a bright smile and a firm handshake. We stood in front of Ground Zero
Tattoo where I introduced myself, and my memory must have faded because I was very
surprised to see that he looked like a rave kid. Sad as it is, I had fit him into the
preconceptions of his subculture. He has spiked dark brown hair, and sharp brown eyes
with thick black eyelashes. When we made our way south on Northwestern Avenue, I had a
chance to get overall view of Jared. He's about 5'11", and nothing but skin and bones.
His pants sag a little, even though he's wearing a belt, and he has a multi-colored
buttoned up shirt. He has both his ears pierced, and instead of a hoop or stud, there's a
thick black dot with a hole in the middle. Interesting, huh? 
Our conversation started off slow. Jared had been piercing people for only a couple of
years, and he learned from finding a few friends to practice on. " That's the way to do
it. If you can get a few friends to let you poke them, then you'll just get better at it
and then you'll get a job." He stated so proudly, but I felt so bad for his friends.
Also, he mentioned to me that there are no "schools" specified in teaching people how to
pierce or tattoo. Sometimes the way to learn is to watch others as they do it. Actually
that's the only way to learn how in this field of work. 
I must have gotten carried away with the conversation, because I found myself sitting
next to him on a cold metal bench near Chancey Hill. He leaned forward with 
his forearms resting on his thighs. I could tell that he likes this conversation, because
he hasn't broken his eye contact with me once. I happened to ask him about the laws that
come along with opening up a tattoo and piercing place, and to my surprise there are
none. There is no law that requires any kind of certificate of experience or schooling
for tattoo and piercing artists. The only law that binds them to the state is the quality
of their apparatus and cleanliness.
Jared explained that at Ground Zero Tattoos, they have the same kind of needles used in
hospitals, and along with that they have a machine that sterilizes the needles after use.
From what I observed at Jared's place and other parlors is before the artists opens the
secured package of needles, they have a mini speech that they make to the customer. Also,
Jared told me the run down of things he says. First, he tells the customer that it is the
first time he has opened this package, and then he mentions that it will not be used
again after that piercing is complete. Then Jared tells them that the needles will be set
in a machine in order to sterilize them. 
There is a small majority of piercings that he did resulted in infections. Which he says
has nothing to do with the way it was pierced. It has to do with the way the customer
takes care of it. Before, during, and after a piercing the artist instructs the customer
about how to take care of the new hole in their body. Also, he mentioned that it very
common for tattoo and piecing parlors to have a print out of all the information the
artist told them, so the customer has a reference to look back on. Unfortunately, some
people don't take care of their piercing and end up with permanent scar tissue. For
example, he told me that the belly button is more prone to 
infection than anywhere else on the body. So when Jared pierces someone, he stresses the
amount of cleanliness the piercing would require. 
As for any location Jared wouldn't pierce, there are none. Piercing people wherever they
want is his job. He doesn't consider any area of the body an outrageous region to pierce,
since another artist has done it before. For example, he has pierced the skin above the
ankle, nipple, belly button, lower tummy, tongue, regions of the ear, the skin at the
base of the neck in between the collar bones, noses, the skin in between the eyes, other
sensitive areas of the body (genital areas), and more. He's not modest about where,
obviously. The trend of piercing has increased, and he's only done this for two years.
The popular ones are tongues and belly buttons. 
Getting one piercing maybe inexpensive, but when you add these up it's a hefty price to
pay for the sake of 'art'. The average piercing starts at $30 and can reach $85,
depending on the region being pierced, and the more holes the more money. When I asked
him if the price is higher near a college campus, he smiled and said, "Probably." I did
my research and yeah it is. If I were to go to Lafayette, I could save myself at least
$20 on a piercing. Also, he hasn't really had a problem with underage kids trying to get
pierced, because by the time they come to college they're legal. Just in case, they
always check for identification and a legitimate signature on a legal document. 
So I finished asking him my questions, and popped up with a bright smile. We sat back
down together, and then it seemed like it was Jared's turn for twenty questions. He
wanted to know about my past, present, and future. What a sweet guy. We parted with a
simple handshake and a goodbye. He walked into the parlor, and I drove off in my car.
Bibliography
Rina, K. (1989). Moko rangatira. New Zealand: Reed.
Fellowes, C.H. (1968). The tattoo book. New Jersey: Pyne Press.
Glanzer, K. (2000, October). Bill would let parents sanction body piercings: Businesses
would need consent for most types of work on minors. Indianapolis Star. [Online].
Available: http://infoweb1.newsbank.com/bin/gate.ex.
Chanzanov, M. (2000, October). From fashion models to students, piercing has gone
mainstrean. Los Angeles Times. [Online]. Available:
http://infoweb1.newsbank.com/bin/gate.ex
Encyclopedia Britannica. ( 2000, October). Tattoo. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
[Online]. Available: http://search.eb.com.com/bol/topic?eu=73244&scnt=1
Vogel, K. (2000, October). Piercing commonplace with new generation. Journal Inquirer.
[Online] Available: http://infoweb1.newsbank.com/bin/gate.ex
Doyle, A. (2000, October). What's the point of body piercing? It depends on whom you ask.
The San Diego Union-Tribune. [Online]. Available:
http://infoweb1.newsbank.com/bin/gate.ex
Bibliography
Rina, K. (1989). Moko rangatira. New Zealand: Reed.
Fellowes, C.H. (1968). The tattoo book. New Jersey: Pyne Press.
Glanzer, K. (2000, October). Bill would let parents sanction body piercings: Businesses
would need consent for most types of work on minors. Indianapolis Star. [Online].
Available: http://infoweb1.newsbank.com/bin/gate.ex.
Chanzanov, M. (2000, October). From fashion models to students, piercing has gone
mainstrean. Los Angeles Times. [Online]. Available:
http://infoweb1.newsbank.com/bin/gate.ex
Encyclopedia Britannica. ( 2000, October). Tattoo. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
[Online]. Available: http://search.eb.com.com/bol/topic?eu=73244&scnt=1
Vogel, K. (2000, October). Piercing commonplace with new generation. Journal Inquirer.
[Online] Available: http://infoweb1.newsbank.com/bin/gate.ex
Doyle, A. (2000, October). What's the point of body piercing? It depends on whom you ask.
The San Diego Union-Tribune. [Online]. Available:
http://infoweb1.newsbank.com/bin/gate.ex