The tattoo in the last post was done at the Expo de Tatuajes here in San Luis Potosi by my man Memo from the Metamorfo shop here in town (we’re actually neighbours, them and the school I work at). The expo brings together tattooists and aficionados from all over the region and it is an experience I greatly enjoy. This was my 2nd year in attendance and the atmosphere was wonderful once again. Last year was my first tattoo exposition and on first walking in it is a slightly surreal experience – lots of flesh and lots of tattoos on display. At first it feels weird to stare at people but everyone has their tattoos on show and after the first few people walked up to me and started talking to my chest or arm I was fully acclimatised. People were open and friendly and as I am obviously not from round these parts people like to ask me about myself and the parts of my story told in the various ink on my body.
I had already had one done at the Metamorfo shop (a Golondrina on my inner left bicep) so I knew that I wanted Memo to do the next (last year I got two traditionl decorated skulls from Dia de Los Muertos), I had a great time chatting with the guys from the shop for hours as I waited and then went under the needle. I stayed around afterwards and entered the competition…if memory serves correct I won 3rd place for the “men’s colour” category.
Here is a photo montage from this years event:
And for good measure here is the montage from 2009:
Tattoos are still not socially acceptable in conservative Mexican society with many employers refusing to hire people with tattoos on the premise that anyone with a tattoo is likely to be a bandiero or narco-traficante or that through the process itself whoever has a tattoo is likely to have contracted HIV. That says something about hygiene standards and the plethora of home-made tattoos and unofficial back street shops especially amongst the poorest people (a friend of mine claims to have been tattooed in a back room with animals in it whilst the artist was smoking and people were eating i.e. just any old back room). This also gives some insight into the working conditions in a country where it is not unusual for all workers to be subjected to a compulsory full medical by the company doctor but that is another abusive and exploitative story. Thankfully these standards, and attitudes, are changing albeit slowly (however, I was in line behind one chap having his prison tats touched up, they look like they’d been done with a biro).
So you can imagine the stir when my colleague, a white haired lady in her 50s, got her neck tattooed at last years event.
What I also find interesting is how body modification goes hand in hand with tattooing here whereas in England or the USA this is somewhat of another extreme. In Metamorfo they also perform piercings, scarring (a horrible practice!) and implants. “Expansions”, where a circle or disc is put into the earlobe, are also generally very popular. I guess that if a tattoo puts you on the margins of society then it doesn’t make much difference to take it a step further.
These are just some observations of another Community that I am a part of here in Mexico.
Metamorfo Cru Thik
P.S.
I am only the League’s amateur tattoo man, here President Ruff can be seen judging this year’s convention in NYC held the same weekend (on the left at 27 seconds)
PEACE
- wize
