Jen Smith

For my participant-observation field site, I selected to do research in a local tattoo shop in downtown Charleston. The shop I choose is Holy City Tattoo on upper King Street.  The reason I choose this specific site is because I have visited this location before and received a tattoo from the owner. Having experienced the atmosphere of this shop before, I decided it would make a good choice to return to conduct my research project there.

The setting of a tattoo shop interests me because so many different people visit it and they all have different ideas. The eclectic atmosphere makes being in a tattoo shop very interesting for an observer because of the variety of conversations and ideas being discussed. I believe it will be enjoyable to frequently visit the site numerous times throughout the semester because it is a chance to dive into the heart of the subculture of tattooing.  Some of the things that I would like to know that I do not know already are questions like; How does someone become a tattoo artist? Do you as an artist ever have to talk someone out of a bad idea? Is there anything you will not tattoo? Is there anyone you will not tattoo? Is there any certain place on the human body that you will not tattoo? What is your favorite thing/style to tattoo? Etc…. For the person getting tattooed I would ask other questions such as; What made you get this tattoo? Why in that place on your body? Is this your first? Last? How many do you have now? Why did you choose this tattoo shop? This artist? Do you feel like you now belong to the tattoo culture?, etc…

Unfortunately, since I will be observing an art form that takes place under sterile conditions, there is limited ‘hands-on’ activity that I can participate in. Mainly observation and questioning will achieve the experience and knowledge I wish to gain. The setting within the artist’s booths is an area designated to the artists and the person getting tattooed, the rest of the shop I open area. The main concern is not having a lot of people in the booth for sterilization and artist comfort purposes. The overall setting of the tattoo shop is not unusual for me, but for people who are getting a tattoo for the first time, it may seem a little nerve wrecking, especially because of the sound to the tattoo gun which is similar to a dentist’s drill sound. However the unique aspect of a tattoo shop is its clientele. Anyone from any social class, background, ethnicity, gender, and anyone 18 (or 21 in South Carolina) and above can enter and get a tattoo. This makes the subculture of tattooing interesting because any one person can have a tattoo. Its unique to think that you can be connected to any one person with a tattoo because you share an experience, although experienced at separate times and places, it is still a shared experience.

The tattoo culture has long been a subculture within American society. People with tattooed bodies were once treated as ‘freaks’ and outcasts. This immediately placed them into a subculture of the main stream culture.  However, in modern times tattoos are becoming a more acceptable part of everyday society. The tolerance of acceptability varies regionally but even still the acceptance has come a long way since the early 1900’s and the ‘freakshows’. The growing acceptance has allowed for more tattoo shops to be established around the country where previously tattooing was outlawed. South Carolina had a ban on tattooing for decades and just a few years ago the ban was lifted, allowing for tattoo shops to be established in industrial areas of the city. This accessibility makes my research project possible, because just a few years ago I would not have even had the option to study the tattoo subculture within the local tattoo shops.

Accessing the tattoo shops does not present a problem since they are within the city, the only problem I could foresee happening would be the lack of clients on any given day I am in the shop observing. This would inhibit the observation of artist-client interaction. However, I feel as though that would only be a temporary problem pertaining to that certain day of fieldwork. Since I plan on interviewing a few clients, I would hope for a variety of clients to come to the shop and be willing to volunteer to be interviewed and photographed. Since I have already made entrée with the owner of the shop, I have already cleared it with him about taking pictures, video, and interviews with him, his artists employed, and some clients.  I have been informed by the owner that consent forms must be given out and signed in order to protect his business. This would be the only ethical issue that could present its self within the research. However I feel as long as I have the correct consent forms, the owner should be fine with the picture/video and interviewing.

Overall, I am confident that my participant-observation field site study in local tattoo shop will be successful in that I have already established entrée, and a gatekeeper, and received permission to sit and observe and take pictures. Cooperation with the owner makes it possible to achieve my research goals throughout the project so I will make sure to have the consent forms that he requested.