For the second year in a row, the world famous Tattoo Lou’s hosted the New York Tattoo Show at Nassau Coliseum. While some may frown upon tattoos, piercings, and body modifications in general; there is definitely an art form to it. All around the world, body modifications symbolize different things, whether it be a milestone in one’s life or simply wanting to have a work of art etched onto (technically, into) you forever. While there are many wonderful places to check out and experiment with, sometimes it is best to head to a tattoo convention, where you know that artists are hand-picked by the event’s organizers. The New York Tattoo Show is one of those conventions where not just anyone is allowed to put into into your skin or another hole into your ear. Tattoo Lou’s, along with United Ink, take great care in picking and choosing who’s allowed into such a prestigious event. The quality is displayed by the long lines for various booths and spectators who are bandaged with good old saran wrap (the ultimate symbol of fresh ink).
This year’s convention was excellent. There was plenty of space to walk around, mingle, and flip through portfolios of artist’s work. Rows and rows of booths displayed various tattoo shops, piercers, and a variety of other vendors. The tattoo shop that I, personally, get tattooed at (Timmy Tattoo in Huntington, NY) also made an appearance. Of course, Tattoo Lou’s had this own booth, as well. The friend I attended the event with desired a rook piercing. One particular shop (All-Star Ink in Shirley, NY) was offering any piercing for $25. Once all the paperwork was filled out and signed, my friend took a seat and allowed Jessica (who ended up being the owner of the shop) to shove a needle through the cartilage in her ear. No pain, no gain, right?
The convention also hosted some vendors that sell tattoo guns and ink. These are essential items for any tattoo artist. Any great artist takes great pride in their work and part of that battle is having the correct equipment to go along with it. Since Saturday (the day I attended) was pin-up day, several females were dressed up in pin-up gear along with the hair styles and a classic red lip. There was a woman there (De Pasquale Salon Systems) who was offering pin-up hairstyles for $25. She did absolutely beautiful work. Another great booth was that of Rat Skill Tattoo, which is actually located in Japan! These artists use a traditional form of tattooing, which does not include a tattoo gun. If you have ever seen Angelina Jolie’s shoulder -blade tattoo, then you may understand what exactly is required for this particular work of art. While the process looked painful, the client took it like a champ and played games on his cell phone while the artist worked his magic.
The New York Tattoo Show was definitely a fun time and I would love to attend next year. It is also very kid-friendly and many artists will offer temporary tattoos to children who ask for one. Are you ready for some ink?
Article by: Kristy Rody (www.quinngoldie.wordpress.com)