Tattoo Convention Makes Mark on Salt Lake
Andrew Thompson
Issue date: 3/2/04 Section: News
A buzz could be heard from downtown Salt Lake City this past weekend. It was one that had eyes darting and heads bobbing.
It was a buzz that brought a new anchor, heart, dragon and bulldog with each rise in decibel. That buzz was the sound of needles tapping art out onto skin.
Salt Lake City hosted the International Tattoo Convention at the Salt Palace Convention Center, February 27th through February 29th. Over fifty booths featured tattoo artists from across the country and the World. Brazil, Japan, Switzerland, and Germany were represented. Attendants saw tattoo work done in the flesh at each booth.
The Rodeo Boys and Voodoo Organist were a few of the names on hand to perform live for the ears. Contests were held for best tattoo in such categories as back, tribal, ankle, and of course for best overall male and female tattoo.
The most interactive awards were trophies for best tattoo given at the convention each day.
It was the first time Salt Lake City has held such an event and it gathered significant attention. Articles of the event graced the pages of the Salt Lake Tribune and the City Weekly.
On the radio, KUER's Doug Fabrizio interviewed various artists participating in the show, the Thursday leading up to the convention.
Television crews from KSL News and Fox 13 News also lent some publicity to the show.
"I don't know the exact number, but I'd say it was in the thousands for sure," said Matt Johnston, estimating the three-day turnout for the convention, from behind the ticket window bars.
On Fabrizio's, "Radio West", Nate Drew, co-owner of Lost Art Tattoo on State Street, attributed the strong interest of body art in the region to Salt Lake City's flourishing counterculture. The strength of this counterculture could be a reaction to the conservative majority of the state, he reasoned.
Though tattoos may be more mainstream now than a decade ago, body art is no trend.
Artists at the Ta Ta Tau booth showcased an ancient form of tattooing. This entails dipping a pen in ink and tapping that pen into the skin with another stick.
This work required two people, one for the tapping and another to hold down the body part being tapped. Though extremely painful, this technique has been practiced in the Pacific islands for centuries.
Late Sunday afternoon, an enthusiastic vibe could be felt from those who were not restrained. "There's a possibility we could do this again next year," said Brady, also at the ticket window.
And if you can't wait until next February to fill that free spot of skin, go to the neighborhood tattoo shop and feel what all the buzz is about.
It was a buzz that brought a new anchor, heart, dragon and bulldog with each rise in decibel. That buzz was the sound of needles tapping art out onto skin.
Salt Lake City hosted the International Tattoo Convention at the Salt Palace Convention Center, February 27th through February 29th. Over fifty booths featured tattoo artists from across the country and the World. Brazil, Japan, Switzerland, and Germany were represented. Attendants saw tattoo work done in the flesh at each booth.
The Rodeo Boys and Voodoo Organist were a few of the names on hand to perform live for the ears. Contests were held for best tattoo in such categories as back, tribal, ankle, and of course for best overall male and female tattoo.
The most interactive awards were trophies for best tattoo given at the convention each day.
It was the first time Salt Lake City has held such an event and it gathered significant attention. Articles of the event graced the pages of the Salt Lake Tribune and the City Weekly.
On the radio, KUER's Doug Fabrizio interviewed various artists participating in the show, the Thursday leading up to the convention.
Television crews from KSL News and Fox 13 News also lent some publicity to the show.
"I don't know the exact number, but I'd say it was in the thousands for sure," said Matt Johnston, estimating the three-day turnout for the convention, from behind the ticket window bars.
On Fabrizio's, "Radio West", Nate Drew, co-owner of Lost Art Tattoo on State Street, attributed the strong interest of body art in the region to Salt Lake City's flourishing counterculture. The strength of this counterculture could be a reaction to the conservative majority of the state, he reasoned.
Though tattoos may be more mainstream now than a decade ago, body art is no trend.
Artists at the Ta Ta Tau booth showcased an ancient form of tattooing. This entails dipping a pen in ink and tapping that pen into the skin with another stick.
This work required two people, one for the tapping and another to hold down the body part being tapped. Though extremely painful, this technique has been practiced in the Pacific islands for centuries.
Late Sunday afternoon, an enthusiastic vibe could be felt from those who were not restrained. "There's a possibility we could do this again next year," said Brady, also at the ticket window.
And if you can't wait until next February to fill that free spot of skin, go to the neighborhood tattoo shop and feel what all the buzz is about.