Beyond the Surface: Exploring the Artistry and Meaning Behind Tattoos at the D.C. Tattoo Expo
By Casey Bacot for COMM-325
The buzzing of tattoo guns and the scent of rubbing alcohol fills the air surrounding dozens of booths featuring artists, piercers and enthusiasts from around the D.C., Maryland, Virginia, (DMV) area.
At the 13th annual D.C. Tattoo Expo in Arlington, Virginia, tattoos are not only accepted but expected.
To expo attendee and contest winner Rachelle Gertz-Shifflett, tattooing is about so much more than just ink on a person’s skin.
Gertz-Shifflett and her husband Christopher Shifflett ended their weekend sharing a win in the best backpiece competition at the expo. Gertz-Shifflett, whose entire back is adorned with an image of a European deer skull, said she got the tattoo in dedication of her father, who is a hunter.
Rachelle Gertz-Shifflett and her husband Christopher Shifflett show off their tattoos after winning best backpiece.. Via @dctattooexpo on Instagram.
Her love for tattoos isn’t just because of their sentimental value or beauty. Almost all of Gertz-Shifflett’s body is adorned with vibrant images of natural landscapes and creatures. For Gertz-Shifflett, tattooing has become a way to better her body image.
“I'm actually super self-conscious, and for me wearing art and having tattoos gives me something to appreciate about my body,” said Gertz-Shifflett. “Having tattoos just gives me a little boost of confidence, and it’s kind of my serotonin. I call it ink therapy.”
This mindset is common among tattooed individuals. According to Pew Research Center, 32% say they got tattooed to improve their personal appearance, 69% of tattooed adults in the U.S. say they got inked to “honor or remember someone or something” and 47% say they wanted to make a statement about their beliefs.
For the newly crowned winner, the expo is also a great place to find new artists and appreciate everyone’s hard work.
In the back of his shop’s booth, Luis Valenzuela could be found sketching designs with his signature red colored-pencil. Although he has been drawing since high school, Valenzuela still has two years left of his apprenticeship until he can work independently. Tattoo apprentices watch established artists work, learn the business and learn how to make a career from their art.
Valenzuela sketching a design for a client.
“I’ve always liked art. I specifically love Japanese art so I started getting it tattooed on myself,” said Valenzuela. “Then I realized I wanted to be the one doing the tattoos.”
Valenzuela came to the expo with his teacher and the rest of his shop. He said he appreciates that expos like this one exist because it allows hundreds of artists in the area to share designs and techniques and learn from their peers.
While apprenticeships are the traditional first step in becoming a tattoo artist, Frank Sandoval Jr. can credit his 17 year-long career to a different path.
Sandoval was one of the highest profile vendors at the event. Tattooing has taken him all over the world. The award-winning artist has worked on projects with AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” as well as traveled to England, Germany and the Bahamas for conventions.
Sandoval has always loved to create airbrushed artwork, but when he realized there was little money in the craft, he turned to tattooing.
The expo featured dozens of artists from around the DMV.
Similar to other future tattoo artists, Sandoval’s career began by asking a local artist for an apprenticeship. The artist agreed under the conditions that Sandoval would purchase all of his own supplies. A few months later, after saving up enough money and making the pricey purchases, Sandoval returned to the shop, only to find a “permanently closed” sign hanging in the window.
“So then I self taught myself. Started in a basement, from the basement went to an upstairs bedroom that we weren't using anymore, and tattooed every single day for probably six months,” Sandoval said.
He also said he is seeing the negative stigma surrounding tattoos disappearing first hand.
“The majority of the time, if I tell people I'm a tattoo artist, they usually seem to enjoy it or like my stories that I've kept like, very seldom in certain situations,” Sandoval said. “Doctors love it. Lawyers love it. Even the churches that I used to attend, most of them loved tattooing and loved to hear stories about my travels around the world.”
Despite their rising popularity in the U.S., some Americans still have negative attitudes towards those with tattoos. A 2018 study published in The Journal of Social Psychology found that individuals with tattoos are more likely to be seen as less inhibited, less competent, having worse character, being less sociable and being more sexually promiscuous. Tattooed women are also more highly stigmatized than men.
“I would say 10 to 15 years ago if you had a tattoo, you would be disqualified,” said Raul Guerrero, an expo attendee, about the job hiring process. “But, over the years, it's changed. It's getting better.”
As of 2021, 41% of millennials and 23% of Generation Z have at least one tattoo. According to the Pew Research Center, almost one-third of adults in the United States have a tattoo.
Because of this rise, the industry is expected to grow to almost $4 billion by 2030, according to Forbes. Standard tattoo rates can range anywhere from $50 to $6,000 based on the artist, style, placement and size of the tattoo.
“When I was doing it in my house, I was probably charging like $20 a tattoo, just to kind of get myself moving,” Sandoval said. “But, it’s art, you can charge what you want. There's no set limit on art; it’s priceless.”
