Tattoo artists and ink aficionados came together Saturday and Sunday for Tucson’s fourth annual Tattoo Expo.
Hundreds of people across the country flocked to see live tattooing, compete in tattoo competitions and enjoy body art. Some people had hardly any tattoos and came to view other artists work while others were covered head to toe.
Maggie Maye’s Tucson Tattoo Studio, Eletric Art Tattoo and Body Piercing, Majestik Tattoo, Metro Tattoo, Istari Tattoo Studio and Art Gallery and Rogue Parlour Tattoo were just some of the Tucson studios at the event, which outgrew its original home at The Hotel Arizona in 2009 to this year’s venue, the Hotel Tucson City Center InnSuites.
According to Ken Deets, an artist from Tucson’s Enchanted Dragon tattoo parlor, tattoos take many forms.
In addition to vibrant, cartoon-like pieces, there are more traditional designs done in black and gray, portrait tattoos, cultural symbols, and neo-traditional tattoos that range from the size of a quarter to a full tattoo sleeve.
One young man at the expo seemed covered in a blur of ink, but one of his tattoos stood out among the rest. Bright and vibrant colors swirled around a distinct image of a white rabbit on his left calf and shin.
A closer look revealed a cluster of art depicting a tale based on “Alice in Wonderland.” The white rabbit wore a blue overcoat and held a watch up to his left ear as he desperately tried to escape the Queen of Hearts, yet he was caught under her sword as she thrust it down to sever his left foot. Alice was below this scene, running away from another group of playing cards.
But tattoos weren’t the only body adornments on display. One young woman had ring piercings in a pattern and laced up to look like a corset running down her back.
A tattoo artist had three gauges — hollow rings pierced through one’s ear — in a pattern ranging from small to large. Embedded into the bare skin on either side of his spiked Mohawk were sharp, cone-like piercings.
A trip to the tattoo expo is a trip to a living museum, where every person is a walking canvas of someone else’s art.
