Ethnographic Paper Essay Example For Students

Ethnographic Paper Essay The Pleasure of Pain These days anything can be considered art. The structure of a building, the human body, music on the radio, love, Versacis new line of winter, and pretty transvestites walking down the street are just a few of hundreds of thousands of examples. That kind of art is overrated. Most of these only exist because of society. As people grow and change so does the values and traditions that they are accustomed to. True art hangs on the walls of museums all over the world. Paintings by Monet, Da Vinci, and Picasso represent all that can be made beautiful by a mans touch. The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian word tattau, which means to tap, and can be traced back through a part of history. The art of tattoos has been evident since ancient Egypt and more than 1,500 years ago the Japanese marked criminals as a symbol of shame for their punishment (Britannica, 2000). In the nineteenth century tattoos were viewed as frightful and grotesque, but as the twentieth century rolled by technology gave way to the trend. The electric needle created a sense of precision and control. This is how the various designs developed and tattooing became more about expression, rather than branding. It is a guarantee that tattoo and piercing artists can be found by the thousands in a metropolitan city. Their form of art may be simpler to an extent, but it has been growing in popularity for years. By using the body as a gateway for expression, people can present themselves in a new light, and as a mean for recreating their image. The concept of transferring art on paper to the body for the mere purpose of self-pleasure is attracting all types of people. It is impossible to walk through a mall without spotting people of all ages with this type of branding. Young adults have accepted this practice as a normal part of their culture. You cant escape it. Says Walter Hewitt, who recently completed a 19-school study on tattoos and piercing (Vogel, 2000). There are big ones, small ones, tasteful ones, tacky ones, and probably some temporary ones, and because tattooing is forever and also carries a mental heath risk known as regret, the decision to get one shouldnt be taken lightly. The customer is very vulnerable when entering a tattoo and piercing parlor, because all their trust for a good product is put in the hands of the artist. But how are we to know the artists level of experience, the reputation of their business, the cleanliness of their needles, the moderate price of a piercing or tattoo, or even if the area of work on the body is prone to infection? An article from The San Diego Union-Tribune states that, It tattoos and piercing has become so popular that professional piercers around the globe are seeking legislation that would establish sanitation and safety regulations for those in the piercing business. Since the hollow needles that are used in piercing and tattooing can carry hepatitis, tuberculosis, the virus that causes AIDs and various skin diseases, business are looking for legal protection and supervision by the state. Despite its growing popularity, body piercing is only regulated in seven states. Before entering Ground Zero Tattoos, located at 329 Northwestern Avenue, I assumed that every tattoo and piercing parlor looks the same. Of course, there should be an area where the tattoo and piercing artists do their work, and another area for the customers. Also, there would be mirrors, couches, a coffee table, and a few ashtrays resting on magazines. Pictures of naked women, tribal art, and Chinese symbols would line the walls so the customers can find something they like. Jennifer Lopez (777 words) EssayJared explained that at Ground Zero Tattoos, they have the same kind of needles used in hospitals, and along with that they have a machine that sterilizes the needles after use. From what I observed at Jared’s place and other parlors is before the artists opens the secured package of needles, they have a mini speech that they make to the customer. Also, Jared told me the run down of things he says. First, he tells the customer that it is the first time he has opened this package, and then he mentions that it will not be used again after that piercing is complete. Then Jared tells them that the needles will be set in a machine in order to sterilize them. There is a small majority of piercings that he did resulted in infections. Which he says has nothing to do with the way it was pierced. It has to do with the way the customer takes care of it. Before, during, and after a piercing the artist instructs the customer about how to take care of the n ew hole in their body. Also, he mentioned that it very common for tattoo and piecing parlors to have a print out of all the information the artist told them, so the customer has a reference to look back on. Unfortunately, some people don’t take care of their piercing and end up with permanent scar tissue. For example, he told me that the belly button is more prone to infection than anywhere else on the body. So when Jared pierces someone, he stresses the amount of cleanliness the piercing would require. As for any location Jared wouldn’t pierce, there are none. Piercing people wherever they want is his job. He doesn’t consider any area of the body an outrageous region to pierce, since another artist has done it before. For example, he has pierced the skin above the ankle, nipple, belly button, lower tummy, tongue, regions of the ear, the skin at the base of the neck in between the collar bones, noses, the skin in between the eyes, other sensitive areas of the bo dy (genital areas), and more. He’s not modest about where, obviously. The trend of piercing has increased, and he’s only done this for two years. The popular ones are tongues and belly buttons. Getting one piercing maybe inexpensive, but when you add these up it’s a hefty price to pay for the sake of ‘art’. The average piercing starts at $30 and can reach $85, depending on the region being pierced, and the more holes the more money. When I asked him if the price is higher near a college campus, he smiled and said, â€Å"Probably.† I did my research and yeah it is. If I were to go to Lafayette, I could save myself at least $20 on a piercing. Also, he hasn’t really had a problem with underage kids trying to get pierced, because by the time they come to college they’re legal. Just in case, they always check for identification and a legitimate signature on a legal document. So I finished asking him my questions, and popped up with a bright smile. We sat back down together, and then it seemed like it was Jared’s turn for twenty questions. He wanted to know about my past, present, and future. What a sweet guy. We parted with a simple handshake and a goodbye. He walked into the parlor, and I drove off in my car. English Essays