Tattoo Convention Experiences Slow Sunday

Tattoos have gained a lot of popularity over the years. What was once taboo has become more common place and accepted. In fact, it’s fairly common to find them among people in their 30s. With tattoo shops popping up all over San Angelo, there is no short supply of ink slingers around here.

Every year for the past six years the Trufant Bros. have been sponsoring the West Texas Tattoo Convention held at the McNease Convention Center. Tattoo artists travel from all around to set up shop for the weekend. Last weekend, weather and road conditions kept most at home.

Visitors of the tattoo convention on Sunday commented that “This year’s attendance pales in comparison to years past”.  Others remarked that the convention's redundancy may have antecedently been the cause for such a small crowd.  

About three dozen artists occupied the open space of the convention center floor.  Each artist’s booth contained flash art, artist portfolios, t-shirts and stickers, as was standard at every booth. Flash art or tattoo flash was designed for speedy tattooing and is typically used in shops where there is a high volume of walk-in business. It makes sense you would see these in a setting where time is money.

 In order for a tattoo artist to attend a convention that artist must cover the cost to rent the floor space for the weekend, traveling expenses, food and lodging, etc., not to mention the many supplies needed to facilitate a traveling tattoo shop. These things considered, patrons are sometimes charged more for a tattoo at a convention than they would be at a local shop.

On the convention floor, the low buzz of a few tattoo guns could be heard as artists worked silently in their makeshift shops, forever scarring skin in an array of design and color, some lying down, and yes, there was even one girl getting your stereotypical “tramp stamp”.

A “tramp stamp” is known in the tattoo world as pretty much any tattoo that covers the small of the back. These are more commonly seen on females, although it has been rumored that this is becoming a popular trend among younger men. No evidence of that could be seen at a relatively sleepy Sunday afternoon convention.