Finding a new tattoo artist is a lot like dating. You don’t want to hop in the chair with just anyone, and a lot of social media stalking is involved to see past relationships—or clients. Potentially, with a little bit of luck and some research, you could find a staple tattooer who matches your style and consistently executes clean tattoos. Ah, relationship goals.
Another major shift for GLT is pivoting from accepting walk-ins to operating as appointment only through the shop’s website. The magic of operating as a street shop, Desa explains, is that you can encounter all walks of life on any given day. The artist recalls the days pre-COVID where the shop would be filled with anywhere from 30-40 people including staff, customers, and guests. Now GLT allows no more than ten people max at a time with the door remaining locked until an appointment arrives.
Jennifer Trok of Deluxe Tattoo echoes Desa’s sentiment on the change in shop culture. While Trok misses the days of spending lunches and late nights with her coworkers, she understands the importance of following protocols for the safety of those around her as well as her livelihood. Due to city shutdowns, Trok was forced to celebrate her 20-year anniversary without a tattoo gun in hand. Now that the shop is back up and running, she’s happy to book appointments via email (jennifertrok@yahoo.com) and has guests fill out a short COVID questionnaire covering health, travel, and exposure.
“Each artist is required to take three days off a week,” Faith says. “Pandemic or no pandemic.”
“We’re going by the honor system,” Faith says. “We’re trying to make a living.”
And while it does feel like we’re nearing the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to harsh regulations, Antonio and the Black Atlas crew, as well as fellow shops, will be pulling out all the stops when it comes to ensuring the safety of their teams and customers. Your responsibility as a client is to stay out of the chair if you’re feeling any symptoms or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive. It’s a small sacrifice to make for forever ink and not jeopardize someone’s livelihood. v
