MARCH 2000 — FEATURE STORY
TATTOO SHOW IN TIJUANA
(Translated from the Spanish)
OYE COMO VA!
TINTA DISTINTA TATTOO EXPO
By Danielle Oberosler
A weekend in Mexico would be incentive enough to attend the Tattoo Expo hosted by the Tijuana shop, Tinta Distinta. Curiosity about the tattoo scene in Mexico coupled with the memories of nights spent in the gutters of Tijuana with vomit in my hair made the opportunity irresistible.
I hailed a taxi to take me to the Zona Rio section of Tijuana. Initially, the cab seemed surprisingly clean. The back seat was not dirty and gummy, and there were no dingleberries on the windshield. But after entering el coche, and watching the driver try numerous times to start the chingadera, I realized why the car appeared so clean. Evidently, at some point in its long, hard life, this vehicle had been submerged in a body of agua. After the driver courteously took me on a circuitous, more expensive, scenic route featuring Tijuana fish markets, I was ultimately dropped off at the wrong location and left to hike the rest of the way in zapatas that were definitely not made for walking.
Upon arriving at the Expo, I noticed plenty of security guards, but they merely waved me in. I had expected that with securidad such as this, I'd be frisked, if not relieved of personal effects like my watch or dinero. But, that was not the case. The Expo was held in one large room that had around 20 vendor booths with a stage for a band and the tattoo contest. I was surprised to run into mi amigo Doughboy, who tattoos at Eternal Art in Canyon Country, California. He and Mike Pike had some "irons" for sale that were pretty tempting. Pero, muy caro por mi sangria! Some of the vendors included the likes of Bert Rodriguez, Henry Goldfield, Mike Sirot's Skin City and Patty Kelley's Avalon Tattoo.
Kiki, who owns Tinta Distinta Tattoos, organized the Tattoo Expo to bring together artists from Mexico and the United States. Many Mexican tattoo artists are unable to entrada en el Estados Unidos due to paperwork, so Kiki invited American artists down to mingle with the top Mexican talent. The goal of the event was to increase the sharing of knowledge and to promote a healthy relationship between the artists of both countries. Kiki's goal was realized. As a result, many Mexican artists had received invitations to guest at various American shops and vice versa.
One question that had entered my mind, especially after buying lunch for three people for only $6, was how much a tattoo artist in Tijuana charges. Kiki said, "My minimum charge is $30 for custom work. I charge $70 an hour. My shop is located in downtown Tijuana, so my clientele is comprised of 50% American tourists and 50% nationals."
I asked Kiki, "If Americans can't even drink the water here, what do you do about the water that you use while tattooing?"
"I can only speak for my shop," said Kiki, "but we're all up to par on cross contamination and sterilization with an autoclave. We use only bottled water."
I asked him if he had taken a course in sterilization techniques.
"Besides Mike Sirot, the information that Mr. Dennis Dwyer sends with all his orders helped a lot. I also did research on the Internet. Wherever we can get the information from, we're gonna find it."
The Expo was a relaxed event and everyone who attended made new amigos. The vendors were pleased that the show was small and intimate. So intimate, in fact, that Kiki's madre made the tacos that were for sale in the lobby! She was touted as the best cook around. Kiki couldn't say for sure if he was going to organize another Tattoo Expo, but if he does you'll know about it in advance through Skin & Ink.
Adios, Amigos!