Artist Tina Myers tattoos a client at Space Mermaid Tattoos in Melbourne, FL.
Photo courtesy of Tina Myers.
By Suzanne Townsend
The practice of tattooing and body modification has become increasingly accessible and popular, and the cultural attitudes towards tattooing among the younger generation are a lot more accepting. Nonetheless, historically it has been a bit of a boy’s club.
There are countless male-dominated industries that women have fought to break into, and women have successfully done so in the world of tattooing, making up 44% of the U.S.’ total tattoo artists. Some women have broken the mold to international acclaim from 19th century circus performer Maud Wagner to contemporary TV stars like Kat Von D on LA Ink and Ryan Ashley Malarkey on Ink Masters, as well as influencers like Grace Neutral. This is not to say, however, that patriarchal attitudes don’t still exist in the industry.
Tina Myers is a tattoo artist at Space Mermaid Tattoos in Melbourne, Fla. She primarily works in the realist style and has been tattooing for two years. Myers said that there are some perks to being a woman artist. “I noticed that when women are getting tattooed they will gear more towards getting tattooed by another female artist,”Meyers said. But she also mentioned one thing about the industry that frustrates her, which is the ego that some other artists have. “You do find that it can be more of a male dominated industry. There are a lot more female artists coming about nowadays, which I think is awesome. As far as my experience goes, the ego has definitely come from the men,” she said.
We may have come a long way since the 19th century when women could not even own property, but the patriarchal systems of our culture still in some cases encourage overbearing and boastful attitudes which are undeniably exasperating.
It’s not surprising then that some women artists choose to own and operate their own tattoo studios. Two examples of such are Vaztro Tattoos in Clearwater and Jellyfish Daydreams down in the Florida Keys. The latter is a tattoo studio and boutique run by artist Cassandra Clark, who has been tattooing for 17 years and specializes in full color realism, tending towards subjects of an aquatic nature.
Environmentalism is another of Clark’s passions and about the tattoo industry she said, “I would like to change all disposable supplies to eco-friendly alternatives in the entire industry. There are companies now, like Good Judy that sell plant based compostable options, which I highly recommend,” she said.
The increasing acceptance of tattooing in general facilitates dialogues surrounding the inclusivity of the industry and brings driven and talented artists like Myers, Clark and so many others to their much-deserved spot in the foreground.
