There are two brand new reality Television series that will be coming out this summer that have already started a rumble within the tattoo industry.
You see for a long time there has been an on going struggle and a hotly contested battle between what I call tattoo traditionalists and the newer tattoo artists. This is really a reflection or similar to the age old power struggle that teenagers often go through as they try to form their own identity and separate themselves from their parents.
Well, let me explain a little more. You see the industry of tattoos and tattooing has had a phenomenal rate of growth in the last two or three years. This growth has led to a lot of new innovations in the world of tattoos and even new styles in tattoo designs. It has also led to greater number of celebrities getting tattooed, and therefore tons of people wanting to get tattoos like their favorite stars and so on and so forth the ball rolls on. In fact this growth has been so explosive that tattoo related words are now show up on top of every search engines listing as most frequently used search terms. Tattoos key search terms are even being searched for more then many of the top porn and adult related key terms.
So as with any industry there are some serious growing pains within the field of tattoos as the traditional tattoo artists and those newer to the field struggle with issues of marketing vs. art. Many feel that this new growth is wonderful and it is all leading to new business and more respect for the field. However the traditional tattoo artists feel that their true art and life style is now being exploited and commercialized.
This issue has been an ongoing struggle for the last few years but it will really come into play within the tattoo community as two new reality television show come out this summer. Yes, you heard right both The Learning Channel (TLC) and the Arts and Entertainment (A and E) stations on cable television will be releasing new reality television shows about the world, art, and life style of tattoos.
Miami Ink. This show chronicle five tattoo artists that will be setting up a new tattoo shop in Miami. They will be living together, working together and promoting their tattoo shop together.
A and E will also be debuting a new reality T.V. show called Inked. This show features a shop that recently opened up inside of a Casino in Las Vegas. It will be about the shop, the tattoo artists in the shop and also the customers who come to get tattooed. There are even some celebrities that will be coming in to get tattooed and that are rumored to be featured on the site.
So what does this mean for the industry? Has the end finally come and the whole industry has now been shot to you know what as the traditional tattoo artist would state? Or is this just all great for business and we should just pocket the money and run to the bank and not worry about the artistic value of the piece or even if the customer should really be getting a tattoo done or not?
Well, there are tons of opinions out there and already a lot of murmuring is starting in tattoo related chat rooms, bulleting boards, and websites. What is the finally answer? I know you wish I would just come out straight and say it or at least tell you my opinion on the subject. Honestly I think it is important for you to make up your own mind and think about the struggle. My hunch or inclination is that tattoos and this whole struggle is probably a lot more gray then many people would like to make it. I mean there has to be some middle ground between the two. Obviously the art of tattooing could use the business and it would be nice in some ways to see a greater level of respect for the wonderful talents of tattoo artists. For they and their art have always been looked down upon when compared to more traditional arts. However too much commercialization and spoon feeding to the public nice little digestible bits, and tattoo factoids also doesn't do justice to the art but instead commercializes it.
So to sell out or not to sell out that seems to be the question and only time will tell.