The fast buzz of needles hummed as Jimi Hendrix blared from speakers in the distance. The tables in front of the various tattoo artists were cluttered with tattoo designs and portfolios, encompassing different styles such as vibrant Americana and twisted horror.

Business cards passed between the hands of the artists and their customers. And the faint smell of alcohol hung in the air. At the bar, heavily-tatted and pierced attendees chatted. The 28^th Annual Am-Jam Tattoo Expo was in full swing, all under the keen eye of Jean Aldous, president and founder of the event. The even opened at the Carrier Circle Best Western on Jan. 24 and ends on Jan. 26.

“It’s a family type thing,” Aldous said. “A lot of people bring kids. That’s good, because they’re not getting pierced at someone’s kitchen table.”

At almost every table, artists were concentrating on their most recent work. At Tymeless Tattoo, tattoo artist Kyle Proia was working on a man’s corner chest piece.

With 13 years of tattoo experience under his belt, Proia’s strong suit is portraiture work. Of course, each artist has a favorite and least favorite type of work.

“I don’t like doing tribal tattoos,” he explained. “It’s kind of like mowing the lawn.”

Tymeless Tattoo didn’t take walk-in appointments, so the artists there directed people to their buddies across the way at Dawn of Time, to support their community. Other groups represented at the expo included female tattoo artists like Miss Vicke. Vicke has been the industry since the mid ‘80s, a time when women were heavily discriminated against as artists.

“When I first started, being so young in the biz, I was so timid to speak out at the shows,” Vicke said.

She explained how things have come a long way though, as she revealed her most recent piece — a rendition of the “Bride of Frankenstein.” With more than 200 hours of work put into her tattoos, much of her body is marked. She even has her armpits covered.

“I’m running out of space,” she said.

One of the expo’s main attractions was The Lizardman, an artist who has modified his body to resemble a reptile’s. He’s been attending the show since 1999, when he got his first gig, he said.

The Lizardman has a degree in philosophy and began working on a doctorate, but his success as a self-proclaimed “professional freak” cut that short.

“The beginning of my career and the expo are really intertwined,” Lizardman said. “Am-Jam was always there for me. It’s a family experience.”

All the while, the venue quickly filled up.

Down one aisle of booths sat artists from The Matchbox, a tattoo, piercing and clothing store in Auburn, N.Y. Those in attendance from the shop were Bryan Simmons, Erik Clark, and Joe Notarian.

Simmons’ portfolio is filled with images of classic monsters and macabre. “Those are just my psychological workings,” he said.

Among the commotion, the three reflected on their careers: Simmons the macabre; Notarian one of the few piercing artists at the show; and Clark, who has noticed an increasing popularity of tattoo culture.

Said Clark: “Bringing it into the forefront separates the good artists from the bad artists. Artists that are sound will push through.”

Published on January 25, 2014 at 7:57 pm

Contact Naomi: ncfalk@syr.edu