Folk Art in Texas Page: 80
203 p. : ill., ports. ; 29 cm.View a full description of this book.
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TATTOOING IN TEXAS
Photo by Madeline Drexler.
current, which was cheaper to produce. Today Shaw
says tattooers still use alternating current, but they
have added a step-down transformer that enables
them to regulate the flow of current and to run the
machines more smoothly. Tattoo machines operate
on a make-and-break electromagnetic circuit, which
causes the needle-bar to vibrate up and down three
to five thousand times per minute.
In Texas there are approximately thirty working
tattoo artists who advertise in the telephone direc-
tory.3 How many other tattooers there are is difficult
to estimate. Certainly in the Mexican-American bar-
rios across the state there are numerous amateurs
who practice hand-picked tattooing. Professional tat-
too artists use electrically powered machines, a liner
containing one to five needles for outlining the
design, and a shader with three to seven needles foradding color and shading. Generally professionals
scorn the amateurs and are often paid to rework
and/or cover amateur work.
All of the tattoo artists in Texas refuse anyone who
is identifiably intoxicated in any way. Ron Myers in
Dallas even has his customers sign a release stating
that they are indeed sober. Most of the persons get-
ting tattoos are between the ages of eighteen and
thirty-five, and in urban areas are estimated to be
equally divided among men and women. In rural
areas the overwhelming majority of tattooed people
are men who travel to cities to acquire tattoos,
especially since there are no tattoo shops in rural
areas. Of all their customers, tattooers say the ma-
jority spend between twenty-five and seventy-five
dollars, and that most get only one tattoo, although
there are persons who for various reasons are com-* 80 *
Bobby Shaw, Houston, Texas.
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Folk Art in Texas (Book)
This book describes popular folk art of Texas, including basket weaving, hat-making, yard art, sculptures, murals, cemetery art, quilt-making, tattoo art, and other miscellaneous folk art. The index begins on page 198.
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Abernethy, Francis Edward. Folk Art in Texas, book, 1985; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc67647/m1/88/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Press.