Skin and ink Soul's expression in the flesh

THOMAS BUSBY

Sit still: Hannah Hay keeps a watchful eye as Jody Ward carefully works on a tattoo.

From dingy rooms down back alleys to brightly lit studios on the main street, the tattoo industry has come a long way, artist Jody Ward says.

Jody's Tattoo Shop opened on New Plymouth's Devon St West this month and it's a far cry from the environment he started in more than 20 years ago.

Even when working from home, hygiene and making sure his equipment was sterile was always important to Mr Ward and he's right behind the New Plymouth District Council's moves to establish bylaws regulating the tattoo industry.

"If they put some standards in place that would be great," he said.

The shop has three resident artists - Mr Ward, Gene Martin of Vision Tattoos and Jason Primrose - who have 46 years experience between them.

It offers body piercing and also boasts a laser removal service, for anyone wanting youthful indiscretions deleted, run by Mr Ward's partner Dana Hay. Ms Hay trained for a year to learn how to operate the laser.

"It's the first time in Taranaki that we've had a laser tattoo removal and body piercing in the same building," she said.

Mr Ward got his start in the industry in 1988 and said a lot had changed over the years.

"A lot of attitudes are changing. There are still the back yarders out there but we can't do anything about that."

Mr Ward invited anyone getting a tattoo to bring in a friend or family member to sit with them while they're getting the work done.

"It has taken years to stomp out the sleaze in the industry and that's important to us," he said.

"We want to make it comfortable for people of all walks of life. There's still guys out there hitting on young girls and that's not good.

"We're trying to keep the experience a good experience.

Ms Hay said tattoos were no longer associated with "bad eggs or criminals".

"It's not a big deal any more, I think a lot of people were judged in the past," she said.

"They're signatures of your soul. It's self-expression."

Ms Hay said a female presence, in the male-dominated industry, made a lot of customers more comfortable. "I've had quite a few people say that already."

- © Fairfax NZ News