In February 2019, I was fortunate enough to have been generously granted funding from the Northern Bridge Research Training Support Grant, which allowed me to present my research is Los Angeles (Northern Bridge, 2019). During my trip I spent time with the illustrious professor Stanley Krippner, formerly of Saybrooke University, who upon learning about my tattooing practice and resonance with east Asian arts, connected me with his friend and past colleague, Bruce Carpenter.
 
Bruce is an art historian who specialises in South-East Asian arts, geographically situated in Sanur, Bali, where he is the founder of the organisation, ‘Island Arts’. He has published extensively on Asian arts and many of his books such as ‘Indonesian Tribal Art’ (2016) and ‘Lempad of Bali: The illuminating line’ (2014). After learning of my interest in Asian visuals and desire to better understand the cultural context of the imagery from which I utilise in my tattooing practice, Bruce invited me to visit Island Arts to have access to his extensive personal collections of artefacts and library, and to offer me expertise and insight to my various questions surrounding my adoption of visuals from spiritually imbued Asian arts in Western creative industries. In order to make the trip, RTSG funding was applied for a second time from Northern Bridge, who very kindly made the trip possible in January 2020.
 
After arriving in Sanur in the late afternoon following over 20 hours of travel from the UK, I received a message from Bruce inviting me for breakfast with his family and colleagues the next morning. It was with this spirit of hospitality that the 3-week trip commenced. Bruce spent the first day introducing me to the area, discussing my intent for the trip to enable him to advise accordingly based on my interests, and giving me a tour of his facilities which I was granted access to irrespective of his availability. This included specialist books that are difficult to source in the UK, such as exhibition catalogues for museums such as ARMA (2018) and NEKA (2020); both of which feature traditional Balinese painting from the ‘Kamasan’ region, from which my design practice draws upon. 

After this introduction and direction given to the most appropriate places to visit, I was granted access to all facilities at Island Arts, which were fully exploited through the photography of the various artefacts with Bruce giving me first-hand explanations of the imagery context, and the use of numerous texts. These where created over the duration of the trip, and included Picard (1998) (which is difficult to source and very expensive to buy); Lueras (2003); Lueras and Lloyd, (1987), and Tenzer, (1992). These texts, alongside discussion with Bruce, provided contextual understanding to accompany the work that has been / will continue to be produced for tattooing. Trips to the AMRA, NEKA, and Museum Puri Lukisan in the Ubud area where also made and many of the works photographed. These where then able to be more richly understood through direct discussion surrounding individual pieces with Bruce.
 
In addition to the rich resources that where made available, I also was able to initiate a 30-minute presentation of my work followed by a 20-minute Q and A, at the beautiful, ‘Rumah Sanur Creative Hub’ as part of the LOTS programme (Learn Of Things and Sharing) on Saturday 18/01/2020. The audience where mixed nationality, with around 50% being local residents of Bali, and the remaining either expats or those travelling. In addition to gaining insight on how to effectively communicate my research (with a strong North-East accent) to an audience who don’t speak English as a first language, I was also able to discuss my findings with audience members who ranged from social media managers specialising in tattooing, to anthropology professors, to PhD students utilising ethnographic fieldwork. The range of discussion both during the Q and A and after the event where insightful in gaining a sense of how Indonesian residents respond to imagery from their culture being adopted in Western tattooing practices (in my experience, generally very enthusiastically!) and in how academics and research students from non-design/art fields responded to my findings. I gave the event organiser and venue founder Rudolf Dethu (rudolfdethu.com, 2019), a print of my artwork as an expression of my gratitude, and it is intended to connect further in future visits to Asia. I was also able to spend time with local Indonesian artists from various disciplines (from music – architecture) who attended my talk, which thoroughly enriched the experience.
 
After arriving back in the UK, it is intended to create an informal book that will act as a tattoo design catalogue based on the imagery and culture that I have experienced and worked with over the past 3 weeks. The imagery will be accompanied by text that accessibly communicates the context of the subject matter, based on what was revealed from Carpenter directly, the books consulted, and conversations with the local residents. The purpose of book is to inform those who are opting to adorn imagery that has roots in a spiritual culture of what the subject matter may represent in its original source, in an effort to move away from mere ‘cultural appropriation’ into ‘cultural appreciation’ (Han, 2019). The illustrations where started while on the research trip, and will be continued to be produced over the coming months. Carpenter has kindly suggested to proof-read the document, and advise on any areas that require clarification. In return for such generosity, I have agreed to produce a book cover for an upcoming publication he is in the process of writing titled ‘In Red Weather’.
 
The trip has not only allowed for content that may be used directly within my thesis, but assisted in my confidence in communicating my findings to an international audience, and an opportunity to make a host of valuable contacts on both a professional and personal level. I am sincerely grateful to all those who have made the trip possible, and consider it to be a significant part of my growth as a researcher and individual.
 

Bibliography
 
ARMA (2018) About ARMA – Arma Museum & Resort. Available at: http://www.armabali.com/about-arma/ (Accessed: 4 November 2019).

Carpenter, B. W. (2016) Indonesian Tribal Art. 01 edition. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet.

Han, H.-C. (Sandrine) (2019) ‘Moving From Cultural Appropriation to Cultural Appreciation’, Art Education, 72(2), pp. 8–13. doi: 10.1080/00043125.2019.1559575.

Lempad, I. G. N., Carpenter, B. W., Lukisan, M. P., Darling, J., Hinzler, H., McGowan, K., Vickers, A. and Widago, S. (2014) Lempad of Bali: The Illuminating Line. Éditions Didier Millet.

Lueras, L. (2003) Bali Eye on Indonesia - The Indonesian Humanitarian Foundation. The Indonesian Humanitarian Foundation.

Lueras, L. and Lloyd, R. I. (1987) Bali: The Ultimate Island. Reprint edition. New York: St Martins Pr.

NEKA (2020) Neka Art Museum Ubud Bali - The Development of Painting in Bali - Art Painting Museum. Available at: http://www.museumneka.com/Collection.asp?Category=Transitional%20Style%20Painting (Accessed: 27 January 2020).

Northern Bridge (2019) Northern Bridge Consortium - Newcastle University. Available at: http://www.northernbridge.ac.uk/newsevents/adammcdadeuniversityofsunderland.html (Accessed: 7 October 2019).

Picard, M. (1998) Bali: Cultural Tourism and Touristic Culture. Archipelago Press, Singapore.

rudolfdethu.com (no date) Roars. Rants. Raves. Rambles. Rebel. Rock-N-Roll, RUDOLF DETHU. Available at: https://www.rudolfdethu.com/ (Accessed: 27 January 2020).
​
Tenzer, M. (1992) Balinese Music. Berkeley : Seattle, Wash., U.S.A: Periplus Editions.

​As with many disciplines, a practitioner of tattooing must create work that they both do and don’t resonate with on a personal level. In some cases, the client is interested in getting the work of the particular practitioner as a visual artist. In many cases, however, the client’s selection of practitioner will be based on their assumed basic ability, their hourly rate, and how mutually convenient the available dates/times to perform tattooing are. Ryan was an example of the latter.
 
Work that isn’t personally satisfying to the tattooists’ taste is not necessarily dissatisfying to undertake however, as such pieces may still present aspects of challenge and opportunities to practice improved craftspersonship. In addition, the collaborative nature of the practice means that the client satisfaction is of central importance, which creates an altruistic sense of satisfaction for the tattooist when this is achieved. In the early stages of a tattooist’s career, it is normative to tattoo pieces of such a nature more frequently than it is to tattoo pieces that satisfy personal creative desire. This was the case for the tattoo I completed for Ryan.
 
Ryan was introduced to me by a member of desk staff as I was tattooing another client, as he was seeking a tattooist who was able to extend a large tribal piece that had been tattooed previously on the outer side of his upper arm, to his forearm. He wanted to continue the piece in a similar style, to make the piece appear as a cohesive whole. Ryan had moved geographical location from a small post-industrial town outside of London for personal reasons, and was thus unable to have his tattoo completed by the tattooist who had started it. Ryan a gentleman aged around his mid-fifties, and stated that he considers Sunderland to be more his home than his place of birth.
 
The consultation process involved looking at Ryans’ existing tattoo and taking photographs using my mobile phone, from which I would later reference when creating a preliminary sketch in a shape that matches what he already has. It was explained to Ryan that I am a junior practitioner and my rates are £30 per hour less than my peers, and thus not as competent as some of the others in the studio due to my comparative lack of experience. Ryan was happy with my skill level being suitable to complete the piece, and advised to book for a full day if possible, or less time if his availability or budget would not allow for this. He then made a 3 hour appointment for a Saturday in April, and was advised that the tattoo would be started but not completed within the 3 hour period.
 
Prior to Ryans’ appointment, I had composed on an a4 sheet of paper the photographs of Ryans’ arm that had been taken from different angles during the consultation process. On a separate piece of paper and larger in size, a photograph of the area that would be tattooed was printed and used as the surface on which the preliminary designs would be created. In keeping with the existing shapes of the tribal design, rough shapes where drawn over the areas of non-tattooed skin on the photograph, using a yellow sharpie marker. Theses shapes where made to appear visually consistent and harmoniously with the anatomical structure of the forearm. The shapes where then refined further using an orange marker, and finalised using a blue marker, creating a more formal and considered reference. This drawing process is comparable to the method of ‘free-handing’ that many practitioners use in favour of using a stencil, where deemed more appropriate. It was unnecessary to research any significance culturally attributed to tribal shapes, as Ryans’ existing tattoo had already established a set aesthetic, and my role in this instance was merely as a designer utilising a visual medium, not a creator or facilitator of the communication of symbolic meaning.
 
On the day of Ryans’ appointment, the usual procedure of set-up was performed, and Ryans’ arm was shaved and cleaned using an alcohol wipe to remove any excess debris. The preliminary drawing was then placed in the left hand, which was used to inform the freehand procedure following the same format of using lighter coloured sharpie markers to darker coloured markers, echoing the process of drawing on paper. As the photographs are 2-dimensional they are unable to represent the form in the same way as it is in material reality, and thus some customising from the original design was undertaken in order to better fit the flow of the arm. This was particularly around the elbow area as their it was important to make the upper and the lower arm harmonious in design, rather than clearly disparate pieces.
 
After applying the final marks on the arm using a blue sharpie marker, the tattooing process began. The process involved using a relatively thin 0.5 liner (5 small needles soldered together) to go over the shapes drawn on the body and create a permanent stencil, which would later be saturated in black. This meant that the line thickness was not important at this stage, as rather than be reflective of the finished outcome, it was acting as an aid of completion to the process. For this same reason, the ‘cleanness’ of the line is not as important as it would be if ‘lining’ alone was the purpose and the piece was not to be internally coloured black.
 
On creating the first line, I had realised that due to the layered pigments of marker ink on top of each other, the stencil had become very dark. As a result, the thin black tattooed line became very difficult to distinguish amongst the thick, dark, instructional blue line that was being followed. This meant that keeping the line consistent was increasingly difficult, and as a result the blood that came to the surface of the tattooed line was used as an indicator of what had been tattooed, rather than the actual pigment on skin.
 
On recognition of the marker being too dark to act sufficiently as a guide, I began to sweat and feel severe tension and anxiety. As the process was too far undertaken to make opting for an alternative possible, the approach of following the blood line was adopted until the entire piece was able to be wiped clean with a baby wipe. The line appeared not clean, but sufficient to serve the purpose it was intended to serve in this instance, and a sense of relief was gained. Once both of the large tribal shapes where lined in, the colour packing using a larger needle grouping (magnum needle) began, and I spoke with Ryan about his background, work, and interests.
 
The sitting was booked for 3 hours, and a large part of practitioner conduct involves ensuring client comfort. In part this means giving them an opportunity to speak about themselves, and express their beliefs and opinions in the knowledge they are being listened to. As we were discussing Ryans’ home town and his feelings towards it, he expressed unfavourable sentiments as it had what he termed an “big Asian problem’. He then went on the express views and opinions of Asian communities that, in conservative terms, could be understood as deductive and prejudice. As the tone of communication and nature of Ryans’ opinions are in vast contrast to my own in a way that could be deemed offensive, I found that I was subconsciously applying more pressure with my needle while packing the ink into the skin. I didn’t vocalise my contrast to his perspective, as I didn’t deem it pragmatic to fulfilling my role efficiently, but rather attempted to subtly but noticeably direct the conversation to an alternative topic.
 
One of the issues I have had as a tattooist is in my discomfort in the unavoidable necessity of inducing pain, that is a consequence of tattooing. This manifests itself materially in my insufficient application of pressure of needles and depth of insertion into the skin, and results in the tattooed area not being sufficiently saturated and thus requiring a second pass. In turn, this demands more time being spent on the area, which can be more painful for the client overall, and less economical in regards to both time and money (as they are required to pay for extra time, or are sometimes quoted a set cost based on projected time, which is honoured irrespective of actual time spent tattooing). When Ryan had expressed beliefs and attitudes that I had found ethically distasteful, my conduct subconsciously was altered in such a way that was more suited to performing my role successfully.
 
I continued tattooing with the increased pressure, recognising that I indeed was not causing any unnecessary trauma to the skin, but instead tattooing with superior efficiency, meaning the client received a higher-quality tattoo in less time than they would have had I applied less pressure.
 
One of the unique and positive attributes of tattooing is the opportunity to have long-form conversations with those who I may not have an opportunity or desire to otherwise. As I continued to tattoo and talk with Ryan, I found that although we had some severely contrasting opinions, on a human level I was able to be in his company without any severe discomfort. I considered how culturally and generationally we differed, and how this might affect how we deem validity of information sources such as newspapers and news articles. Ryans’ culturally induced reality tunnel was different to my own, but I recognised through the lengthy interaction that the medium of tattooing allows for that despite contrasting identity constructs, we were able to coexist harmoniously, and enjoy (or at least respectfully tolerate) aspects of each other’s company. His experiences of life had shaped how he exists in the World, in the same way that my experiences have shaped my reality and my conduct.
 
Tattooing Ryan taught me not only how to improve aspects of my own craftspersonship and ability as a designer materially, but also how to both interact with and holistically appreciate / understand, somebody who I may otherwise had tried to avoid communication with. His experiences of life had shaped how he exists in the World, in the same way that my experiences have shaped my reality and my conduct. That is not to say that holding oppressive beliefs is justified and ethically sound. It is rather an acknowledgement, through compassion that has been cultivated in the time taken for communication that tattooing necessitates, that multiple external factors shape an identity.
 
My role as a tattooist is not to adopt a position of moral arbiter and attempt to change Ryans’ views, however toxic they may appear. Attempting to do so may actually be detrimental to the likelihood of his return, and thus bad for business. My reflection and analysis of my personal experience is an attempt to generate understanding on both a tangible and intangible level of one aspect of the broader cultural experience of tattooing that exists in multiplicity. How each practitioner approaches and interprets each interaction is contingent upon how they engage with the world on an individual basis. Though this account may be unique to me, many other practitioners have comparable accounts of experiences that have similarly informed their conduct. My account thus contributes elucidation on a small fraction of the shape of the tattooists multifaceted occupational role.