Going Under the Needle
Take a seat at a Gainesville tattoo shop as a student learns that beauty is pain.
Photo by Tania Betancourt
Justin Morton says the eagle
and confederate flag represent
his Southern heritage.
A 20-year-old University of Florida sophomore enters the tattoo shop with a look of confidence, but his uneasy gestures make him seem like he is having second thoughts. He lounges into the black leather couch near the front door as his girlfriend wanders around the room, looking at the walls of ink designs and the glass cases of piercing jewelry.
Justin Morton, a building construction major, had been planning to get a tattoo of a bald eagle surrounded by adjoining American and Confederate flags for more than two weeks. At Body Tech Tattooing and Piercing in Gainesville, he would finally get his wish.
“This is my first one,” Morton says, with an uneasy smile. “If I ever got another one, it wouldn’t be for another 20-no-30 years at least.”
He pulls up the sleeve on his right arm and outlines where he wants the drawing to go.
“My dad’s been trying to get me to get one with him for a while now,” Morton says. “I just hope it doesn’t hurt as bad as I think it will.”
Morton stops talking as Eric Carlson, a tattoo artist at Body Tech, makes his way toward Morton and asks, “You ready, man?”
Morton nods his head. “Let’s do it,” he says.
Carlson, Morton and Lori, Morton's girlfriend, make their way through the shop, which looks more like a museum than a tattoo parlor. The deep maroon paint on the walls is almost hidden underneath the tall cases of tattoo options, displaying everything from animals and Chinese symbols to four-leaf clovers and Hollywood stars.
A look of relief comes over Morton’s face as he walks through the door. Inside is a wide room with several swanky doctors’ chairs. Random art is scattered on the red walls and each chair is equipped with an individual sink, table and preparation area.
Carlson slips on a pair of bright purple gloves, which clash with his jeans and black T-shirt that reads “Zero or Die.”
Morton sits in the chair as Carlson explains “the rules.”
“Number one-relax.” He holds up a finger. “And number two-don’t move.”