JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
Unqualified and unregistered backyard tattooists are “butchering people” and leaving professionals to fix the mess, Geelong tattoo artists have warned.
They believe that at least 20 backyarders are operating in the region without health department checks or registrations.
Shinto Tattoos owner Jason Stewart said the backyarders were “cashing in” on Geelong’s surging tattoo scene.
He believed said tattoo artists should have to meet minimum requirements.
“People open up shops butchering people and we have to do the fix,” Mr Stewart said.
“Lots of backyard tattooists think they can do it, mainly for under-age kids, and then they tell the kids to say they got it from a professional studio. It gives us professionals a bad name.
“The backyarders in the region are putting people’s health at risk because they aren’t following proper safety procedures. If this continues, the tattoo scene will do a back flip – in a couple of years the work will be tattoo removal and cover-ups.”
Mr Stewart said health authorities inspected tattoo studios at the point of registration to ensure they complied with health regulations.
“But they don’t look at work standards. Tattooists should meet minimum requirements.”
Professional Tattooing Associa-tion of Australia national secretary Patsy Farrow said the industry lacked an apprenticeship system.
“We get a lot of calls from would-be tattooists. Everyone wants to jump into this business,” Ms Farrow said.
“People are picking up tattoo kits on the internet for $100. If you can afford to rent a shop you can be in business.
“There’s not enough policing by the health department. There needs to be more policing on who is allowed to open studios.”
Ms Farrow said the association was lobbying for a licensing system for individual tattoo artists in addition to the registration of premises.
Time to hit the road
It's a great time of year to explore our own backyard and take the family on the road trip of a lifetime during the...
