Skin art is a very personal way of self-expression for many people.
You can immortalise something important to you and carry it with you for the rest of your life.
Tattoos can also just be for fun and decoration – the choice is yours.
The GCN visited Dungeon Ink, situated at the Howe Circle, just off Turnhout Avenue, in Sunnyridge on Thursday.
Owned by Nicole Barlow, the tattoo shop has something for everyone, from the latest “Trash” and 3D tattoos to UV ink, portraits and your normal tattoos.
Only recently initiated into the world of tattoos and tattoo shop ownership, Nicole has big plans for her business.
She is assisted by her daughter, Kelsie, who is also an apprentice piercer.
And the grand plan at the moment is to break the Guinness World Record in a two-artist tattoo marathon.
Currently the record stands at 50 hours and 10 minutes, but Nicole plans to smash this by reaching the 60-hour mark.
In order to do this, her tattoo artists, Adam Steel and Riaan Roos, have to start building up their stamina.
Adam qualified as a tattoo artist in the United Kingdom.
Born in South Africa, he moved overseas and lived there for about 10 years, before returning to SA, five months ago.
He has always been in the art world, with his main passion being painting.
His love affair with tattoos started when he got his first one.”I started drawing things up, got myself a kit, and now here I am,” Adam said.
He has been qualified for four years.
Riaan has been a qualified tattoo artist for about six years.
“There are different ways to present art and, by working as a tattoo artist, you are using a medium that is not going to fade away,” he said.
“It is wonderful to see the emotion displayed by some people after you have finished their tattoo, it can change their lives.”
In order to get ready for the Guinness World Record attempt, Nicole has decided to hold monthly tattoo marathons, to get the guys used to working under pressure and for long stretches at a time.
The first event is set to take place on May 31 and June 1, from 9am to 9pm, each day.
A set fee will be charged for the tattoos and R10 from every tattoo done will be donated to the Germiston SPCA.
People wanting to take part are welcome to have any tattoo they want, providing it won’t take longer than an hour to do.
One of the conditions of the marathon rules is that all the tattoos done during the marathon have to be finished.
“Small tattoos are preferable, as we don’t want the artists working on one person for longer than an hour,” Nicole said.
“If you come in before the time, the artists can look at your design or custom design something that will fit within the prescribed time restrictions.”
The artists will be working as a “tag-team”, so that work continues for 12 hours straight each day.
People can either book a spot or just walk in on the day.
For more information about the marathon, contact Nicole on 011 822-7669 or 076 543 3455.
