A few comments by Wes Wood
in response to Learn to Tattoo and Pierce- Online!
"No
Floor Mopping With This Training" by Lowien. {Pain Magazine Nov. 07}
http://www.painmag.com/articles/07Nov/PM11...linecourses.htm
The Tattoo Body Piercing Institute is like the nutrients in the ground that helps plants grow to become everything they could be in a short organized amount of time, without wasting resources, time and money. In essence, a prepatory course is "Best Practice."
As I see it, maybe I am wrong and you can correct me, but [TBPI] services seem to be the same steps taken to create a medical professional in that it is based on "textbook" learning, after which, once the student has mastered the materials the student begins the hands on practical application of that knowledge and gains experience in the field to become a professional.
[TBPI] services seem to be an organized presentation of the materials of the technology and practice of tattoo similar to what prestigious Universities, even the Red Cross now conduct as accepted and normal methods of learning, but criticized by Lowien. {Pain Magazine Nov. 07}
The argument that she presents is based on outmoded training. No one would suggest that Doctors would be helped by spending months emptying bed pans in hospitals. The title of the article shows that right away: "No Floor Mopping With This Training" as if Floor Mopping stood for the essence, a symbolic activity that showed the training is the only kind acceptable. Totally ludicrous. She is not thinking for herself.
According to my conversations with Kate Hellenbrand (http://www.shanghaikates.com/featured_artists/Kate.html), mopping the floor and cutting stencils was a method to make sure the person was serious. Tattooing was a closed society that did not want anyone else to compete and this was one of the ways to control it.
The same is true today. The ballyhooing of apprenticeships (which was never a part of the history of training in tattoo) as the way to be trained in tattoo is to try and control and limit people from entering into tattoo, not to expand and encourage tattoo. It is really anti-tattoo believing that tattoo belongs to those who are the current tattooists. Tattoo belongs to the people as a basic folk art and right. One of the greatest tattoo artists alive taught himself everything - and proud of it.
Everyone agrees that the actual "doing" is the essence of tattoo.
TBPI teaches that and prepare students by first mastering the knowledge that they would not get if they wasted precious time mopping floors. TBPI is actually superior to "ground" the student before learning in an actual shop (do I dare say kitchen).
How many learned tattooing home-style is kept secret. We say one thing but know history is actually the opposite. How many working artists were also working out of their houses and apartments, on their own, but today are well known and respected.
The current apprenticeship program, though not discouraged is very inferior if it includes mopping floors, and no syllabus, no training manuals no organized instruction in a step-by-step progressive manner.
We would never permit, and even be shocked if our children were mopping the floors in schools as if this would add to their success as students and create character.
When we watch Miami Ink and see no organized purposeful, directed learning curve it can't be described as the best way to teach or learn.
Teachers are a shortcut to knowledge whether they are a mail-order, internet course or a tattooist.
TBPI should be cheered not panned for preparing students with a good grounding before beginning the hard mastering of tattooing skills.
A few comments by Wes Wood
President. Unimax Supply Co. Inc. New York City 1989
Sacred Tattoo Shop New York City 1990
Bowery Tattoo Shop New York City 1990
Crain's New York Business October 6-12, 2003 Issue
Crain's New York Business covers Business Trends.
"[Wes Wood] Tattoo/Piercing Industry Leader Sets the Standards Ability to
pick winners makes his customers prosper in competitive environment."
Also Interviewed on New York WOR Talk Radio "Tattoo is Main Stream"
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