tattoo convention
File:Pattaya Tattoo Festival.jpg
A tattoo convention is a meeting and exhibition for tattoo practitioners and enthusiasts from different shops and areas, as well as anyone who wishes to see the world of tattooing up close.
History
The first world tattoo convention was held by Lyle Tuttle and Dave Yurkew on January 24–25, 1976 in Houston, Texas.Craig Hlavaty: [https://www.chron.com/life/article/Houston-Tattoo-Extravaganza-2016-6942764.php#photo-9674635 Houston hosted the world's first tattoo convention in 1976] March 23, 2016 Dave Yurkew, who was also President of the North American Tattoo ClubMargo DeMello: Inked: Tattoos and Body Art around the World. ABC-CLIO 2014, {{ISBN|978-1-61069-076-8}}, p. 138. went on to host another 6 consecutive World Tattoo Conventions through 1982. Lyle Tuttle was quoted as saying that this was. "The event that changed tattooing forever.”
On January 19–21, 1996, Dave Yurkew and Lyle Tuttle co-hosted the 20th anniversary of the First World Tattoo Convention in Houston, Texas, following up with the 25th anniversary on January 18–21, 2001 in Houston, hosted by Dave Yurkew and John "Big John" G. Stuckey.
The first International Tattoo Artists Association Convention was held in 1977 in Reno, and the first National Convention was held in Denver, Colorado March 23–25, 1979 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Speakers at this convention were: Don Ed Hardy, Terry Wrigley, Peter Tat 2 Poulos, Diane Poulos, Bob Shaw, Big Walt Kilkucki, Painless Jeff Baker, Dave Yurkew, and from Germany Horst Streckenbach and Manfred Kohrs.Mississippi Gulf Coast´s Observer, September 2012, Volume 13, Issue 3, p. 36
Tattoo conventions range from small events sponsored by a local business that may last a day, to major international conventions spanning a weekend or the better part of a week.
They may include contests and exhibitions, booths selling tattoo-related items and even booths rented for use by tattoo artists who work during the convention. Collectors may attend conventions specifically to obtain a tattoo from a particular visiting artist.
Other events may include professional events such as workshops and meetings as well as social events.
Contests, usually restricted to registered participants, usually feature a variety of categories: black-and-gray, tribal, oriental, backpiece, women, men, and so on. Judging may be by vote or by a panel of judges.
The first tattoo convention in London, England took place in 2005.{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/passion-for-tattoos-on-display-in-london |title=Passion for Tattoos on Display in London |publisher=Fox News|access-date=September 6, 2015}}
The first tattoo convention in Germany was held in 1980 by Horst Streckenbach in Frankfurt.{{cite web|title=Tattoo & Religion · Verlag Das Wunderhorn|periodical=|publisher=|url=http://www.wunderhorn.de/content/buecher/pool/978_3_88423_606_2/index_ger.html|accessdate=February 8, 2019|last=Paul Henri Campbell|date=|year=|language=|pages=|quote=}}
Tattoo conventions in Australia
Australia holds some of the biggest tattoo conventions in the southern hemisphere, including Tattoo Expo and Rites of Passage Tattoo Festival, both of which showcase some of the world's leading tattoo artists.{{Cite web |title=Australian Tattoo Expo {{!}} 300+ Tattoo Artists Under One Roof |url=https://www.tattooexpo.com.au/ |access-date=2022-07-18 |website=www.tattooexpo.com.au |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Rites Of Passage Tattoo Festival {{!}} Melbourne & Sydney |url=https://ritesofpassagefestival.com/ |access-date=2022-07-18 |website=ritesofpassagefestival.com |language=en-US}}
The history of tattooing may go all the way back to the convicts that were being sent to Australia, with a large portion having a singular tattoo, often an anchor or initials.{{Cite news |date=2016-08-30 |title=Tattoo trend goes back to Tasmania's convict era, author finds |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-30/convict-tattoos-tasmanias-inked-history-explored-in-book/7798044 |access-date=2022-07-18}} Since then, tattoos have become a large part of Australian life, with one in four Australians having a tattoo,{{Cite web |last=Fell |first=Ashley |date=2020-11-16 |title=Tattoos on the rise among Aussies |url=https://mccrindle.com.au/insights/blog/tattoos-on-the-rise-among-aussies/ |access-date=2022-07-18 |website=McCrindle |language=en-AU}} making tattoo conventions a popular destination in Australia.
Gallery
Don Ed Hardy and Dave Yurkew (1977).jpg|Don Ed Hardy and Dave Yurkew at the 2nd World Tattoo Convention in Reno Nevada, 1977
Singaporetattooconventionin2009.jpg|Tattoo convention in Singapore, 2008
Tattoo convention August 2017 in Berlin - 1.jpg|Tattoo convention in Berlin, 2017
Boston Tattoo Convention.webm|Video of a tattoo convention in Boston, 2019
References
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