No, I don’t have any tattoos on my body. Just wanted to put that out there before I go any further. Why? Well, I’m just way too indecisive to settle on an image that I would want on a part of my body for the rest of my life. First of all, I would spend hours/days/months (sleepless nights!) obsessing over which image would be the perfect one for me. Then, if I were to actually decide on one (which is highly unlikely), I’ll probably come up with another image that I should have gotten about a week after my tattoo healed and would be kicking myself for not realizing it. Next thing you know, I’d be covered up to my neck with tattoos, out a few thousand dollars and in need of therapy. Why put Mrs. Perez through that sort of hell? Nuff said about that.
Now, just because I don’t have any tattoos doesn’t mean that I’m not intrigued by them. I mean, it’s an art form, a very unique art form. And as a collector of art and lover of street art and art museums, tattoo art and its artists have always been a curiosity to me. So with the South Florida Tattoo Expo being held last week right here in my backyard of Coral Springs, it was time to satisfy that curiosity.
The South Florida Tattoo Expo, which just celebrated its 23rd year, is a three day weekend affair (Friday-Sunday) that was held yet again at the Coral Springs Marriott Hotel, Golf Club & Convention Center. It not only features the best tattoo artists in all of South Florida but a truckload of live bands, a burlesque show, hot body contest, car show, local vendors, and human suspension (the act of suspending a human body from hooks that have been put through the skin!). And here’s the best part: all proceeds benefit the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital; and it’s been that way since year one.
The South Florida Tattoo Expo is a great way to not only get a tattoo from the best artists in the region but to get to know parlors and tattoo professionals before committing to some ink. And as for 2019, the dates are set for August 9-11, see you there. Until then, here are two photo galleries from the 2018 edition courtesy of my Lumix GH4 and a few good lenses.
IMAGE GALLERY #1: ARTISTS AT WORK
IMAGE GALLERY #2: BANDS, BURLESQUE AND HUMAN SUSPENSION
