Tension in the Field of Art: The Practical Tattoo Artist and Perceptions of the Fine Art Community

Gregory M. Hall

doi:10.18778/1733-8077.10.2.06

Authors

Gregory M. Hall State University of New York, U.S.A.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.10.2.06

Keywords:

Tattoo Artists, Collaborative Circles, Taste, Boundary Making, Goal Orientation

Abstract

This is an ethnographic study utilizing observation and in-depth interviews. The following research analyzes a collaborative circle of tattoo artists and its tension with the fine art community. The tension is a result of perceptions of the fine art community and the nature of tattoo shops as enterprises. This article contributes to the understanding of collaborative circles by incorporating taste distinctions and a formal group element, the enterprise. Taste distinctions and the enterprise allow artists to erect boundaries between themselves and others in the art community.

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Author Biography

Gregory M. Hall, State University of New York, U.S.A.

Gregory M. Hall is a graduate researcher, instructor, and PhD student at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Gregory recently completed his Master’s thesis – “Civil War Re-enactors: Selective Authenticity and the Development of Meaning.” Currently, Gregory is working on research regarding portrayals of gender responsibility in alcohol commercials, the development and use of artificial intelligence in the medical field, and the construction of space in Second Life.

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