Flash Day - Hometown Tattoo
Flash day
In tattoo shops, a flash day is a bit of a tradition. And a cool one at that! It’s a day where you don’t have to make an appointment, and where you, as a customer, can walk in and pick something from the flash sheets of the artists, and get it tattooed right away. First come, first serve!
Often, such a flash day is when tattoo aficionados come and visit, so it’s usually a cool, busy day, with a lot of love for tattooing. On many occasions, a guest artist also joins, which attracts enthusiasts who want a tattoo of said guest artist.
On September 15th, Hometown Tattoo organized such a flash day.
Hometown Tattoo
Around our home town, there aren’t too many tattoo shops. At least, compared to Amsterdam, or Eindhoven, it’s not that much. Of course, there’s Janssen & Janssen, there’s Monnikenwerk, there’s House of Kensho, some others and of course, that shop I used to work at (read about that here), so we can’t complain.
But, since the beginning of this year, there’s a new shop in town! My dear friend Richard started his own tattoo shop, and he very aptly called it ‘Hometown Tattoo‘.
I remember the day Richard told me he wanted to start his shop. We brainstormed, and I was there to hear him say “Hometown Tattoo’ and watch him looking very pleased with himself. What a name. It says it all, and it’s an homage to the town we live in which has always been an excellent community to thrive in for us.
Artists
In the last couple of months, Richard was joined by some other artists as well who made Hometown Tattoo their home. Next to Richard, the owner of the shop, Queeny, who works there participated in the flash day too. Mitch, her husband, didn’t participate because he already had an appointment that day, but he was there for the fun. A Long-time friend and colleague Don Frölich was there as a guest artist to make the fun complete.
A friday
Despite the flash day being organised on a friday, where most people have to work, there was a lot to do! We didn’t know what to expect, but before opening at 10, the first customers/friends had already arrived. So Richard, Queeny and Don could set up their stations and start tattooing. Nice!
I helped out where I could, giving people drinks, helping people choose and writing down names on the lists so Richard, Queeny and Don would know who and what to tattoo next. It’s been a while since I worked at that other studio, and I do miss that work. Not the studio, but the work in itself. So whenever the occasion arises, like at Hometown Tattoo’s flash days, I’m glad to jump in and help where I can! And I got a cool tattoo myself, too!
And then the coolest thing happened
In that other studio, I’d played with the idea of combining my photography with the work the studio did. The idea was to shoot some portraits of customers, and have them tell a little story about themselves and why they got tattooed there. The idea was good, but it never happened.
Now, with that vibe at Hometown Tattoo, and seeing the people there, that idea came back to life again. But in a broader, deeper sense. When the idea started I had no clue as to what to do with the little interviews, except for having them on the Facebook or Instagram page of the studio. But there should be more in it. So a new project is born!
Hometown Stories (Working Title)
The idea is to write articles about my home town. About what connects me to that home town. And my connections are tied deeply to Richard’s Hometown Tattoo, and, to give another example, to the Gonzo Bar (read more about that bar here). So what am I going to do?
I’m going to write stories. About people. People who are tied to Tegelen, in whichever way they are. Whether they get tattooed at Richard’s place, frequently visit the Gonzo Bar, have an art- or crafts shop, or are tied to me personally. And it looks like it’s going to be called ‘Hometown Stories’.
