In Canada there is a lot of responsibility on the client to choose their tattooers wisely. You might assume that any shop is just as good as the next, or that home tattoos are never a good idea. Unfortunately there are a ton of general misconceptions. It really comes down to your individual artist, wherever they may be working.
Tattooing in Canada is very different than it is in most other parts of the world. Very often Canada is compared to the United States, especially when it comes to topics pertaining to healthcare, and usually they are relatively similar. However, when it comes to professional tattooing, the two countries have significantly different models of governance.
In the U.S. every state has official regulations, and there are also federal requirements that tattooists must accomplish and adhere to. So the U.S., and the rest of the world, actually require licensing (some places are stricter than others, nonetheless licenses are the international standard) for one to pursue a career in the tattoo industry.
Additionally in the U.S., most states have separate departments of the health board specifically to monitor the regulations and licensing, and also to ensure tattooers consistently comply with the certified proper operations.
Contrary to what the majority of Canadians probably assume, tattooing is not acknowledged in any way shape or form by the Canadian federal government.
You should probably read that sentence again so it sinks in, it's a bit of a shocker if you don't already know this. There are some provincially recommended guidelines that some of the provincial governments make available to anyone who might be interested, but these are very limited in terms of the information provided and frankly insufficient at 'qualifying' someone to be a professional tattooer.
They are clearly written by someone with minimal knowledge of the actual practice of tattooing and are mostly based on the safety standards when properly disposing of bio-hazardous materials. This is of course a mandatory element of tattooing, but is hardly sufficient for educating aspiring tattooers, or describing the multi-faceted competency required to successfully tattoo human beings. These ‘recommendations’ are not legally binding in any way, nor is there any provincial or federal government certification, licensing, or programs required to tattoo in Canada.
If you’re from Canada though you’ve probably heard stories of shops getting shut down and of authorities interfering with tattooing gone terribly wrong. This is actually a pretty rare occurrence, and the only circumstance that would actually result in any legal action is multiple severe health violations in an establishment intended for the public. The health board here in Alberta is pretty thorough, and we have considerably high expectations when it comes to cleanliness and public safety. When they inspect tattoo studios their job is to confirm that the public areas are safe to enter and occupy. They are not interviewing artists about how they were trained or how they conduct an average set up or clean up, nor are they knowledgeable enough about these things to render said artist capable or not.
Even though we can rely on our government to ensure that any public environment is safe for entry, there is essentially an extra layer of risk and mystery when realizing that there is no hypothetical ‘red tape’, general levels of achievement, or gold star stickers that separate the truly destined from the scarily determined people who declare themselves tattooists in Canada.
Strangely enough, however, instead of disintegrating into chaos due to the lack of rules and reinforcements, the tattoo industry in Canada has blossomed in every way that other countries have. Studios are thriving and some of the artists compete head to head internationally and are just as skilled and successful. Where the government’s strict business requirements have fallen short on the tattoo community, the true tattooers have picked up the reins and established their own methods of demanding discipline and quality. So although anyone can simply order the necessary equipment online and start up a shop in their basement, usually they don’t get taken very seriously by the actual tattoo community.
The recommended path to achievement is through formal apprenticeships hosted by master artists, who are only a considered ‘master’ after being a full time tattooer for ten years or more. These can last anywhere from 6 months to 5 years, and are the most prestigious and respected path to tattoo professionalism in Canada.
When I define professionalism in my mind I think of a constantly evolving work ethic that encourages repeat business, and eventually results in a loyal and regular clientele. In contrast, unprofessionalism to me is any behaviour that is considered uncivilized, or a stagnant method or environment that does not encourage growth or productivity or put enough responsibility on the artist to demand consistent excellency.
Ultimately this results in ‘sideways’ progress, rather than ‘upwards’ progress. Sideways progress will only eventually lead to going in circles, which will gradually get smaller and smaller over time, and this also significantly limits potential. The lack of official designation by the Canadian government means that the responsibilities of the artist, as well as the client, are heightened immensely.
Those that have dedicated their lives to the profession, have sacrificed other opportunities and survived the ups and downs of the inglorious battlefield which is the tattoo industry must constantly prove themselves against those who choose ‘the easy way’ by deciding to give themselves a title that should be earned and passed down from master to student.
The client is also challenged by not knowing what qualities to look for and having to judge the authenticity and sincerity of anyone claiming to be a professional tattooer. Their best and only hope really is to rely on their instincts, to be diligent when assessing the persons commitment to the project, and to do their best to research other recent clients and completed tattoos to confirm the experience of the tattooer in question.
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