During this time, the tattoo scene was splitting into two groups: the old-school scratchers with flash on the walls, and trained fine artists who were learning to transfer their artistic vision to a new canvas — skin. “The fine-arts movement in tattooing has been growing since the '80s,” says Massacre. “Artists became interested in tattooing as an art form once the technology was better — thinner needles, brighter, safer ink, more advanced tattoo machines. Now, you weren’t restrained by basic lines — you could draw different widths. You had more control with shading.”With more artistic freedom, the idea of what a tattoo could be changed. Designs moved away from flash (these days, it’s mostly used as a starting point for customized work) and became a collaborative process between the client’s vision and the artist’s interpretation and execution. Treating tattoos as art also framed the body as a larger canvas to work on, resulting in larger, more intricate projects. “Back in the day, you’d pick a little Grim Reaper off the wall and have it floating in the middle of your bicep. There was no forethought — no one was thinking about filling the space around it, or drawing with the flow of the body,” says Shailes.But soon, the clientele began to shift along with the level of talent — they wanted safe, sanitary shops, they were willing to pay, and they cared about things like aftercare and making sure their tattoos healed beautifully. Choosing from artists who specialized in certain styles like nautical, Japanese, portrait, and tribal, newer customers were “tattoo collectors” who allocated space for a half-sleeve, back piece, or full sleeve — a kind of investment.That also changed the quality and safety of materials like needles and ink. “I use Waverly ink — it’s vegan and natural. Not that there was bacon in the other ink, but now people are interested in putting better stuff in their bodies. There’s more respect for the art,” Shailes says. “If you told one of those old-school bikers to use moisturizer and sunblock, you’d get punched in the throat.”