For years, tattoo schools were perceived as a threat to an industry that grew out of apprenticeships. Established artists criticized them, calling them a “quick path,” while the schools themselves preferred to remain silent. Dialogue was impossible: when one side of an argument doesn’t respond, negativity and speculation fill the void, solidifying into “facts” over time. To understand what’s happening here, we need to rewind and look at how tattooing education was formalized in the first place.
tattoo education
Interview with Lee Carriere: The Path from Apprentice to Mentor in Bodymods
The body art industry has undergone colossal changes over the past quarter-century, transforming from a fringe hobby into a full-fledged part of mass culture. At the forefront of these changes stands the Canadian chain BodyMods, which not only keeps pace with trends but also actively shapes quality and safety standards. Lee Carriere, one of the key artists in the network and training manager, shares his insights on how a modern artist’s career is built, why education is more important than technique, and how to maintain a passion for the craft after two decades.