To the average citizen, hot rods and tattooing conjure images of the outlaw: The pinup girl tattooed on his forearm, a bottle of whiskey in his hand and his 1954 Cadillac sporting flames and roaring down the highway.
These negative images cause people to view tattoos and hot rods with disdain, striking fear into parents that their son might show up in a chopped Bel Air with Bettie Page smirking seductively on his bicep.
Many fail to appreciate tattoos and hot rods as art forms. Now more than ever, tattoo artists have formal art training, and rodders spend years and thousands of their hard earned dollars customizing their machines. Rarely does the general public get to see these art forms at their best.
In Cleveland this weekend, “The Body Shop,” a hot rod and tattooing expo will grace the parking lot and ballroom of the Agora Friday and Saturday.
Martin Geramita, co-promoter and director of the expo is excited about his project’s premiere.
“Hopefully, this will be the first of many,” Geramita said, “We’ve received quite a bit of interest from people this year who want to be a part of it.”
According to Geramita, the expo will feature about 100 hot rods, all manufactured before 1970. This year hot rods will be an exhibition only, but in years to come there may be competition.
“If it takes off and I can have someone handle the hot rod part of it we will more than likely do awards in the future,” Geramita said.
With the tattoo part of the expo, Geramita began putting the word out with some artists he was working with in Cleveland.
“I felt that the artists that would find out about it by word of mouth are probably pretty accomplished, of like mind, and will work well with the other vendors,” Geramita said. “Most importantly, I wanted it to have a good atmosphere.”
One artist that received a call was Kat Dearwester, a local tattooist working at Revolve (the combination of Viking and Evolved).
“When I was contacted, I was very flattered that my name got out there,” Dearwester said. “I don’t normally seek these sort of things out.”
Dearwester is excited about the expo’s effort to present art forms in a positive light.
“I’m happy to be involved in anything breaks the negative stereotype,” Dearwester said.
According to Dearwester, tattoos and hot rods share similar qualities and are perfect partners for a convention. It can help bring together individuals that may not have appreciation for the other’s craft.
Hot rodders these days are typically older, whereas a younger base is expanding in the tattoo community.
“I’ve always thought of (tattoos) and rods as forms of self expression,” Dearwester said. “This convention can help to bridge the generation gap.”
She hopes older participants will begin to change their views of individuals with tattoos when they see the pride and dedication they put into their hot rods is shared by the tattoo enthusiasts.
Hot rods and tattoos won’t be the only things going on at the convention. There will be music both days of the convention. Some artists performing will be David Allen Coe, Ted Riser and the Marshall Band, The White Devils, Pat Sweeny and Eddie Brunswick and the Flaming Tailfins.
Geramita chose artists to appeal to a variety of music listeners.
“We wanted a good mix of rock, rockabilly, country, blues, and boogie,” Geramita said. “We wanted to make it accessible to as many people as possible.”
There will also be food, clothing and auto parts vendors, and on Saturday night B-Ware Video will project Deliquent, Bettie Page and hot rodder films onto the back wall of the Agora.
