COMMUNITY
A
hum fills the room in a soft cadence, and blood beads on the surface of the skin. Lines and shades begin to take shape on a human canvas. Fleeting pain lends itself to a permanent artwork etched on the flesh. Tattooing has a history that is almost as extensive as the human race itself. People have long since used their bodies as a mechanism for storytelling, and despite its modern status as somewhat taboo, the practice persists. For many, the current tattoo culture seems exclusionary, with only certain art styles or people having the proper aesthetic or cultural capital to be inked. Artists like Charlie Vieregge are defying these expectations. Vieregge, who goes by Charlie V, is a tattoo artist based in Athens. Their shop, which is located on Richland Avenue, boasts colorful decor while simultaneously standing against the presence of corrupt police officers, Zionists, creeps, white supremacists and trans exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs). Vieregge is using their space to cultivate a safe environment for their clients as an artist who understands that, for many, tattoos hold a personal significance. “I feel like tattoos are pretty empowering to people. Sometimes they're just for fun, or they might not mean as much, but to a lot of people, they do mean a lot,” Vieregge says. “[Tattoos] make them feel more confident, and sometimes it makes them feel like they could kick ass.”
BY KIRSTEN ABBEY PHOTOS BY CLAIRA KIMBLE DESIGN BY MATTHIAS AGGANIS
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backdrop | Spring 2025
Charlie V, a tattoo artist based in Athens, in Tattoo Motel on Richland Avenue. Getting a tattoo is an intimate process that requires someone to entrust their body with an artist, hoping the result authentically represents them. A situation like this could make any person wary. For Kris Smith, a senior studying health service administration, this reality is what made choosing an artist so daunting. That aspect of the client-artist relationship, and the possible consequences of body modifications, is something Vieregge is conscious about. “Sometimes I have to navigate the power dynamic of – they're getting something permanently on their body from me,” Vieregge says. “So, I have to decide when to speak up about things and how to.”