Street Culture: Body Art Expo, Downtown L.A.

Arty Olague wears a chiaroscuro collage of ladies, clowns and hot rods across his chest by Placaso, who was working at booth of Alhambra’s Ink Slingers Studio.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

Placaso mixes horror and self-referential humor with a tattoo on a scalp of a hand tattooing a skull.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

“Lonely Boy,” a.k.a. Raul Najera of Unlimited Tattoo in Azusa, tattoos an image of the Virgin Mary on the ear of fellow tattoo artist Sergio Sanchez of 310 Tattoo of Long Beach at the 2008 World Body Art Expo. Sanchez already dons multiple tattoos and piercings, including a string of words across his forehead and a rhinestone embedded in a dimple in his cheek. He blithely flipped through cellphone messages as the needle pricked the religious image into the thin skin of his ear. The placement was significant for Sanchez. “That’s where she’s always at. Always talking to me,” he said.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

Rickie Moxey of Rebel Art Tattoo in Tempe, Ariz., creates an image of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation, stretching across the top of Rick Gantz’s entire right thigh. “I gave him a blank canvas and told him to do what he wanted,” said Gantz, who said he already has a bunch of tattoos.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

Ruben Contreras shows off a collection of tattoos across his back as Sal Perez takes off his shirt to display his own substantial collection of artwork. Contreras’ and Perez’s work were created by a pair of tattoo artist brothers, Tommy and Mikey Montoya.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

“I really love horror stuff,” said Sal Perez, whose tattoos include characters such as Gollum, Chucky, Freddy Krueger and _ pictured here _ The Joker, as portrayed by Heath Ledger.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

Dave Sanchez of the tattoo studio by the same name in Gardena creates a diamond on the underside of the chin of Ryan Muldowney fo Carlsbad.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

Fernando Galindo, co-owner of Lost Angeles Ink in Maywood, displays an image of God on his chest created by Eddie Flores.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

Row upon row of artists buzz away at the skin of Body Art Expo attendees.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

Tattoo artist Madison Stone, of the North Hollywood studio Madison, displays some of her work.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

A lotus and om neck design by tattoo artist Madison Stone, of the North Hollywood studio Madison.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

Meg McNeil of Love and Hate Tattoo in Phoenix completes a design atop the chest of Charlie Farnham of San Diego, which reads “Until the end of time.” Farnham aggressively chewed a wad of gum during the wincing ordeal.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

Cherry Rodgriguez of Los Angeles displays a tattoo of a Gothic sort of Bettie Boop on her forearm. She had just visited the booth of Fillmore Tattoo where she ...  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

... had the backs of her calves surface pierced for a corseted effect by Brandon Vermillion. The design is only done for show because the skin of the calf area moves too much for the piercings to be permanent and will eventually be rejected by Rodriguez’s body, Vermillion said.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

Cherry Rodriguez shows off her corseted calves.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

Su’a Sulu’ape FreeWind of Black Wave Tattoo in Los Angeles creates a traditional Maori design on the leg of Gary Shafter of Orange County. “This is my first tattoo. So, I wanted it done the way they used to do it,” Shafter said. That means tapping the ink into Shafter’s skin using a sharp needle tapped by stick wielded by FreeWind.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

Gary Shafter endured about seven sessions, each up to six hours long, to receive his traditional Maori tattoo.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

Squiggy Bender, a tattoo artist himself, said the eye tattoos on his eyelids are the result of a dare. “It was one of those things. I got called ‘chicken,’” he said.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)

In addition to his eyes on his eyelids, Squiggy Bender wears the title of a Bad Religion song, “Don’t Sell Me Short” across his forehead.  (Tara Godvin / Los Angeles Times)