Last month a tattoo icon returned to Hawaii. Taunee Beekman, originator of one of the first tattoo shops in Hawaii, came 'home' for a visit.
Prior to our gathering this December I had the great pleasure to run into Taunee last summer at the APT Rendevous in Kansas City, MO. It had been years since I had seen her and she hadn't changed one iota! Full of fire and vinegar, this Lady of tattooing was full of great stories and adventures. Her protege, BJ McVay of Eugene, OR, accompanied her and where ever they went, a crowd gathered.
Deana Lippens, Sharon Brouse, Pat Sinatra, Taunee Beekman, BJ McVay, Peggy Sucher: Kansas City, 2009 At that time they spoke of returning to Hawaii and revisiting old haunts. I was so excited when BJ called this past fall and gave me their itinerary!
When they came into Oahu BJ's family gathered with the usual local food shortage (!) of fresh caught ahi, tako, trays of kalua pig and long rice. Oh! Broke da mouth! Other mainland tattooers, Judy Parker of San Diego, Sharon and Don Brouse of Utah had flown in to join the party. What a gathering!
Taunee shared with us the experience of her tattoo trail....that first machine, the confusion, the mystery. Now we are talking back in the early '70's when tattooers did NOT share information and there were no supply companies ready to sell any equipment or supplies to just anyone. Here was a lady with a degree in photography who went from getting her first tattoo in a bar/house of ill repute in Juarez, to learning a bit of the trade from Cliff Raven in Chicago to venturing to Alaska to tattoo during the pipeline boom. Whew!
I asked just how that lead to Hawaii and she said that they would vacation on Maui when on what little breaks they took there in Alaska. She noticed that humm...no shops on Maui (imagine that!). Envisioning all sorts of trouble for a woman trying to open a tattoo shop in Lahaina I asked how she did it. She said she opened her shop there in Maui with no problem. As she boldly put it 'My landlord was a greedy B*****D'!
Asking her what she thought of the evolution of tattooing today she said simply 'they've taken all the romance out of it. It was a lot cooler when it was outlaw'. Having been in and around tattooing for nearly 30 years I can understand what she says. What used to be a mystery has been immersed in pop culture, flaunted, abused and de-mystified. There was a time when there were maybe 400 tattooers in the US, now there are that many in just some cities.
While she was here we had the opportunity to chat at greater length and that conversation will be converted into a more indepth look at Taunee Beekman in upcoming publications. She is a lady of great character and charm, quick to laugh and share a story. I was enamored with her, awed by her and left speechless many times. Taunee, you are loved and you are admired. By me and everyone who has the pleasure to meet you. Aloha a hoi hou, dear Lady!
