Elizabeth Dean

Local Tattoo Artist Uses Ink to Narrate

Chris Burgess received his first tattoo at age 14, a yellow round smiley face in the center of his arm. By his own hand. And with Indian Ink and a sewing needle and thread, and with clumsy, puerile hands that had not yet perfected the steady-handiness that comes with years of artistic practice, he carved the face into his arm.

“What’s goin’ on, brother man?” Burgess, one of the main tattoo artists at Rare Breed Tattoo, asks with a smile as he answers his cell phone. He has a heavy, playful Southern drawl that comes from being born and raised in Burlington, N.C. Wearing a loose-fitting black T-shirt over his stocky yet athletic stature, sun-kissed blonde hair and tanned skin and airy nature, Burgess looks more like a surfer than a tattoo artist. But then you notice his arms.

The cold eyes of Father Lucas Trevant, Anthony Hopkins’ character in the 2011 film “The Rite” stare out from Burgess’ forearm, squished between a zombie from the 1968 film “Night of the Living Dead” and 1992’s “Candy Man.” Emily Rose, the infamous possessed face of the 1970 film “The Exorcist” sits prominently on Burgess’ shoulder. Pumpkin Head, Lost Boy, the Devil, Pin Head and other horror movie characters sprout up along Burgess’ left arm, covering virtually every space of skin. Burgess recites the names of these grim and gruesome characters fondly, as if reminiscing of old friends. His goal is to have a full arm of tattoos, or a complete “sleeve,” of these nightmarish characters.

On his right arm lay a Japanese tribal tattoo, intricate red and black designs and dragons that twist and lace up the length of his arm. Burgess has tattoos on his arms, shoulders and stomach, with plans to add more. When asked what possessed him to get an ode to Japanese culture inked permanently onto his skin, Burgess shrugged and let out a small chuckle.

“I just liked the design, man.”

Chris Burgess is a tattoo artist at Rare Breed Tattoo. He did his own first tattoo at age 14.

Outside the shop, drawings of popular culture figures from The Godfather to The Joker adorn the windows at Rare Breed Tattoo – smeared black-and-white faces that stare at the passerby with hollow eyes. A silver Dodge Durango — Burgess’ car — is parked in front of the store, its back window caked with heavy-metal band bumper stickers and advertisements for Rare Breed Tattoo. Six small skulls are stacked on top of each other, oozing dribbles of plastic blood, pierced by the car’s antennae. Music leaks out of the store, the screeching, churning and dizzying sounds of heavy metal music.

Even before one walks into Rare Breed Tattoo, the feeling is palpable that this stop is far-removed from the simple, Southern, understated style of downtown Burlington. Rare Breed Tattoo is wedged between a family learning center and City Hall. With its sinister décor, colorful clients and clientele, the thick, musky scent of incense and hard rock leaking out its doors, the store stands out and seems to thumb its nose at tradition, choosing instead to embrace followers of an alternative lifestyle.

Burgess has worked at Rare Breed Tattoo for 2 ½ years. When asked what possessed him to become a tattoo artist, Burgess frowns for a minute and runs his fingers over the two miniature Buddhas on his shelf, which lay amongst a hodgepodge of trinkets and decorations in his station. Frankenstein, a large portrait of John Goodman, a handful of African wooden masks and decorated skateboards also personalize his own tattoo station in the back of the store. A framed article written by the Burlington-Times News about Rare Breed Tattoo sits prominently on the wall.

“I don’t think anyone sets out to become a tattoo artist.”

Burgess was born into a family of artists. Burgess’ father and grandmother were all artists: his father focused on sketches, graphite and pictures of nature, his grandmother on acrylic paintings of ocean and scenery. Burgess said he’s always been drawn to the darker side of things when it comes to artwork: skulls, zombies, demons, etc.; this fascination elucidated seamlessly into tattoo culture.

But Burgess didn’t get his start in the tattoo business until later. After a brief stint as a welding technician following high school, Burgess needed quick money. He tapped into his innate interest art and drawing and started designing “flash,” or the designs of tattoos that people can choose from for their tattoos. He liked how the skin felt as he drew as opposed to drawing on paper.

“It’s so personal,” Burgess said. “Everyone’s skin is different; everyone’s skin has different stories behind it.”

Burgess said he loves tattoo as an artistic outlet because it is so intimate and every tattoo and every person is different. Burgess also liked how giving and receiving a tattoo is a long, involved process and he gets to know his clients. His proudest accomplishment as a tattoo artist was a full sleeve traditional tribal tattoo, which took 5 months to fully complete.

“Getting tattoos becomes addictive,” Burgess said. “It feels like being burned by a lighter; the pain and the excitement that comes with getting a tattoo have always been therapeutic for me.”

Burgess said getting a tattoo feels like a lighter slowly singing the skin. It’s the pain, the innumerable hours of planning and execution, the patience and the creativity that makes the end result so satisfying. But, Burgess said there are parts on him that remain sacred. He would never get any type of tattoo on his face because tattoos are forever, he said. Though tattoo is a hobby and a lifestyle for Burgess, he affirms that he would still be the same person even if he had none. He said he has an innate interest in horror movies, heavy metal music and artwork and those would be in his life regardless of whether or not they were etched into his skin.

“A tattoo is the ultimate expression of one’s inner self on the outside and that’s why we do it,” Jake Bosman, Burgess’ co-worker, said, and Burgess nods, with chunks of his blonde hair poking outside of his nondescript black baseball cap.

That smiley face he drew on his arm at age 14 is now covered up by the sinister visage of The Candyman, part of the sea of characters on his left arm. Burgess said this sleeve of tattoos was a tribute to his mother, after one of his fondest childhood memories. Every Friday night he and his mother would venture out to the closest movie store and buy the latest horror movie release, along with a classic horror film and watch them together.

An entire arm full of monsters, villains and demons, glaring and foaming at the mouth wouldn’t be the first thought that comes to mind as a loving gesture towards one’s mother, but that’s exactly what it is. That’s how Burgess is. Beneath the skulls, the blood, the thick black gauges in his ears and the throaty chanting of the heavy metal music blaring from his tattoo station, Burgess is friendly and disarming; a Southern gentleman that happens to be adorned with demons and monsters. He greets every customer with a warm smile and a quick hug, most of them returning customers seeking Burgess out personally.

Burgess has never been outside of the state of North Carolina. He was born and raised in Burlington with no plans to leave. Despite his carefree, breezy nature, the sketches and drawings he created that are framed around the tattoo shop and the way his grey-blue eyes light up at the discussion of artistic styles and famous artists, make one wonder if he ever wanted more than this small town and this part-time job has given him.

After an hour-long tattoo session, a mermaid on her ankle, Janelle Burnette walks out of Rare Breed tattoo, her sister Brenda at her flank. Burgess follows them out and walks the women halfway to their car. As they disappear into the sleepy streets of Burlington on a red September night, Burgess stalls for a minute, shuffles his feet and pulls out a crumpled packet of cigarettes. He stands alone, pensively on the quiet streets of downtown Burlington and takes a drag of his cigarette. After a minute, he sighs and heads back inside.

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