Eric Minugh
Lee Roy Minugh's work reflects the styles and
colors of the '50s.
The tattoo
as art form
A son honors his father's legacy
By Nadine Kam
with a show of his life's work
Assistant Features EditorIn high school, Eric Minugh was embarrassed by his father. He thought he had a better reason than most of the kids in his Long Beach, Calif., neighborhood because daddy was a tattoo artist and a show-off.
"He was always taking off his shirt. He knew the more tattoos he had, the more people would come to his office to get tattoos.
When the family went on vacations, "he had to go swimming because he knew people would be looking at him, and some people thought it was great and some people thought it was terrible.
"It used to embarrass my mother and she used to project that on to my sister and I, so we were embarrassed."
When a teacher, who liked to torment his students, brought up the subject of tattoos, young Eric denied his father's profession.
These days, Eric, an artist himself, has turned promoter. He's displaying his late father's work in a mini tribute, entitled "Tattoos My Dad Had," at the Arts of Paradise Gallery in Waikiki.
On view in the front of the gallery are 12 sheets of original flash, the pen-and-ink-and-watercolor drawings, that Lee Roy Minugh hung in his shop.
These illustrations and a collection of tattoo books left behind when the elder Minugh passed away a few years ago, led Eric to develop a greater appreciation for the art form so many considered crude when he was growing up.
"Fine artists didn't see it as art, they saw it as a tool of the trade, but some tattoo artists drew very well," Minugh said, adding that flash dating from the turn of the century through 1976 is now considered "old school" and very collectible.
The flash sells for $200 to $1,000 per sheet depending on the artist and scarcity.
Lee Roy Minugh's work dates to the 1950s, when hearts, eagles, snakes and exotic Asian women were rendered in dark, heavy lines, and filled in with the few colors available -- yellow, red, blue and green. Many of the tattoos had a 3-D effect.
In the mid-'70s, a new look in tattoos emerged. These were mainly black and white, with thin lines. Since then, trends have emerged more quickly, encompassing an explosion of color in the '80s, the rise of cosmetic tattoos for enhancing facial features and masking flaws, the adoption of Pacific Island kakau and other ethnic designs in the early '90s, and even the boom in temporary henna tattoos today.
Through it all, Minugh's skin has remained untouched by India ink.
"The story was, my father said I couldn't get a tattoo from anyone else but him. But my mom was against it, so I never got one.
"I went through phases of wanting them but there were so many designs to choose from I never could decide.
"It's a big commitment. Thirty-three percent of people who get tattooed regret it later. Things change. The biggest business is taking off or covering up girlfriends' names."
Eric Minugh
Tattoos My Dad Had
An exhibition of Lee Roy Minugh's work:
Place: Arts of Paradise Gallery, International Market Place
