Jul 30, 2010 - 04:30 AM

Melissa Mancini

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OSHAWA -- Jared Alexander's nieces call him Uncle Monkey. And now he has a permanent depiction of a primate on his calf as a homage to his cheeky nickname.

It's a sunny Tuesday, not the kind of day to be stuck indoors for four hours being poked by a needle, but Mr. Alexander has been looking forward to it for weeks. It's the sixth tattoo he's gotten from local artist Joel Monfort, or MOFO as he's known in the skin-art world, a take on his last name when it's said quickly.

Mr. Alexander has come from Chatham to have MOFO do the work, which will take four to six hours. The two were friends growing up, which is why he travelled the four hours to get inked at Art of Affliction in north Oshawa. But the artist's popularity doesn't just come from nepotism, he's booked far in advance because of his skill at creating tattoos that look so similar to the photos clients want forever on their skin.

The subject of Mr. Alexander's tattoo was decided by e-mails between the two. Mr. Alexander said he trusts Mr. Monfort.

"I am very fortunate," Mr. Monfort said of his current client.

"It becomes a faith thing," he said of Mr. Alexander's trust in his work.

The way clients believe in their favoured tattoo artist is "almost like a religion."

Mr. Monfort and colleague Richard Andrews are fresh off big award wins at a Toronto tattoo convention as they sit down to do two very different tattoos at 10 a.m.

The monkey isn't a cartoon; it's a real life photo of a live primate. Photo art is Mr. Monfort's speciality and the reason for one of his eight big wins at the recent show. His first-place creation for best medium black and grey is on his boss's arm. It's a photo of the shop owner's son as a baby which is an exact replica of a photo of the child.

Mr. Andrews earned his win in the best small colour tattoo category for a cartoon toy gun he inked on MOFO. Two feet from where MOFO is tattooing his friend's calf, Mr. Andrews is re-creating a paw print from Jennifer Ensoll's recently deceased pup Hudson on her foot because that's where her German shepherd used to like to step on her, she said.

As the two work on their vastly different projects they talk about the style, pain and creativity that is their chosen industry. Both have more than a few tats of their own. Mr. Andrews has 386 hours of work on his body and MOFO has about 200 hours.

"It hurts but it's tolerable; it must be or else no one would ever come back," said Mr. Andrews, who specializes in modern "bold colour animation-style stuff."

And people do come back, over and over again.

"Oh yeah, you should hear the excuses," Mr. Richards said, adding he has even heard at least one person use "symmetry" as a reason to get a second tattoo after a first on one side of his body.

Despite being more accepted in mainstream society than they were 10 or 20 years ago, tattoos still carry a stigma for those who choose to have many, he said.

"When you are heavily tattooed you will see a difference," said Mr. Richards, who adds he's been followed around department stores and kicked out of establishments for no other reason than having several tats.

Combating the stigma that still surrounds the industry and places people are tattooed is the reason why Art of Affliction is inviting the community for a barbecue. To celebrate two years of being in business the shop is having a customer appreciation event on Aug. 20.

For more on the business:

Art of Affliction

Address: 50 Taunton Rd. E., Oshawa

Phone: 905-723-4465

Websites: www.artofaffliction.com, MOFO: www.mofotats.com, Richard: www.richardandrews.ca