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Crystal Sims, Co-Owner, Studio Manager

I am a lover of all forms of body adornment, be it piercings, tattoos, make-up or fashion. I can remember as a child just dying to have my ears pierced (being that I was raised in a very conservative Christian environment it took years to talk my mother into it). I felt the same way in the early 90’s after I saw a navel piercing for the first time, but I couldn’t find anyone to do it. I tried to pierce my own navel, but it soon rejected as a result of poor placement and inappropriate jewelry. My first real professional piercing experience was so powerful that I immediately wanted to learn everything I could about the history, ritual, and psychological aspects of body modification and adornment.

I began my career in the body art industry in early 1994, apprenticing under piercer Kent Fazekas at Body Accents in Indianapolis, IN. Eager to learn as much as I could about the trade, I attended many classes and workshops including those hosted by The Gauntlet, Fakir Musafar, Al D Sowers, Health Educators and Professional Piercing Information Systems. I enjoy sharing what I have learned, and after several years of piercing, my focus has changed to teaching the body art industry about health and safety.

In 2002, I was elected to the board of The Association of Professional Piercers, an international non-profit organization dedicated to the dissemination of vital health and safety information to the body piercing industry. In my three-year term on the board of directors, I processed membership applications from all over the world, attended conferences of other health and safety organizations, wrote articles for the quarterly newsletter, and helped with the planning and execution of three educational conferences in Las Vegas, NV and two in Amsterdam, Holland. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be of service to the piercing community on an international level.

While I am no longer a piercer, I still spend most of my time working with my partner and staff to make Evolution the best it can be. In my free time, I like to take classes (business classes, sewing lessons, bass lessons,) but Evolution will always be my priority. I feel very fortunate to be able to make a living in an industry that I love, and I hope I will always be able to do so.

W. Shawn Taylor, Co-Owner, Piercer, Jeweler

In the mid to late 80’s, body piercing as we know it today, hit Albuquerque. It hit hardest in the small “alternative” scene that frequented pioneering downtown clubs such as Beyond Ordinary, Groove Lounge, and Ritual. Piercing was still way underground. There were only a handful of people in Albuquerque who even had piercings and there were no piercing studios. A friend of mine had just returned from San Francisco, where she had just had her tongue pierced at the Gauntlet. I only remember that I had to have it too.

Myself and a number of friends began taking road trips to Denver and Boulder to see shows and get body piercings. There were a few tattoo shops in Colorado that offered piercing services. I was hooked. With Lollopalluza, Skinny Puppy, and Front Line Assembly came Tongue, Nipples, and Prince Albert piercings. I loved the rush. I loved the look. I loved the whole experience. I began to investigate this “new” art form which grabbed me so firmly and unexplainably. Like many others who searched for answers, I came upon the book. I came upon the book that made sense of this phenomenon of body modification and adornment. The book was Modern Primitives. Among the many things I learned and realized from the book was that I was not alone in my fascination and attraction to body modifications. I was a participant in something that has been shared by mankind in one form or another for generations upon generations. I wanted more. I wanted to share the experience that I had found. I wanted to be a piercer.

In 1993 I met someone who had just moved here from San Francisco, where he attended Fakir Musafar’s piercing classes the previous year. We became friends and I began an informal apprenticeship with him as he pierced friends and clients out of his apartment. At that time there were no city laws or ordinances preventing such an activity. I immediately enrolled in the next available class given by Fakir in San Francisco (Jan. 94). In April of 1994, many months after a very vivid dream of owning of piercing studio, Hardware was open for business. Hardware was Albuquerque’s first professional piercing studio. I am very proud of this fact.

As the popularity of piercing exploded across the country, it became harder and harder to get quality piercing jewelry promptly, if at all. In 1995 I began investigating, experimenting, and investing in equipment and materials to make quality jewelry for myself and others. What a project! It consumed me. But I had huge aspirations. I wanted to produce jewelry for studios across the country. In 1997, I sold Hardware to my partner (the name has been sold 2 more times since) to finance more equipment and materials. Around this time I met Crystal, who would become my partner in Evolution.

Evolution Body Piercing opened in 1999 as the most advanced piercing studio Albuquerque has seen. I couldn’t be more proud of our studios and our staff, all of whom are completely dedicated to the safety and well-being of our clientele. We strive to make every piercing experience as positive as the ones which have changed each of our lives so profoundly.

Noah Babcock, Head Piercer, Branding Artist

My life thus far has been one encompassed by a love for all forms of art.  From music to painting to sculpture, most significant members of my family are heavily involved in some type of artistic expression.  I too have always been involved in many different kinds of art, however little of what I did seemed like it had any substantial effect on people.  Obviously most art invokes emotion of some sort, however it seemed to me that a very small portion of it would truly change peoples lives.  Therefore, I began pondering ways in which my art could change people’s lives for the better.  The obvious solution to this became immediately apparent:  body art.  To permanently alter a person’s appearance, whether it be a little or a lot, and at the same time have this alteration improve that persons self-confidence, and set them apart from the status quo.  Body piercing was something that had intrigued me ever since I was a child, and so I began researching it further.  As I learned more about it’s history, practices, and procedures, I decided that it was my place in the world to become a part of this ancient and beautiful practice. 

I began piercing in 1995, after extensive research into the subject, and landed a job piercing at a local studio.  It was not long after I started piercing that I realized I needed a more in depth education pertaining to all aspects of the industry.  I began networking with other piercers, healthcare professionals, even a local reconstructive and cosmetic surgeon (who shall remain nameless, but to whom I owe a huge debt of gratitude) in order to expand my knowledge of cross contamination, sterilization procedures, anatomy, and much more.  I worked in a couple of what I now perceive as mediocre studios until September of 1999 when I was hired at Evolution, Inc., and I feel that my all around abilities as a piercer have expanded exponentially since then. 

Working for Evolution has not only expanded my knowledge in relation to the piercing industry as a whole, but it has also expanded my knowledge of my own spirituality, and how the practice of piercing can alter and enhance my clients spirituality as well.  As a piercer I do not only give people piercings, but I like to think that I also open their eyes to a new sensation, angle of perception, and concept of themselves.

My profession as a body piercer is one that I am very proud of and have the utmost respect for.  This is not a typical job, and certainly cannot be viewed as such.  People of all types and all backgrounds trust me with their bodies every single day and that is a huge responsibility that should always be respected, and never underestimated.

Luciano Morales, Piercer

I first became interested in body piercing back in 1994. One of my friends had her tongue pierced, and seeing it completely fascinated me. There was only a small group of people with body piercings at the time, and I soon became one of them. In a matter of 6 months I had my tongue, nipples and labret pierced, and began stretching my earlobes.

I met some really nice people in the body piercing industry, including Dave Chavez, an established piercer who had gotten his training through the Gauntlet Piercer Training Seminars. In August of 1996, he approached me and offered to teach me the trade. I happily accepted and apprenticed under him for a year. I have been piercing ever since.

I would have to say that the most rewarding part of my body piercing experience is when a client comes into our studio interested in a body piercing, but has no prior knowledge what will be involved. I get to walk them through the entire piercing process, from the jewelry selection, to the piercing procedure, to explaining the follow up aftercare. There is nothing more satisfying than being a part of each clients life-changing body piercing experience.

Jeanie Bisconte, Administrative Assistant

I have always been fascinated with alternative forms of beauty. As a pre-teen I would thumb through the pages of National Geographic to see pictures of other cultures. It was amazing to see adornments of leaves, feathers, jewelry and paint. Lip plates and stretched earlobes seemed to somehow push the boundaries of the human body. My fascination of others eventually led to my own journey with adornment.

I have had various piercings and they have all served a purpose in my life and perception of self. Since joining Evolution I have had the opportunity to share my enjoyment of body piercing with others. Being a part of the Evolution team allows me to contribute to the advancement of professional body piercing. To many people a piercing is a life-changing event and I have the benefit of knowing I can help facilitate change.

The ability to alter your appearance through piercing is a liberating and captivating experience. Body piercing is not limited to a certain group, age or gender. It is available to all persons and can unite us through a shared commonality. Ultimately, I would like this form of adornment to become part of our culture as it has become a part of so many others.