Thursday  Jun 30, 2005

INKEDblog Interviews Seth Ciferri

Many feel that Seth Ciferri, brother of world-renowned tattoo artists, Adam Ciferri, is one of the most important figures in tattooing today. Not only is Seth a masterful artist, he also constructs some of the best tattoo equipment available. We had a brief chat with Ciferri about tattooing and his main passion – building tattoo machines.

INKEDblog: Seth, how did you get into tattooing?

Seth: I was talked into it by my older brother, who started tattooing about a year and a half before me. I was reluctant at first, but it seemed to be natural progression for me as I'm fascinated with all things technical and bizarre. Tattooing seemed like a perfect combination of the two.

INKEDblog: Do you have a preference for traditional motifs?

Seth: I really don’t have a preference for traditional design motifs. I just do what the customers asks me for, and I guess I’m just lucky that they make my job somewhat easy, by asking for things that I can draw with minimal preparation.

INKEDblog: When was the turning point in your career?

Seth: I think I felt a definite turn for the better when I began to get asked for tattoos from artists whom I had always admired. The first time you work on another tattooer, especially one of exceptional ability, you feel a sense of accomplishment. Then you realize how terrible a job you've done, and the feeling goes away, and you just want to punch yourself in the face.

INKEDblog: Would you say that you’ve "made it big"?

Seth: I don’t think there's any such thing as a "famous tattooer". I feel fortunate to be well recognized in my field, and to be in a position to share knowledge with my peers, but there's never been a moment when i felt like I made it "big". However, I knew I needed to lose weight a few years ago when Gil Monte told me I had gotten really fat, because he's kinda fat. You know?

INKEDblog: So, we hear you make custom made tattoo machines, can you tell us a little about them?

Seth: Well, I make them several different ways. Some are cast from various brass alloys, some from iron and steel... others are prefabricated steel. That's pretty much my full time job these days. I feel I'm a better machine builder than tattooer, and I enjoy it more, so that’s what I spend my time doing. I tattoo a few days a week usually, and build machines five days a week... my days are kinda nuts.

INKEDblog: What are your tats of?

Seth: Mostly pitbulls and the names of my dead homies. I also have praying hands on my neck, with my baby momma’s name underneath.

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