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INKEDblog takes you beneath the skin of today's tattoo culture. Our mission is to celebrate tattooing as a modern art form which incorporates art, fashion, style, and pop culture. While paying homage and respect to the past, we look to present a contemporary take on the present and future of skin art.
Home / Interviews
Monday Dec 19, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Tattoo Artist Nate Parrish
Nate’s a Seattle-based artist with a genuine affinity for Japanese tats and the history that comes with. The bonus? He’s an extremely talented guy. Yet he’s also humble enough to cop to a difficulty with Celtic work and honest enough to send that work elsewhere. And for a guy who runs a one-man tat studio, passing on business of any sort is no small gesture. All of which makes Nate an ink slinger y’all should be happy to get to know.
--- Justin Pelegano
INKEDblog: When did your love for tattooing begin?
Nate: Like any kid, I was fascinated by tattoos at an early age. When I got my 1st tattoo at 17 I was already interested in the application & craft itself. I was lucky enough to find a good artist who didn't mind talking while he worked, so I hammered him with questions. When I decided it was what I wanted to do, I couldn't stop thinking about it...I literally stayed awake thinking about tattooing & talked about it constantly. Drawing's the most important part of tattooing, I've done that all my life.
INKEDblog: I checked out your paintings and your tat work. Really great stuff. What is it about the traditional Japanese designs that appeals to you so much?
Nate: Thanks, everything I do comes from somewhere else. Japan's where good tattoos started, centuries ago. We all know tattooing can be found worldwide, but when you compare flowing Japanese bodysuits to more primitive designs being done at the time by Islanders, Indians, & everyone else...it seems clear that Japanese woodblock designs work well in skin. It has to do with technique too; that hand-pushed style has a quality that isn't duplicated even by modern machine. It's more advanced than the hammer-and-chisel method used in Borneo or whatever. I also dig traditional Western-type tattoos, which were heavily influenced by Asian design.
INKEDblog: Is there a tat style that you won't go near -- one that doesn't interest you as an artist?
Nate: I'm terrible at Celtic. To me, it's like tattooing barcodes...very technical & anal. My heritage is Celtic, but I've never had much interest in the art. Their animal designs are great, & there's folks who can do knot work really well, but for me it feels limited, not loose. Every style has limits, but I'd rather send Celtic work to someone who loves it.
INKEDblog: You're working out of Seattle. Is the tat community tight out there? What I mean is, is it a small world where all the artists sort of inspire each other? Or are we talking cutthroat competition?
Nate: I'm not a competitive person. Seattle's mellow. It's one of the tattoo capitals, but the downside is there's a s--- load of shops. Same as anywhere...and I contribute to the problem by having a shop myself. Customers tend to have a know-it-all attitude & want to design their own tattoos, which is usually disastrous. So basically, everyone's an artist, or thinks they are. Tattooers get along mostly. Many shops run multiple locations & most have 5 or 8 artists. It's crazy. I might be the only one-man shop in the city.
INKEDblog: How far would you like to take your tattooing? What is your ink dream, if you will?
Nate: I'm not sure anyone's capable of taking it further than it's been taken. I'm happy working within the parameters of what works. I don't have dreams about tattoos. I'm mostly interested in drawing & sleep deprivation. I want to learn more & get more done.
For more on Nate’s work, check out his site www.nateparrish.com
Thursday Dec 15, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Tattoo John
Tattoo John’s been inking for a good long time. And amen to that. He’s seen a lot of changes in the industry, and he’s got some great stories to boot. He’s a true original, and he was kind enough to take some time recently and talk to me about where he got his start, his favorite tat styles, and yup…even his haunted shop. Let’s get old school…
– Justin Pelegano
INKEDblog: You've been tattooing for 34 years --where'd it all begin for you?
Tattoo John: I STARTED TATTOOING WHEN I WAS 16. I WAS WORKING AT CHOPPER SHOP HERE IN SAN JOSE AS A GOFER. I DROPED OUT OF SCHOOL AND WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO WITH MY LIFE. I HAD GOTTEN A COUPLE OF TATTOOS AND WAS FASCINATED BY IT. I BUILT MY FIRST TATTOO MACHINE WHILE WORKING AT THE CHOP SHOP. I BUILT A RACK TO HOLD MY GUNS THAT I STILL USE TO THIS DAY. I PRACTICED ON BIKERS, DRUNKS, PUNKS,WHORES, DRUG ADDICTS, WINOS… SAME CREW I WORK ON NOW. JUST KIDDING. THE NEIGHBORHOOD YOUTH PROGRAM PAID ME TO TAKE A SMALL ENGINE COURSE SO I COULD WORK ON MOTORCYCLES. I USED THE MONEY TO OPEN MY FIRST TATTOO SHOP IN REDWOOD CITY. IT’S BETWEEN SAN JOSE AND SAN FRANCISCO. SINCE THEN I’VE HAD SHOPS IN SAN CARLOS ,SAN MATEO,SANTA CLARA BUT MOST OF IT HERE IN SAN JOSE. SAN JOSE’S OLDEST TATTOO BUSINESS…OVER 25 YRS.
INKEDblog: After all this time, what keeps it fresh for you...in other words, what keeps you going? Does surrounding yourself with younger artists help fuel the fire?
Tattoo John: TATTOOING IS WHAT I DO. ITS ME. TATTOOING MADE ME SOMEBODY I’M TATTOO JOHN. THE COMPETITION KEEPS YOU ON YOUR TOES. IT’S AMAZING WHAT PEOPLE PUT ON THEMSELVES NOW DAYS. SOMEDAYS ARE GOLD DAYS WHERE EVERYTHING GOES RIGHT. OTHER DAY ARE LEAD WHERE NOTHING GOES RIGHT.
INKEDblog: What changes have you seen in the tattoo scene over the years? Do you ever find yourself longing for the good ole days, before the whole ink thing blew up and turned into a phenomenon of sorts?
Tattoo John: THINGS HAVE CHANGED WITH THE CUSTOMERS NOW [THAT] THEY’VE GOT MORE MONEY. NOW DAYS WE DONT WORK ON DRUNKS OR STONED PEOPLE. IN THE OLD DAYS THEY ALL WERE HIGH…ME TOO…THAT WAS PART OF THE LIFE STYLE. I’VE BEEN STRAIGHT FOR 14 YRS. BUT SOMETIMES LATE AT NIGHT WHEN THE CITY STREETS ARE EMPTY, I MISS THOSE ALL NIGHT TATTOO SESSIONS – SEEIN’ THE SUN COME UP WHILE YOU’RE STILL TATTING AWAY.
INKEDblog: Tell me a little about the shop. I read on your site that you only take walk-ins. No appointments? Why go that route?
Tattoo John: MY SHOP IS STILL A STREET SHOP, A REAL TATTOO SHOP. THE REASON I DON’T DO APPOINTMENTS IS SOME OF MY CUSTOMERS ARE FLAKY. THEY HAVE ENOUGH TROUBLE MAKING THEIR MIND UP LET ALONE KEEPING AN APPOINTMENT A COUPLE OF DAYS AWAY. PLUS, I LIKE TO JUST SAY F--- IT AND TAKE OFF [ON] MY BIKE AND GO RIDING FOR THE DAY. NO APPOINTMENTS, NO PROBLEMS.
INKEDblog: I ask a lot of tat artists this question, and they tend to not wanna offend potential customers so they say, "oh, I like doing all kinds of tattoos." I don't really buy it. And I have this gut feeling you'll tell it like it is: what style of tattooing speaks to you most? And is it important for you to dig the particular piece you're putting on someone?
Tattoo John: I LIKE DOING PAUL BOOTH STYLE WORK -- MOSTLY BLACK AND GRAY. I LOVE FLAMES. ILL BE IN THE BACK ROOM AND SOMEONE WILL ASK WHAT SHOULD I ADD TO THIS AND WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING I’LL YELL OUT, “FLAMES!” AND MOST OF THE TIME THEY GO FOR IT. MAYBE I SHOULD YELL OUT TURDS AND SEE IF THEY’D GO FOR IT. I LIKE DOING SMALL OVERPRICED TATTOOS; I DO THIS FOR A LIVING REMEMBER. I LIKE DOING LARGER TATTS THAT TAKE HOURS, MAKE MY MONEY AND LET EVERYBODY ELSE DEAL WITH THE OTHER CUSTOMERS.
INKEDblog: And finally, I have to ask...where'd you guys get the hearse [that is parked in front of the shop]?
Tattoo John: THE HEARSE BELONGS TO DANNY, ONE OF THOSE YOUNG GUNS. HE BOUGHT IT FROM A LOCAL MORTUARY, [AND IT] CAME WITH SPIRITS. DID U KNOW THE SHOP IS HAUNTED BY THE SPIRIT OF AN INDIAN FRIEND WHO SPENT 15 YRS HANGING OUT AT THE SHOP? HE PASSED AWAY 2 YEARS AGO, BUT HE HASN’T LEFT YET. BUT THAT’S ANOTHER STORY.
Check out Tattoo John’s tat work and shop at www.SANJOSETATTOO.NET
Monday Dec 05, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Cara, the “Tattooed Teacher”
"Cara’s got some major ink – 18 tats to be exact. And she ain’t stoppin’ there. The really cool part? She’s also an NYC school teacher. If only my teachers had rocked that hard, I might have actually gone to class. Cara recently took some time to talk with me about her ink and the reactions she’s gotten on the job. What she has to say is definitely worth a read, no doubt. "
– Justin Pelegano
INKEDblog: You got your first tat at 16...what was the occassion?
Cara: My best friend and I were the "bad ass" kinda Catholic school girls that hung with these skeevy dudes that knew how to tattoo so we decided to get tattooed in her boyfriend's bedroom one day. I sat backwards on a chair and held onto a baseball bat while they smoked cigarettes and watched me get my "sweet tribal" which was oh so cool in ‘96. It was above my ass and I thought I was the hottest with my new tatt and Jnco's. (I have since covered it). I got the whole tattoo and I was pretty proud because when it came to be my friend's turn she got 2 lines and then chickened out.
INKEDblog: Which is your favorite piece?
Cara: My favorite tattoo so far would have to be my chest/shoulders. I think it's the prettiest and I was able to take part in the design. I have a star/flower theme so this one incorporates the two.
INKEDblog: And now you're addicted! I sort of love to hear that -- I mean, considering the addictions out there...an ink addiction ain't that bad...and makes for some amazing art. What inspires you to choose a certain design?
Cara: The majority of my tattoos are flowers and stars. I really like them. I have stars and flowers all throughout my apt and my classroom. I have a few tattoos that don’t fit the theme, but eventually I will become a botanical garden.
INKEDblog: “The Tattooed Teacher” -- that's some nickname. What do your students think about your tattoos? Do you think it changes they way they perceive you in the classroom?
Cara: Only a few of my tattoos show when I go to work. Some of my students have made comments about it but I just pretend that they're seeing things or deny having a tattoo. They giggle and I call them crazy. It's cute. Tattoos are becoming so common now that it's not THAT big of a deal to them. I still run a tight ship and they see me as their teacher and not some tattooed freak. One time I had a tattoo that got infected. I had to walk with a cane. So when my students asked what happened I didn’t want them to know that I had an infected tattoo. Instead, I told them that I fell into the bear pit at the Bronx Zoo and got bit by a bear cub. By the end of the day the whole school thought I was bitten.
INKEDblog: The principal [of your school] and the superintendent...what are their worries about the ink? Do you sense an unfair bias towards you because of your tats.
Cara: My principal is very conservative and I was worried that she would give me sh-- for having tattoos. Legally she can't. When I first got hired she noticed a tattoo when I bent over and reminded me to keep it covered. Since then I have proven to her that I do my job well and now she loves me. I feel as though I might have changed her opinion on tattooed people or at least broke the stereotype. She's never had anything bad to say about the ones that show, but she almost had a heart attack when I showed her my chest and back. I keep those covered at work and surprisingly enough, she has actually made me show a few of my superiors. She has me show them after they observe me doing a lesson. I usually get the "great lesson and oh my, what pretty tattoos" response. Which makes me think that they're thinking... "wow a tattooed person can actually do a great job"
One time in the teacher's lounge the topic of tattoos came up. I was fairly new at the school and didn’t’ know everyone. This particular day none of my tatts were visible. A teacher started going on about people with tattoos. He called them lowlifes and said that they never amount to anything. He said that people with tattoos are idiots because they can’t get a career and all they do is drink and listen to "that punk rock music". I kept my mouth shut and just listened to his opinions and then I asked him what made him feel that way and he could only say that he would never get a tattoo so he doesn’t get it. I simply said that I know several people in various professions that are covered in tattoos, showed him some of mine, said I wasn’t stupid or a low life and then walked out of the teacher's room. He now kisses my ass.
INKEDblog: If you had to give up getting ink to keep on teaching...would it be a no-brainer or a difficult decision?
Cara: At this point I have plenty of space left so I think that I will be getting tattooed for awhile. However, I don’t like cluttered tattoos so I place them strategically enough so that they're not taking over each other or highly visible. Do I want half sleeves? Sure do.. but I work in an unairconditioned classroom and having to wear long sleeves in sept and june would just kill me. I am addicted, I do love tattoos but I'm also highly educated and far from stupid. I'm not gonna lose my job because I want to decorate myself more. That’s why I will one day find that rockstar husband that will support me so that I can be covered! Ha. Yeah right.
Tuesday Nov 29, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Tattoo Artist Paul Jamison
Paul Jamison tattoos the bad ass crew from TV’s “Dog the Bounty Hunter.” On top of that, he was cool enough to take some time out and talk to us. Enough said.
... Justin Pelegano
INKEDblog: Do you remember when and how your love for tattoos [and tattooing] started?
Paul: I always hung out with the older crazy f---ers in my neighborhood and went to punk rock and metal shows when I was young. Everybody I saw had tattoos and I guess it just rubbed off on me. As for doing tattoos... I saw tattooing as a way to do what I want, instead of building new homes and doing remodels. I was tired of destroying my body and wanted to find something that would make me more money without killing myself.
INKEDblog: From checking out the photos of you work, I want to describe your tattooing aesthetic as traditional with a modern edge. Is it important for you to keep your work rooted in tradition?
Paul: First off, I hate traditional tattoos. I don't think I have a traditional bone in my body. I would describe my work as realistic more than anything else. I really like to do black and grey stuff. I also like to do fish. So maybe my style is more "Modern Realistic.” I don't root myself in anything. I just do what I do.
INKEDblog: How did you get hooked up with Leland and the crew from Dog The Bounty Hunter?
Paul: I lived in Hawaii on the island of Oahu for 3 years. I worked at Tiki Tattoo in Waikiki for a little over 2 years before moving back home to the South Bay. Leland came into the shop one night and said he wanted some work done. Since then, I've become good friends with the whole Chapman family and I have tattooed 4 of them now including Leland, Dwayne Lee, Baby Lisa, and Youngblood (Tim). I still tattoo them when they come to Los Angeles so check out the 3rd season for some new work. I love that show!!!!!
INKEDblog: You're also a musician and an actor, but is it safe to say that no matter where you're at with your band or the acting gigs, that you'll always find the time and desire to tattoo?
Paul: Yeah, I play bass in ORPHANED TO HATRED (OTH). I have also been an extra in a few things. THE BIG BOUNCE being the latest film I was in. Sure, even with all the touring and movie s---, I still love tattooing. I almost crave tattooing sometimes. Kind of like a need to stay creative I guess.
INKEDblog: Better experience: Giving ink or receiving ink?
Paul: Of course getting ink, just not the pain. No pain, No gain I always say.
Check out Paul’s tat work at www.tattoopaul.com
Wednesday Nov 23, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Aspiring Tattoo Artist Rob Marston
Where do young artists go to find tattoo apprenticeships? How does the industry get out of its own way and insure that aspiring ink slingers -- the ones with great respect for tattooing; the one’s who are truly willing to put in the hours, months, years of learning required – find generous and knowledgeable tat mentors? They’re good questions. And Rob here would kinda like some answers. He’s got the drive and the skills. All he’s looking for now is someone to take him under his/her wing and push him to be the best tat artist he can possibly be. Sounds like a pretty reasonable request to me.
-- Justin Pelegano
INKEDblog: Let's start with, where are you from?
Rob: I am originally from Maine. More specifically a little mill-town called Rumford. I moved to San Francisco for art school and am currently "taking a semester off," which I'm sure will undoubtedly turn into not returning.
INKEDblog: When did you realize you had something artistic in ya that you really wanted to get out there?
Rob: Both my twin brother and I have always been artists, whether it be web-design, painting, animation, automotive, music, etc. When I was young I was selected to be in an advanced, "gifted & talented" art class, and have taken special advanced classes ever since. In high school I skipped ahead three art courses and excelled in both photography and graphic arts. I scored a 3 out of a possible 5 on an advanced placement studio art college exam my junior year, the best grade of the entire school matched only by my brother. Since about the age of 16 I was constantly being told I had a more design-oriented style, proficient with lettering and shading. Eventually my style was interpreted as a sort of "tattoo style" illustration. I began than designing tattoos for friends, yet, due to my age, I was still unable to get any of my own - let alone create them! It was then my thirst to eliminate that middle-man (the tattoo artists) and get it all done myself began!
INKEDblog: Why tattoos? What about the form speaks to you?
Rob: Tattoos aren't really huge where I'm from, which is strange. There were and still [are] a lot of skulls, American flags, and tribal arm-bands (no offense anyone!) in my area, not a lot of great artwork and color. It wasn't until old-school sleeves and tradition Japanese boy-suits became more popular in the Northeast that tattoos really excited me! Seeing portraits you swear were done with chalk & charcoal, or vibrant colors and photo-realistic drop shadows! After I turned 18 I was able to get some ink of my own! I instantly fell in love with the feeling, the "tattoo shop" atmosphere, the entire process! It looked as complex as surgery but as intense as anything I had ever seen! I could go on and on about why I love it, but I'd be writing forever!
INKEDblog: You've been inking on melons and friends...but you really want an apprenticeship to take your art to the next level? You say you sense resistance from those you've approached [about a tat apprenticeship]. Any sense as to why?
Rob: I've been inking for about five months now, and I think I've been making some great progress. I still remember obliterating that practice skin! Cutting melon after melon until I got a hang of holding that thing steady. Since than I've been offered quite a lot of money, from people who actually know what I can do - which is nice. Good to know people like my stuff! I want an apprenticeship because I want to learn more. I want to clean, organize, trace flash, get lunch, walk the dogs, etc. I think shops are awesome and fun to be in -- that’s a small part of why too. Really I just wanna learn more about technique, answer some un-answered questions, put in the time and pay my dues! I think I draw good now, but I wanna draw better - always improve. Plus, I think someone who's been on the job for a while can streamline my process, show me how to do things better and faster! I'm still very humble. I've produced some pretty good work thus far, but I don't call myself a tattoo artist and I rarely seek clients. I'm already turning people down who just want some work for the sake of getting some work. I wanna make art I'm proud to say is mine, ya know. I think the resistance I've encountered is because I am not taken seriously. They're probably approached everyday by some kid who thinks it would be cool to "work there." I've tried every approach, asking while being tattooed, calling, even mailing letters! Nothing seems to work! I also think it may have something to do with flooding the pool. By taking on an apprentice they’re only creating an artist who will eventually take away from their business, their paycheck! Nobody wants that. But, instead I look at it as creating an artist who might be able to offer a style or influence they cannot [and] and insuring that the future of tattoo will be in the hands of great artists who share their beliefs.
INKEDblog: What are the main things you're looking for in a tattoo mentor?
Rob: I want someone who produces good work, that's definitely a start. Someone who's maybe been around, worked a few places, knows what it takes. Someone who's friendly and still likes the "working with people" part of the job. I want someone who isn't going to take me for granted, someone who will help me refine my skills so I can say, yah - he/she taught me everything I know! I want someone who will tell me how it is and not mess around. I understand that this takes time, lots of time, but I still wanna get down to business. If an artist tells me to put down the machine until he sees fit, then that's how it's going to be. I'm a very hard worker, and having me around, even if it's to answer the phones, wouldn't be a bad thing. Basically to me, it's about the art. I want to do this the right way. I think when a master tattooer takes on an apprentice he/she is saying, "Hey, I want to make sure the future of tattoo art is secure, it’s always done with precision and attention to detail. I want to keep this thing going, the right way."
INKEDblog: Where do you want to ultimately take your art? How far?
Rob: I would eventually like to own a shop. Hand-pick some really great artists and open a nice place! I'd love to travel too, do some work in Europe or Asia, and get some good work done too! Just be known, ya know. And, who knows...maybe some day take on an apprentice of my own.
If you’d like to contact Rob, he can be reached at robmarston@hotmail.com
Wednesday Nov 16, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Artist Michael Hyman
Seattle-based artist Michael Hyman knows what it’s like to sit for a tattoo. He’s got a few. He also has some firsthand experience utilizing the body as canvas. The big difference between his art and tattooing: the ink he slings stays up on the surface. Michael is a body painter. He’s been on the receiving end of the tat gun and the other side of the paintbrush. I recently asked him to compare the two forms.
–Justin Pelegano
INKEDblog: The body painting you do is a unique take on the body art movement. When did you start?
Michael: My first experience with body painting was around six years ago. I did some painting for an underground fashion show, although it was fairly tame compared to what I do now. [I’ve done] it occasionally since then, but really swung into much more active body painting a year or so ago.
INKEDblog: What about it [body painting] speaks to you?
Michael: The human body is an amazing canvas. I really like working with such an organic form. It is quite different than what I do on linen or cotton canvas... the level of detail and technique is different. But I like having a living, breathing, moving form to work with, and each person has different curves to interact with. It is also enjoyable to work with a canvas that thinks and talks. I also like that few people do it. The people I have painted have all been very excited about the work and often wish they could go to work 'dressed' that way. I would love to do a show sometime with just body painting in it, or maybe with a set of my paintings and body painted models walking around.
I also like the indirect nature of the displayed work, in that it is a picture of a painting on a person, so there is kind of a cascade of actions. I have paintings of people and paintings on people. When I do the body painted political cartoons, I like that I have a message about my distaste for conservative Republicans that is on a form that they would of course hate as well – a naked woman! Oh dear! And I love seeing the moment when people realize what they are looking at. They always start by looking at the cartoon and trying to figure out
what I'm saying. And then there is that uncomfortable 'oh' look that they get.
INKEDblog: You have several tattoos, so you know what it's like to sit for permanent ink...can you compare the patience and stillness required for tattooing to that required in body painting.
Michael: They are pretty similar. Body painting can take several hours to do. But there are some big differences in that the subject is completely naked, and the initial coverage is much faster. Like with tattooing, my models also often zone out during the process. Sometimes they lie down so they can sleep since it is very relaxing. I find getting a tattoo to be similar. Something about it is just so relaxing and can initiate a trance like state.
With body painting though it is much easier for a model to move, change positions, or take a break. And I can start over if I want without penalty. And there is no blood...
One difference though is that someone with no skill or clue can body paint someone. The result will most likely be lousy, but it doesn't take any skill to get some paint or liquid latex and slap it on someone. (Removing the liquid latex though... that is a different story.) Of course, that isn't creating a work of art. I would hope that most tattoo artists have skill and a clue.
INKEDblog: Tattooing is a very intimate art form between artist and canvas...do you feel that full body painting goes a step further in the intimacy direction?
Michael: I find that I get to know my models very well. They become friends during the process, in part because they are often initially nervous, and in part because it is a very transformative process. I haven't found that same level of camaraderie to form with the artists that have tattooed me. Body painting also is complete coverage, so it naturally starts out a bit more intimate. I find though that my models very quickly lose any feeling of vulnerability, and then become very curious and excited about what I am doing.
Like tattooing, though, it is addictive. All of my models want to come back to do it again. Sometimes they send pictures of themselves painted to their parents or to friends, which is pretty cool.
On the opposite side, I would really like to work with tattooed/pierced models for some of my paintings. I've done things such as put tattoos on Barbie dolls in some of my paintings, since I think a pierced/tattooed Barbie is a great idea, but I haven't worked with any models who have a lot of skin art. It would be a fun challenge to work the tattoo into the painting, since it would be a work within a work, and I also really like how tattoos look and enjoy hanging out with fellow decorated people.
INKEDblog: Ever get done with a body painted piece and wish it wouldn't just wash off? It must be kind of heartbreaking in way do know that all of that paint and ink is gonna eventually hit the shower floor?
Michael: Yes, there have been several pieces like that. One piece I did a week before the model was getting married. I chose a floral theme to go with the occasion, and then put in mirror fragments reflecting different parts of her. It was a cool piece. I wished she could show up that way to her bridal party but, of course, that would be a bit much for the guests I guess.
I painted some people for the Fremont Parade in Seattle, in which there are a lot of painted people who bike, known as the nude bikers. That was exciting, because my 'pieces' were on show for the whole day, and even got written up on someone's blog as being very cool. When I finished them they walked outside my studio, wearing only their artwork, and it was great seeing the look on the face of someone who was standing outside. The girls were very excited to have their picture taken with him... although not as excited as he was. To make the story better, the man was the CEO of a company one of the women wanted to work for. So she sent him her resume with the photo of them together attached. I'm sure that got attention.
Anyway, the women for the parade wore their art all day long, and reported that they had a lot of people photograph them, were treated to many free beers in bars, and even had their photo taken with some friendly police officers. They said they were very sad to remove the paint.
INKEDblog: You dig tattoos and you're a talented visual artist, why not consider tattooing as a possible forum or career move?
Michael: I would love to. In fact, I have wanted to learn how to tattoo for many years, but I just don't have any idea how to get started! At one point I thought about buying a gun off of E-bay and just trying it out on myself until I got the hang of it. I had some friends who volunteered to be models as well. It does seem like a form though where it would be good to get some pointers from someone who knows what they are doing since they don't erase too easily. Any of your readers want to show me how?
INKEDblog: You're a sculptor, photographer and painter...does any of your own work crossover and inspire you in terms of getting a new tattoo?
Michael: That's a really interesting question, because it never has. Perhaps because when I create artwork it exorcises whatever I am trying to work through or convey. Art is a very personal, emotional experience for me, and very cathartic. The tattoos I get are similar in that nature...they are very personal and have a lot of meaning to me. I think each form is its own experience with its own journey, and perhaps that is why there hasn't been a cross over.
Although, the black light body painting I've done has made me interested in getting a black light tattoo. But the artists I've gone to have all been skeptical about doing so since the inks are new and they aren't sure how they take. I will probably get one sometime though because I like the way it is yet another transformation. I sometimes make black light or glow in the dark paint and use it in my paintings and sculptures, so I like the idea of having that on my body. I would prefer a glow in the dark tattoo to a black light one, but I haven't seen any glow in the dark inks for skin.
Check out Michael’s dynamic artwork at www.habit.com
Friday Nov 11, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Up-and-Coming Tattoo Artist Julie Bellew
The coolest perk of writing for INKEDblog is that I get paid in coffee. Coffee BEANS actually. Well…okay, that’s the second coolest perk. The first is this: I get to meet some pretty incredible people. And whether they’re artists or aficionados, I’m honored to be on the receiving end of their tat stories. Meeting Julie really drove that home for me. She’s been inking for a year.5, and I feel lucky to have caught up with her just as she’s taking her art to the next level. Her passion for, and commitment to, tattooing is awesomely contagious. She’s eager to learn; she’s dedicated to her current and future clients; and most of all, she’s totally completely rad. For all those reasons and more, Julie embodies what each and every one of us should hope for in a rising tattoo artist.
– Justin Pelegano
INKEDblog: Your love for tattooing -- where did it start? What was your first tat?
Julie: I have loved tattoos ever since I can remember. I've always been drawn to them and always thought they were attractive and beautiful and thought people with tattoos seemed way more interesting. I've always been an artist, and have also been drawing since I can remember. I really started getting into tattoos and noticing them and wanting them in middle school, at probably 12 or 13. I actually attempted to tattoo myself and my boyfriend by using a sewing needle and pen ink!!! I didn't understand anything about it then, or how dumb that was to do. I just really wanted to get tattoos and give tattoos. I actually used to draw on myself with Bic pens, trying to see what I'd look like with various tattoos in different spots, and I can remember actually going to school with those designs, wanting people to think I had tattoos because I thought they were so cool. I can remember doing a really complicated forearm piece that took me a good 2 hours or so the night before school, and it stayed so well I just went to school with it and fooled everyone. I didn't actually get my first real tattoo until I was 16. It was from a friend of mine, who apparently used to work at a real studio, but was tattooing out of someone's house. I saw him tattooing my friend there and begged him to tattoo me, and he did. I wanted a tattoo so bad that I didn't really even care what it was. He had just done a Celtic piece on my friend, and had a Celtic artwork book there, so I just flipped through it and chose an arm band, and had him put it on me. I really regret it now, because it's crooked and the lines suck and I don't particularly like arm band tattoos, so I'm going to get it covered as soon as possible. But at the time I thought it was awesome. I only paid him $10 for it!
INKEDblog: Is there a spiritual aspect to the tattoo process that resonates with you?
Julie: Oh yes...it's really intense at times, and I can only feel lucky and blessed to be able to share such an amazing experience with other people, and honored that they would choose me to alter their body in such a dramatic, permanent and painful way. I see it as a rite of passage for a lot of people, and it's amazing to see the process of them going through it, especially when it's particularly painful. It's a weird position to be in, trying to soothe and care for the client, yet at the same time inflicting pain on them, which sometimes is comparable to torture. I feel that tattooing can be a very Zen-like, out of body experience - both while getting tattooed and also for the person giving it. I zone out and completely lose myself to the process, and quite often won't be aware of anything around me. For the client, the intense pain and also the boredom of having to hold still for so long in uncomfortable positions leaves most people no other choice than to escape their body and mind and simply exist, because that's all they can do. A lot of people will space out and lose complete track of time - which is another thing - time seems quite warped when giving or receiving a tattoo. It can either go really, really fast, or very, very slow - never in between, it seems to me.
INKEDblog: You’re just starting to work with the tat gun. I've heard of beginning artists practicing on everything from their friends to melons. But you chose to ink yourself. Why? What does that particular piece mean to you?
Julie: I actually started tattooing grapefruits before anything else. Just to get used to the machine. I did that for a few weeks, working from just practicing lines and circles at first, to eventually free handing complicated pictures. Once I felt like I mastered that process, I moved on to my friends. I was doing on average 2 tattoos a day, getting me through my apprenticeship in 4 months. I had always wanted to tattoo myself, and was advised to from a lot of tattoo artists. I wanted to for a few different reasons. I wanted to feel what getting tattooed by myself felt like so I could understand what my clients were feeling. I also wanted to do it as sort of a spiritual type of experience, or rather a very intimate and unique experience with myself. Going through all that and overcoming all the obstacles was important to me. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, and overcome the pain and adrenaline and uncomfortable positions I had to get into to do it. So many people told me to at least try it, but said it was so hard that I probably would have to have someone else finish it. Well, I'm the type of person that likes to prove things to myself and others, and I knew that I'd be able to do it. And not only did I do it, but I chose an extremely large piece because I wanted it to be more difficult, to be more of a trial, and also just because I love big tattoos. The whole thing took me about 3 hours just for the outline, and I have at least 3 more sessions left before it's done. I will also be tattooing my toes, feet, and my other leg in the near future. I chose a flash design from an old tattoo magazine, done by an unknown artist. I just was flipping through it and saw the design and loved it so much, and it seemed to symbolize a lot that I was going through at the time. The girl's face has a look of confusion and even fear, and there's a spider web (symbolizing for me having been trapped for so long in a web of my own), and there's a knife stuck through her head, and she's decapitated, and immobilized. I was going through a separation from a 7 1/2 year marriage, and was paralyzed by fear and pain and uncertainty, and [I] saw a lot of symbolism in that particular design. I was just drawn to it, and had to get it.
INKEDblog: What has the self-tat process been like for ya?
Julie: I love tattooing myself. It's such a crazy experience. Unfortunately, due to the impossibility of getting a good solid stretch with only one hand, and lack of a stable base, I feel I can only tattoo my legs and feet properly. I chose my shin because there's not a lot of skin to stretch, and it would be a lot easier to get at then the back of my leg. The first 5 minutes of tattooing myself was very difficult, and I almost thought I couldn’t do it. I just sat there, with the machine in my hand, ready to go, and my heart was beating so fast, and my adrenaline was pumping and I kept hesitating. I would put the needle up to my skin and just felt that first initial “buzzy” vibration on my skin and just a prick of pain, and I pulled back like 2 or 3 times before I was actually able to go into myself. The pain was so much worse than having someone else tattoo me that I was actually surprised by it, and for the first few lines I was not going deep enough to make a good, dark line. The pain totally got in the way of the normal tattooing process, because when I'm tattooing someone, I've developed the knowledge to just "know" how deep to go in a particular area. But when tattooing yourself, the pain gets in the way and makes you not want to go deep enough. It took me about 5 minutes to get over that, and be able to go in deep enough. I had to go over my initial lines a couple of times, as well as a few others throughout the rest of the tattoo, especially in painful areas like the foot and ankles. I hadn't been taught how to tattoo properly yet, so I actually did the whole outline with a 14 round shader, and my machine wasn't properly tuned or set up. I have to go over the outline now with a smaller needle group to tighten it up, because you can't get very solid lines with shaders, especially big ones. I also ended up scarring myself slightly because I overcompensated for the pain and going in too shallow and actually overworked my skin in a few spots.
INKEDblog: What are your dream goals in terms of tattooing? Where, and how far, would you like to take it?
Julie: I want to make a career out of this and someday own my own studio. I want to take it as far as I can, and get as good as I can as quickly as possible. I try to be like a sponge, and just soak up as much knowledge I can, wherever I can, from whoever will teach me. I have only been tattooing for about a year and a half, and have so much to learn. Tattooing is a very complicated, detailed profession and you need to have a very patient, open mind and attitude. I feel that I will never stop learning and growing, and tattooing will be a lifetime commitment and learning experience for me. I'm very excited about my future and just want to try to stay in a good place and not ever get ahead of myself or egotistical, and never forget that ultimately the client is the most important thing to consider, and to not let my wants and needs get in the way of theirs. I'm not in it to hustle, I'm in it for the art, and to satisfy my passion for this art, and to make people happy with the way I've altered their body.
Friday Nov 04, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Tattoo Artist Monica Henk
Interview with Tattoo Artist Monica Henk
Monica’s my hero. How could she not be? Her tattoos and paintings are dark and stunning; she’s got a great sense of humor; she even models and sells her own line of g-strings. H-E-R-O. I first met Monica three years ago when she was inking at Sacred Tattoo in NYC. It was love at first sight – platonic respect-your-art love. (She’s married to fellow tattoo artist Dan Henk.) Recently, she was gracious enough to take some time out and talk with INKEDblog.
–Justin Pelegano
INKEDblog: You're originally from Colombia. You moved to the U.S. six years ago. What made you decide to make the move? Was it to pursue your art?
Monica: Well I got out of school, and I decided to go to the university which I didn’t pass the test for. A little disappointed, the opportunity to travel to the US showed up. I didn't think twice. The tattoo industry in Colombia wasn't as developed so I didn't think I could make this my career. It was a different world over here....So I wouldn't say I moved here to pursue my art – I called [it] destiny.
INKEDblog: Your style I suppose could be described as beautifully macabre. Do you remember where and when your love and fascination with that style first began?
Monica: When I got here and realized how big an Artist could make it I started buying tattoo magazines [and] going to conventions. And the scary/realistic tattoos always struck [me] more, not just because they look cool and all, but the skill that the artist had to have became a challenge for me.
INKEDblog: You and Dan [Henk] -- two tat artists under one roof. Do you guys push each other to grow as artists? Or, be honest, you're just too busy competing with each other.
Monica: We definitely are growing together in tattooing. I think his art skill I will never be able to reach. I love the fact that I do what my husband does. We are always asking opinions on each other’s work and all that fun stuff.
INKEDblog: I read some time ago that you were studying art at the New School was it? Why was it important for you to go back to school? It seems to me a lot of younger tat artists have college degrees in the visual arts. It's like this new breed of ink slingers. And the things they can do on the skin are outstanding. Do you need a degree nowadays just to compete in the tat world?
Monica: I went to school seeking more knowledge of anatomy, perspective and skill. To tell you the truth I hated it. I didn't find what I was looking for. I got better instruction at home with Dan. I don't think to make it big in this business you need to go to school -- I think you need to have ART SKILLS and good ones.
INKEDblog: I love your paintings. “Su Corazon” is an amazing self-portrait and I dig that it was done in tattoo ink. Which is more fun for ya, painting or tattooing?
Monica: I love both for different facts....Tattooing: unless you are doing a butterfly or a tribal arm band, is fun because somebody out there is walking with a piece of your art that [you] have created and that is a huge satisfaction for me. Painting: you can do anything you want without hearing someone in pain or telling you that they don't like red [and that] they looove pink.
They are both art and craft.
INKEDblog: The eye -- you've got it branded on your hand and tattooed huge on your chest...can you tell me a little about the significance of that symbol to you?
Monica: It comes from high school. It comes from a pair of friends -- it was our symbol and with time it became more serious: "..... observe, look.... there is more to see, than what you see..."
INKEDblog: Dude, you're modeling and selling your own thongs on your website! Nice! How hot is that?
Monica: I say exploit everything you can to the max. The average lifetime of a female in America is 75-80 years old -- I got a good half of a century to produce :)
INKEDblog: So, the way I figure it, if people know what's good for them they'll stop by and see ya for some ink. Where are ya working now?
Monica: I split my time between two shops: Cliff's Tattoo in Centereach, Long Island (NY) and Pure Body Arts in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (NY)
Check out Monica’s awesome tats, paintings, and underwear at www.monhenk.com
Wednesday Oct 19, 2005
INKEDBlog Profile: Sami Hajar
Sami Hajar
29
Editor/Photographer
NYC
INKEDblog: What was your first tattoo?
Sami: Chinese Character meaning dragon.
INKEDblog: What’s your favorite tattoo?
Sami: I have the name ‘Betty’ in script. It means a lot to me because Betty is my grandma’s name.
INKEDblog: What's the lamest tat you've ever seen?
Sami: I saw some kid with the Jeep logo once…
INKEDblog: Next tattoo?
Sami: I plan on finishing my arm one of these days.
Wednesday Oct 12, 2005
INKEDblog Interview - "Nick"
Nick
22
Fashion Designer
Toronto
INKEDblog: What's your favorite tattoo?
Nick: The green snowflake behind my ear. Atomic winter!”
INKEDblog: Why'd you get it?
Nick: My best friend used to include them in all of her paintings and I just wanted to have it on me.”
INKEDblog: What was your first tattoo?
Nick: Oh embarrass much! A star on the back of my neck. I was a raver and 16 years old. Need I say more?”
INKEDblog: How many tat's do you have?
Nick: 5 and a half-sleeve.
INKEDblog: What's the worst tattoo you've ever seen?
Nick: Oh man, I’ve seen a lot of bad tattoos – dolphins on ankles, crooked nautical stars, home poked things... but I really do hate tribal the most.
INKEDblog: What do your tat's signify to you?
Nick: Some of them have meaning, like childhood stuff, but most of them are really just things I think are rad.
INKEDblog: What's the meaning behind your latest piece (your half sleeve)?
Nick: I love the art nouveau style. There are a lot of significant meanings to the swan. Beautiful and dangerous; the swan dress; but mostly I like it because of ugly duckling syndrome.
INKEDblog: How long did it take you to think of the design?
Nick: I asked my tattoo artist (who happens to be my best friend) if she would draw out a swan half-sleeve for me. Two days later, I saw the drawing and fell in love.
INKEDblog: In 30 years when you look at all your ink, how do you think you'll feel?
Nick: I think I'll remember good times from when I was young.
INKEDblog: Anything that you'll regret?
Nick: I doubt it. They're just part of my skin.
INKEDblog: What are you getting next?
Nick: I’m either extending the half-sleeve or outlining the Holy Grail for my chest… I haven't really decided yet.
Monday Oct 10, 2005
An Interview with Tattoo Artist Laura Bennett
Ah, Napa Valley: wine, sun, polo-shirt-wearing yuppies, and tattoos! That’s right, there’s ink in wine country thanks to one amazing woman – the artist/owner of Flying Colors Tattoo, Laura Bennett. Lucky me got the chance to chat with her via e-mail about her passion for tats and her reasons for opening Napa’s first and only tattoo studio. And she even called me Dahling. I admit it, I’m crushing … Justin Pelegano
INKEDblog: Your love for ink started where?
Laura: In high school there seemed to be a lot of injuries that needed casts. Since I wasn't busy going to class or doing schoolwork I would draw on the broken arms and legs; elaborate murals in Sharpie pen that would always be cut off when the bone healed. "What? You let him cut through my Rick Wakeman keyboard?"
A kid at my school had a mustache (all the ID you needed in the 70s to get a tattoo) and he came to school with a lady on his forearm with a snake wrapping around like it was holding her on. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen. I'm sure I had seen some kind of WWII blob on somebody's dad, but it was like the first time I was ever aware of a tattoo. I decided then that I wanted to be a tattoo artist when I grew up. I'm still waiting to grow up, but on my next birthday I will have been tattooing for a living for
14 years.
INKEDblog: You apprenticed under Dirty Harry? Can you tell me a little about what that time in your life was like?
Laura: I married someone who thought tattoos were only for the drunks, sailors and cheap women. "No wife of mine is going to spend her time in a tattoo shop!" (He's right, no wife of his does.) I was working as a Sign Language interpreter at the local high school; unhappily married; feeling rebellious. I went to Berkeley with a friend one day and we got tattoos. I was 29. Before the first little thing was done (a Saturn you could cover with a quarter for my Saturn return) I was already planning and plotting how I was going to be tattooed without him flipping out. I asked C.W. Eldridge (Tattoo Archive, Berkeley) how to be a tattoo artist. He told me that I should draw tattoos, and then draw some more and take my work around and ask for an apprenticeship. Being a woman in 1990, married mom with two kids, everyone that talked to me said NO. "Go home and raise your kids, this isn't for women to do." For two years and one divorce I searched for someone to teach me. There were women in the industry, but nowhere close [to] enough for me to know about them. Chuck Eldridge gave me the best advice, and it's what I pass on to other youngsters that want in: Do NOT try to learn to tattoo by tattooing your friends in your garage. Get an apprenticeship--this can't be figured out by yourself without a lot of unsightly mistakes that will be covered up by the very people you want to hire you. Scratching will poison your name.
Harry said I was good, but he was tired of taking apprentices that weren’t really committed. I spent my rent money on a kit from Huck Spaulding and showed up with it and told him if he didn't teach me how to use it my kids and I would be on the street. He let me start the next day. I will always bless his name, he gave me my in to this business. I've had apprentices that don't acknowledge where they started, and I think that's the height of ingratitude.
INKEDblog: Can you take me through the evolution of your shop?
Laura: I was pregnant with my second husband and my third child and I just couldn't do the commute to Tattoos Unlimited any more. That husband helped me start Flying Colors when all I had was a couple of machines, a desk and some Scotch tape. I was at my first location for almost twelve years before I moved to this newer, nicer spot.
INKEDblog: Napa Valley's first and only tattoo parlor; you must get some...um....interesting clients, right? And at the same time your business must stand out. Is it hard at times?
Laura: Oh, I'm not a "parlor" Dahling...I'm a studio. This is Napa after all, and don't we all have our noses in the air? The city hadn't ever even dealt with an application from a tattoo artist before I came along, and I just sort of slipped under the radar. I think that ANY shop gets an interesting clientele, the people who get tattoos are interesting! When I used to go watch ex-husband number one get in trouble in child-support court I would play a game called "Have I tattooed more people on this side of the bar or that?"
Depending on the judge or the bailiff that day it could go either way. I was not the Tattoo Lady when I moved here, and I didn't realize how difficult it would be. I just smile at the tattoo haters, and know that at least one of their friends or loved ones wears my mark.
INKEDblog: Can you speak to the connection between your study of tarot and your tattooing?
Laura: Tarot and Sign Language are all about visual meaning. Tarot encompasses every facet of the human experience, both mundane and profound. All the flowers, colors, water...the list could go on and on, it all has meaning. The number of stars around your moon can mean something. I google flower meanings to add depth to a tattoo. I have tattooed on myself: Bluebells (humility), begonia (beware), and dogwood flowers (love undiminished by adversity). I always look for ways to slide in something significant, even if hidden.
INKEDblog: What's an ideal artistic connection for you, between you and the client I mean?
Laura: My best connections are with people who have a story to tell. Their tattoos embrace or proclaim something that is important to them, and they only have half an idea of how to do that. It's the tuning in and listening that enables me to do what I do. Other than logos or simple things like stars, I design every tattoo for the person who will wear it, and I don't re-use stencils unless it's a piece that a group of people want to do together.
Many of my closest friends started out as clients, and it's through talking and getting to know the person, sharing personal details of our lives and loves, that I get to know who they really are. I have a place in my tribe; I celebrate with them, mark their grief, claim their beauty. Often someone will say to me "I can't believe I told you all of that." or "We have so much in common!" [And] almost every sitting ends with a hug. I feel honored and connected to many of my people, or, I tattoo a butterfly with tribal right above their crack, or another piece of solid black tribal. (even those are designed for each individual.)
Tattooing is my favorite thing to do, it's what I'd do for fun after work if I had to get a JOB.
Visit Laura and the Flying Colors site at www.flyingcolorstattoo.com
Thursday Oct 06, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews... Logan
INKEDblog: What's your favorite tattoo?
Logan: The one I don’t have yet, or my forearms. I got it as therapy, and to piss off the boyfriend I just broke up with. As part of getting back at him, I treated myself to two better tattoos than he couldn’t afford. It was great therapy.
INKEDblog: How many tatt's do you have?
Logan: 15, but some became parts of others so I guess more like 13.
INKEDblog: What's the worst tattoo you've ever seen?
Logan: On my best friend. He’s from Kentucky (that’s an important disclaimer). He has the classic panther on the upper arm, with the claws digging into his skin. It reminds me of those 80’s coffee tables with the black panther under the glass.”
INKEDblog: What do your tat's signify to you?
Logan: Originally, they meant nothing. Then people ask you all the time, so you either make up a story, or you start getting tattoos that mean something. Now they are all about the cycle of life.
INKEDblog: In 30 years when you look at all your ink, how do you think you'll feel?
Logan: In 30 years I won’t know I have tattoos.
INKEDblog: Are there any that you'll regret?
Logan: I hate people asking me what they mean at the most random places, like grocery stores. I did regret getting a Cristal Connars signature on my arm, but then I realized how awesome it was.
INKEDblog: What are you getting next?
Logan: Lots of removal… and a bigger back piece.
Monday Oct 03, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews DG Wilson
INKEDblog: I read on your website that you got a full ride at Pratt to study visual art. You were selected from a talent search. What made you decide to attend Pratt? And did you know going in that tattooing would become such a major part of your life?
DG: I took part in a National Talent Search for the scholarship program offered by Pratt. I decided to try out for many scholarships and had a choice to make….. As soon as I walked onto the campus of Pratt (after visiting a few others) I knew that was where I was supposed to go. Destiny? Intuition? I was attracted to the way that the campus was a tiny island of Nature – the grass, trees, squirrels etc. – adrift in a sea of concrete. NYC is unparalleled in the opportunity department, so I decided to stay. I remember growing up knowing that I was going to be an artist, hoping I would be a household name in fact. But I was not clear on the form of art that I wanted to [pursue]… I wanted an art job or career that would enable me to make money, but I had absolutely no concept that I was going to go into tattoos, not at all. Tattoos were a dirty subject in my home growing up. [My] father wanted to have a tattoo all his life, but his wife would never ever let him even entertain the notion. [She’d say,] "The day you come home with a tattoo is the day we get divorced." (I ended up tattooing him. They are still married.) As soon as I graduated college I made up my mind to either "sink or swim." I wanted to avoid the trap of getting a day job to pay the bills [while putting] my own art to the side. No, I wanted to be independent and strike out on my own. Rent came up again in my small sublet apartment and I really started knuckling down. I remembered a tattoo shop I had been in once when I was a kid. There was art all over the walls. Today I know it as flash art… so there I was holding my head in my hands crying about money and then I thought, "Hey, someone had to draw those designs. Maybe I can sell some to a shop." I looked in the Yellow Pages and the only shop listed at that time was a Tattoo Supply Distributor. I contacted Wes Woods at Unimax and set up an interview. I showed him my little portfolio which included some "tattoo" drawings I did just for the interview. Wes loved my work because it didn't look like the tired Flash art that had been around for a million years. We made a deal of $5.00 bucks a page of designs. That night I was charged with energy and immediately went back and set up working. The following week I had ten pages drawn up….It was a series of art that I still feel today is the most incredible, varied and healing work I have ever done. There was a whole "cleansing" thing about the work and the way that I worked to achieve the deeply subconscious imagery. For the next two years I continued drawing up flash for Wes, but at his pace of 10 pages a week. Finally [when Wes] hadn't been in town for four weeks, I took advantage of a few lessons…and tattooed a lady’s butt with her husband’s name…..The lady complimented my work and called to thank me. That’s when [Wes and I] decided that it was time for me to go out on my own. Another year later, I opened up my own shop in Brooklyn and have not looked back since.
INKEDblog: I get the sense that you love working with your clients to really individualize the work. You only do custom tattooing. And you even work with your customers in terms of their budget. I read that you enjoy giving your art out into the world and having it breathe and exist. I think that's amazing, but does that philosophy ever make it hard for you to make a living tattooing?
DG: The philosophy that I am currently aspiring towards is one of "God Provides." Basically, I don't advertise, I don't do much of anything beyond tattooing and relying on the work. Certainly with more money and time there might be a greater turnout each day, but I am fully occupied these days. A few tattoos a day are good; however, the flow is not up to me, but God. Some days I'll do a bunch and others none at all. In that respect I don't make a lot of money, hell most times it feels like none at all. Since I can't work on the customer flow and I don't want to ram tattoos or my art down anyone's throat, I rely on the Universe to send me customers. Furthermore, I don't know how to price my tattoos. If I go by other shops then my customers would not come. If I went by the prices of others with comparable work, then the number drops even more. I'd rather tattoo and give regular people celebrity with their art than cater to the rich. Basically I have a minimum and everything else is "God given talent, pay as much as you can." I do more work, but make a bit less money this way. I don't mind at this time because I am doing a public service in a way by making Brooklyn look better.
INKEDblog: Tell me what's special about working in Brooklyn. Sounds like you are very tied to the community both in terms of the teaching you do and the murals you donate. How important is it, and why, for you to spread art to kids who may not otherwise be exposed to it?
DG: I like Brooklyn. If you can make it here then anywhere else is just that much easier. The people here are sharp. They taught me a few tricks about negotiation, that is for sure. But there is a sense of culture here more than elsewhere, even in Manhattan, because each neighborhood is smaller and more exposed. The spread of good art is important in a huge number of ways. Art is the expression of the artist in most cases. In tattooing it is the opposite: I am the tool that puts the expression of the customer on them [so they can] communicate to the world. Artists build societies and…their art is their expression of the world. As Picasso put it, "Art is the Lies that expose the truth." But in today's world… museums and galleries do not actively promote their art to the young in the hopes of creating art lovers. No, they teach to those that are already interested and to the schools that have enough finances. With my murals I am trying to excite people by showing them art in their every day life. Paintings in a gallery or home gallery are viewed frequently. The owners can experience how a subject will change appearance by way of colors, shapes and their mental interpretation of the art from day to day, hour to hour, with the changing light. Us regular people that don't even have the time to go into a museum can witness these aspects of art on our way to work each day if they are in a public mural.
INKEDblog: You are a painter, you draw & sketch, you tattoo, and you do some amazing work with Bonsai. Which of these, which visual medium, is closest to your heart and why? Or are they much too intertwined to rate them like that?
DG: To me things are compartmentalized. Painting is for fun and future profit. Drawing gets concepts of mine out quickly to others. Tattooing pays the bills. At the same time I constantly mix several [art forms] to get something out of it for myself. For example: I will put up my paintings in my tattoo shop to expose people to art, but I don't expect to sell them. I will do drawings for the customers to show them that I understand what they want in a tattoo. The Bonsai has been a hobby for almost twenty years. I only guide the tree, God does everything else. I just try not to get in the way.
Check out DG’s site for more information and photos of his work http://www.masterpiecestattoos.com/
Friday Sep 23, 2005
LANE TUROWSKI - International Man of Ink
From the land of cheese and light beer hails a very special artist — one who can’t leave his zip code without being chased down by friends and fans begging him to do some work. Lane Turowski may be based in Wisconsin right now, but when I met up with him during his short stay in Williamsburg here in New York, he may as well have been a resident because kids "in the know" were ringing his phone off the hook trying to catch him before he headed back to the Midwest.
Turowski is well-known for his use of thick lines, and he prefers to do large pieces like the neck to mid-calf Asian inspired back piece he was working on before he left town. However, the day that I met him he was doing a smaller tattoo – a pair of scissors on a forearm as a favor for one of his friends.
“I try extremely hard not to do pieces I don’t feel good about, and I will totally just put someone off if the design doesn’t feel good. I never want to do anything half assed.”
At 17, Lane got his first tattoo and tried to get an apprenticeship but kept hitting dead ends when the guy who was going to start teaching him moved to Philly. He went to art school after that, and started teaching himself. Turowski has gotten very skilled at doing portraits; I saw for myself by just flipping through his book the insanely accurate and realistic replications of everyone from Janis Joplin to family members to fairies that he’s done.
“I don’t really have a favorite style, I like to keep it all mixed up. Lately I’ve been into Asian style tattoos but that’s just now. I don’t ever want to get bored with what I’m doing.”
Turowski will be crossing the Atlantic Ocean to move to the UK this winter, and he’ll be bringing his impressive artistry with him. Catch him there if you can. You can track him down in Milwaukee , or somewhere in between before then.
LANE TUROWSKI @ THE ADAMBOMB GALLERY
2028 N. Martin Luther King Dr
Milwaukee, WI
414.276.2662
Thursday Sep 22, 2005
Invisible NYC - An Interview with The Dennings
A renowned tattoo artist with over fifteen years of experience. A contemporary art curator who has worked in some of the city’s most prestigious galleries. Get them under one roof and you have a partnership to reckon with. Oh, and they’re married too. Troy and Jesse Lee Denning are the husband and wife team behind one of New York City’s most dynamic and unique art spaces, Invisible NYC. Founded by the couple in Spring 2005, Invisible is part tattoo studio, part art gallery, and the combination is nothing short of thrilling. Located on Orchard Street in the East Village, Invisible is home to cutting-edge tattoos and an ever-evolving exhibition of some of the hippest art around. I was fortunate enough to get the chance to talk with Troy and Jesse, via e-mail, about walking away from what’s safe and blazing your own trail.
... Justin Pelegano
INKEDblog: Troy, right before you came to NYC you were tattooing in San Francisco. Any major differences between the two cities in terms of tattoo culture? What made you decide to make the switch?
Troy: I wanted to put myself to the test, as far as sacrificing a lot of the creature comforts and luxuries I took for granted in California. To start from scratch and develop something stronger than before, as well as exposing myself to a new environment to draw inspiration from; I truly believe that all roads lead to New York.
INKEDblog: Before you and Jesse founded Invisible NYC, you were working at New York Adorned. Including yourself, some big name tattoo artists have passed through those doors – i.e. Kaz, Chris O’Donnell, Mike Rubendall. Sounds like a one-stop shop if you want exposure to some of the best ink slingers around. Was it hard to leave?
Troy: It’s actually a lot more exciting on paper to see all the big names lined up next to each other than to actually work together. Not that I didn't appreciate the time I spent there, and I'm certainly glad that I got to work with them. I love those guys, and their work is some of the best, but the whole time I was there I was pretty frustrated by a lot of things that I would have been doing differently if I'd had more of a say in how things were run. And looking back I probably made a few people pretty miserable along the way. It was my time to go. To be honest, at Invisible I was a bit nervous that I might slack off since my work was not under the same scrutiny as before. But now I realize that it’s just the opposite, and the shop’s reputation as well as my position as a mentor and leader of my crew is riding on me putting everything I have into each piece, and I absolutely cannot fail.
INKEDblog: Can you walk me through the evolution of Invisible NYC. It’s a great space and an awesome concept.
Jesse: I think both of us had been working really hard for other people, and we finally wanted to work (even harder) for something that was uniquely our own. We were disillusioned with many aspects of our particular professions and wanted to take what we loved about our work and leave behind what we hated. It was an idea we had tossed around and reinvented many times. We never had a definite time line for when we would do it, we just knew it would eventually happen when the time was right. Then this great space on Orchard St. literally fell unexpectedly in our laps and we jumped on it, gave our notice to our respective jobs, and jumped in feet first. The rest is now history.
INKEDblog: How tough is it to get a new tattoo studio off the ground (especially here in New York)?
Troy: Let’s just say I'm glad it’s over. I did everything legit from the start as opposed to opening up and handling problems once they arise. I would call some pretty well known friends of mine for advice and they would be like, "What's an s-corp?" [or] “You’re getting insurance?" That kind of stuff. As far as being a launch pad for the Invisible empire, I think it will definitely be much easier next time. I know what to expect.
INKEDblog: Jesse, what factors lead into your decision to show a particular artist in the gallery space? Does the exhibit have to be tattoo related?
Jesse: I have been working with artists for a long time, many are friends. Thus, I have constantly been scouting young, unrepresented artists whose work I like, as I knew that this was a venture Troy and I were eventually going to pursue. So when we finally decided to go ahead and open the studio I started to contact artists whose work I thought would fit in with the young, urban vibe of Invisible. I choose art that I like. I'm not trying to cater to a specific buyer or trend of the moment in the art world. It is important for me to also choose work that is accessible and intriguing to all and not just the art elite.
Most of the artists have a "street" or urban and somewhat spiritual sensibility which complements the tattoo side of the studio. However, the art is never directly tattoo related, i.e. we don't have exhibits of "flash" or stereotypical tattoo motifs. That's just not my aesthetic or goal. We wanted to truly be an art gallery AND a tattoo studio, not a tattoo studio with a little gallery in the front or a gallery with a tattoo studio tucked away in the back. We take both sides very seriously. My exhibitions are all laboriously installed and conceived. I don't have any staff so it's up to me with the help of the artist to do the mailings, the press releases, the installations, etc - and the artists are all incredibly dedicated to their work. They are amazing.
I never specifically thought about what art would go well with the tattoo side of Invisible, but it seemed to work out that they have thus far gone together really nicely, and I think will continue to do so. Yes, there are some tattoo artists who will be exhibiting in the gallery, but it's the art that they create that drew me to them not the fact that they are tattooers. The imagery in some of the tattooers’ art may reference tattoo themes but the works stand on their own.
I actually prefer for the gallery space to be a separate realm. It’s cool to watch people come in who don't know it's a tattoo studio and [they] begin to look at the art and then suddenly hear the buzzing from the tattoo area, go peek around the divider and see a large, shirtless man getting a snake tattooed on his back. It's definitely interesting and at times comical. Actually having the two parts together has brought customers that were there getting tattoos to the gallery and [they] have ended up purchasing quite a bit of art - and vice versa! It's such a great space, there is nothing else like it, and I'm really proud of it! Off topic I think we are also a lot more approachable and welcoming than most galleries and tattoo studios one visits - that was something that always really bothered me about both types of spaces.
INKEDblog: You guys obviously dig working together, right?
Jesse: It can be tough. We can both be stubborn and opinionated and it's hard not to take things personally when it's your mate as opposed to a co-worker critiquing something you did. But our aesthetic, humor, and work ethic are very similar, and our goal is the success of Invisible. So it works. It's also nice going home together after a long and fulfilling day and talking about what went right and what we need to work on. We understand what the other is talking about since we are directly involved.
Overall it's been a really positive experience working together. I think we've actually gotten to know each other even better. Our work world during the day is also very separate from each other so it's not like we are on top of each other all day - we get our space to do our own thing.
INKEDblog: Invisible NYC opened its doors in Spring 2005. Looking down the line, what are your hopes for the space and the business?
The Dennings: More business and press for sure. The buzz is starting but we really want to be an established "go-to" destination for great art and amazing tattoos - as well as a fantastic overall experience when visiting the space. And we are hoping to eventually expand.
Visit the Invisible NYC site at www.troydenningtattoo.com
Thursday Aug 11, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Jarrett DeMartino
"Ok, I'll admit, when I was a teenager, I listened to Suicidal Tendencies about a zillion times a day. The chorus of "all I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi..." came out of my mouth anytime I drank the carbonate beverage.
So when I moved to Venice, CA, I couldn’t help wondering what it must have been like when the 'Suies' were running wild in the streets of Venice. Well, I won’t ever know first hand, but I can imagine those times by talking to ST Tattooist, Jarrett DeMartino. ST Tattoo is the Tattoo shop originally started by Suicidal Tendencies singer Mike Muir of the Suicidal Tendencies and tattooist Jason Brown.
Although not originally a Venice man, Jarrett seems to have the same spirit of those times. Jarrett started his artistic pursuits at the School of Visual Arts in New York and then honed his tattoo skills at Murder Ink Tattoo in Queens. Two years ago, Jarrett moved to California and picked up his trade again at the infamous Venice ST Tattoo shop. Jarrett has been able to consistently merge East Coast and West Coast styles and find his niche here in Venice.
To see more of Jarrett, go to: http://www.Bloodshovel.com"
... Logan Hicks
INKEDblog: How'd you get into the tattooing field?
Jarrett: My mother is an artist and my father is a musician. They had no work, but some of their friends did. From a kid's perspective, I thought having a picture in your skin was fascinating. I tattooed myself at 13 (that went over real well), went to the School of Visual Arts in NYC at 18, and that's where I met my mentor "Bee" Cortes. He took me under his wing and opened up a world to me that has let me do things that I never imagined. This I do not take for granted.
INKEDblog: So, what makes a tattoo "good"?
Jarrett: Everything from it just being drawn right - composition, proportion, light source, traditional formulas followed-then tweaked. Unless you are doing a one point style tattoo the body is part of the art too. The body's lines and curves should be complimented by the art and vise-versa. They should all flow as one. Finally the way it's applied will determine how it looks forever. It should be smooth to the touch with no holidays in the ink.
INKEDblog: What are the best and worst things about being a tattoo artist?
Jarrett: The best part about being a tattoo artist is the people that you are able to meet, and the traveling opportunities that come as a result, which results in meeting more people.....
INKEDblog: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
Jarrett: My favorite tattoo of all time is whatever I am working on at the time. That's not a cop out on the question. I believe the journey is the destination. So with that said, its what you are doing at that moment is what counts. Yesterday was yesterday.
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
Jarrett: My thought on that is why are they competing? I think people that are hung up on this have a stick up their ass. You need classic traditions to make new ones. Who want's to reinvent the wheel? Art is art. Either you're going to love something, or you're gonna think it's shit. Just get your reference together, don't bite too hard and draw. Just like shut up and skate.
Tuesday Aug 09, 2005
Rae Schwarz and Jessica Lund talk Tats, Pagans, and Snoopy Dances…
One of best resources on the internet for information about tattoos is Rae Schwarz's Body Art collumn for Bella Online. Recently INKEDblog contributor Jessica Lund sat down with Rae to talk Tats, Pagans, and Snoopy Dances…
Jessica Lund: Hey Rae, good morning! Tell me about you and tattooing.
Rae Schwarz: Actually, I'm not a tattooist. I seem to get that a lot.
Jessica: Oops.
Rae: I'm an enthusiast or collector, as they say in the tattoo world. And a writer.
Jessica: I read your columns and you seem to specialize in some really interesting tattoo ideas.
Rae: Well, I've been crazy about tattooing and body art in general for about 20+ years now, so I just keep learning what I can and passing it on.
Jessica: Your stories are remarkable... Did you ever consider tattooing, or has writing always been your focus?
Rae: If I had any drawing talent, I would be tattooing.
Jessica: Yeah... I hear ya! What was your first tattoo?
Rae: My first tattoo was the Japanese kanji "koto" which means "to be different" when I was 21 years old. I had already had a few episodes of drawing on myself in junior high, and in high school I used some of the first temp tattoo products too, so really, my interest is the ink in general. The Japanese style is one of many traditional forms of skin art that I like.
Jessica: What is your favorite tattoo that you have?
Rae: I love them all, but presently, I'm really into what was the most recently work I had done, which is some symbology and designs on my chest. On the left side is the plant 'honesty' and an old Coptic design, right side is the sign for 'quinta essentia' and peacock feathers.
Jessica: What does this tattoo mean for you?
Rae: It's part of my spirituality. The left side is how I take in energy and the right is about how I put it out into the world.
Jessica: Nice. Do you write pieces other than on tattoos for Bella?
Rae: I'm also their Pagan topic editor. Recently, I’ve been exploring the holiday Lughnasadh, the first harvest festival is July 31st, so I've got articles on that. Plus I'm working on the review of a documentary about people who still worship the old Greek gods in Greece, and the conflicts they get into. It's like the Christian/Pagan conflicts in the US.
Jessica: Can INKEDblog readers find this info at Bellaonline?
Rae: The Body Art topic can be found here and my Pagan-oriented writing is here. Actually, Bella has over 400 topics covered, all mostly written by women, so there's a lot of everything to be found.
However… At body art, the readers seem to want a lot on movies and celebs. The pagans don't seem to care about celebrities, LOL.....
Jessica: Ug., I never write on celebrity tats...
Rae: Ha! Every time Britney Spears gets another tattoo with a mistake in it, I do a Snoopy dance.
Jessica: Double HA!!! I’d like to see that! You’re cracking me up, girl! So I heard you get a ton of emails with questions about piercing and healing- are most of them similar??
Rae: Yes. About 90% of what I'm getting are nose piercing questions. People think they are a casual piercing, but healing cartilage can be tough. I got so many (questions), I wrote an eBook that sells pretty steadily.
Jessica: What are the main problems people experience with piercing (and how the heck can readers buy your book)?
Rae: The main problem is that cartilage piercings have a great inclination to form 'keloids' which is a type of raised scar tissue. It winds up looking like a bump, right next to the piercing.
Jessica: Eww, Bummer,. What do you do about it?
Rae: Well, they are sort of hard to deal with. I had a few on my ears (nearly cartilage piercings) and I managed to shrink them down to nothing with tea tree oil. That's in the book, btw..... which is available on Bellaonline.com and costs just $2.95.
Jessica: Excellent! So, any last words of wisdom for INKEDblog readers?
Rae: Take as much time as you need to think about the design and if you are ready, before getting tattooed. It makes me sad when people email me and they are unhappy with, or worse, they hate their tattoos.
Jessica: I agree. Thanks so much Rae- I'll keep reading your stuff and I bet a lot of INKEDblog readers will too!
Rae: Thanks!
Monday Aug 08, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Todo
"It is safe to say that tattoo artist Todo has a pretty decent lifestyle. When he's not tattooing in his private studio south of Atlanta, he's touring and tattooing with members of Velvet Revolver, Stone Temple Pilots, Aerosmith, Foo Fighters, Ministry, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ozzy Osbourne, No Doubt, Sarah McLachlan, Kottonmouth Kings, ICP, Poison, Stone Temple Pilots, and Ministry. As if that isn’t enough to keep one man busy, he's also an accomplished airbrush artist and illustrator.
Take a look at Todo's website, www.artbytodo.com, under the celebrity section and it looks like you are flipping through an old issue of Cream or Circus magazine."
... Logan Hicks
INKEDblog: How'd you first get into tattooing?
Todo: Tattooing has been a positive attraction visually and mentally since the 70's. I didn't turn to skin art for a career choice 'till 1985 when I then seeked an apprenticeship.
INKEDblog: What's the strangest request you've ever had for a tattoo?
Todo: I got to say since my career got going I've met some very strange and interesting people. I have a bunch of strange request including one gentlemen that wanted his whole bottom lip tattooed Pink. At first I had to think about it but it had its purpose in a cosmetic sense. I was asked to do this to cover a pigment discoloration on his lip. After a few sittings the spots where gone and this guy didn't stop coming to me, he wanted it done every 6 months even if it needed it or not. " I think the guy started to like the feeling or something, OUCH "..
INKEDblog: What makes a tattoo good?
Todo: Good tattoos are ones that aren't rushed, hardly bleed at all, Have smooth gradients and crisp line work, Last is quick healing time with hardily no or little scabbing.
INKEDblog: What are the best and worst things about being a tattoo artist?
Todo: I love being a skin artist because it opens doors to the worlds of music, travel, and independence. Plus connecting with people spiritually and making a lot of friends. Working on the weekends and working for someone besides yourself.
INKEDblog: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
Todo: My favorite tattoo would be my Chrome sexy Robot girl holding a shield and sword that originally is a painting by Sorayama.
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
Todo: Hmmm... without Old there would be no New. As for the styles Old vs. New, I love both since I came into the tattoo world during the 80's I saw the transition happen. Some where successful some got there hands broke..lol
Friday Aug 05, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Albie Rock
"Albie Rock is someone that understands that tattoos don’t save the world. Sticking ink into someone’s arm doesn’t make you the cool guy, nor smarter, more attractive or worldly. Albie's outlook is one that could be shared by more tattooists, but unfortunately isn’t. In a profession where it is easy to become insulated by people who constantly boost your ego, he has managed to remain humble about his profession and talent.
In between his tattooing at ‘All or Nothing Tattoo’ in Georgia and White Mountain in New Hampshire, INKEDblog caught up with Albie to get his take on a few questions.
For more info on the world of Albie Rock, including his favorite Vegan recipes, check out www.AlbieRock.com"
... Logan Hicks
INKEDblog: How'd you get into the tattooing field?
Albie: I kinda fell into tattooing. I had dropped out of college, and was running a chain of ice cream shops in Connecticut (i'm vegan, so I wasn't really psyched, but I was also super broke). I was getting tattooed at a shop called Darkside, by a guy named Lou Jacque. One day, he asked me if I'd ever considered trying to tattoo (He liked what I had been bringing in to get tattooed). I told him I'd give it a shot, and he started giving me assignments, unofficial style, to see if I would take it seriously. First just drawing whatever, then drawing specific stuff, larger and more involved every time.....After a month, the owner noticed what was up, and Lou and the manager, a guy named Joey Apartments, vouched for me. I started apprenticing in July, I did my first tattoo ever on October 15th 1999, on my friend Mitch. I started tattooing regular folks in November. I was super spoiled. I wasnt bugging folks to give me a chance, it just fell into place. I worked with some of the best artists on the East Coast. Eric Merrill of Hope Gallery sat in with me on my first tattoo. I was totally not even paying my dues at all. Something I can't stress enough as a bad thing. Needless to say, I ruined that whole experience, and it took years to repair a lot of burn't bridges.
INKEDblog: What's the strangest request you've ever had for a tattoo?
Albie: Strangest request for a tattoo? ummmm, I think people getting their names and surnames on themselves is pretty strange.....I mean, is it in case you forget it? Is it so strangers can pretend they know you? I dont understand it....as for tattoos of pooping hamsters or whatever, most folks who want a piece from me, in my style, have pretty open minds and decent senses of humor, so nothing is off-limits. I've done hitler as the pope, and a pile of other stuff regular folks wouldn't get......I'm way more judgemental about generic stuff, safe bet plain jane tattoos. I'll do 'em, it just bums me out when people want a tattoo, but couldn't care less what it is, as long as its small and cheap, and common....
INKEDblog: So, what makes a tattoo "good"?
Albie: A tattoo is good if the person who gets it likes it. It's that simple. It's not the thick lines, clean outlines, or ugly color scheme. It's not the clique that the artist rolls with. It's not their fashion sense. It's not how many articles or awards, or whatever the artist can claim. Because plenty of folks absolutely love their shitty outlined, unblendy colors, and eyeballed skulls, done by vagrant bikers at house parties. The tattoo styles I like aren't all the kinds I tattoo. The kind of stuff I hate has more in common with the category I'm usually placed in. So really, it's all up to the person wearing it. I've had people love stuff I hated, and vice-versa, so really that sums it all up, for me at least.
INKEDblog: What are the best and worst things about being a tattoo artist?
Albie: Best vs worst stuff. That's hard. Because its kinda all the same stuff...Ok. I got it: The best thing about being a tattoo artist isn't the money, the easy money, the fat stacks or whatever. Its not the groupies who inflate the fragile fevered egos of tattooers either. Its not the girls (or guys) who will totally hump you up because of your job. Its not hanging out with pop-punk bands, or tattooing piles of scenesters who think you're a douche because you've never heard of whatever bands e.p they currently love, or anything like that. The best part isn't doing body suits on 'serious' collectors. It's not. Sorry. If that's what its about, then I missd the point, I guess.
Notice I didnt say what the best thing was? Word. The worst thing about tattooing is other tattooers. For real. It's not tribal, or biker shit, or drunks, or anything like that. It's the self-importance that comes along with any postion of real or imagined power. Tattooers aren't rebels anymore. They may be skaters, stoners, bikers, loners, weirdos, or whatever, but anyone who ends up getting any recognition suddenly becomes a turd. Look around. You'll see it. The space pizza, cosmic broccoli esoteric energy lines and golden spikes crowd. The death metal/ zombie t-shirt black and grey spooky stuff crowd. The sideburns and truckerhat belt buckled traditional crowd. The little ex-graffitti cartoon character crowd. They all have a uniform, a clique, and a shitty attitude. They've become the jocks they used to rebel against. That's why I rarely go to conventions. Its why I don't do drugs. But I dont consider myself straight-edge. It's all the same shit. Delicate egos wrapped up in complicated shells of self-congratulation. Fuck those dudes.
INKEDblog: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
Albie: My favorite tattoo of all time? jeez, I'd have to say I really like my tattoos. The ones on me, I mean. A whole lot of doooooooooope artists, and no home runs. A lot of strikes. swing and a miss type stuff. I like that. Its a good remider that nobody hits a home run every time. It makes you work harder, trying to cancel out those dark secrets. But I've got the proof. Right here. Haha. I like that.
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
Albie: I don't know if im into the terminology, for starters. Traditional themes, progressive themes, simple graphics, complicated illustrations. Its hard to like one or the other more or less, since they all come from the same place. Modern traditional isn't like the old stuff. New new school isn't like the shitty 90's graffiti fat line crap it used to be. Its all evolving. I mean, all these rockstar guys doing photorealistic stuff. Its not fineline, its no line stuff, its traditional themes, roses, waves, hearts, but done way different, black and grey isnt the slack-and grey, whipshade to skintone it was, That organic vegetable/digital computer stencil bloppy style isnt like the new school from when I was in high school. By the time stuff gets labelled, the real artists are already way past it. I like skull tattoos, whether outlined with a 9 round and shaded black to ugly green to skin, or 97000 grey tones, or fat lined with photo negative craziness...... its all decent. and it has nothing to do with school.
Monday Aug 01, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Erik Desmond
"Ok, so you want an authentic Japanese style tattoo, but don’t have the time to fly to Osaka? Try Erik Desmond. It’s about as authentic as you can get within the United States. With a dedication to Japanese style tattooing, his work leaps off skin with an organic quality that is rarely captured in tattooing. Erik's dedication to authentic Japanese tattoos is as strong as his loyalty to the culture he borrows from. Several trips to Japan to study with the Hiritoshi family have helped him broaden his understanding.
Erik's first introduction to this cultural design came at the hands of his high school art teacher who was Japanese and taught Japanese Calligraphy. Calligraphy opened the gates to Japanese tattooing and remains a passion for Erik.
In 1988, Erik began his tattooing career at Peter Tat2 in West Hempstead, NY. Now, 17 years later, Erik still tattoos at Peter Tat2. In the transient, instant-gratification tattoo field, it is rare to find a tattoo artist that has such patience.
For more info on Erik, visit his site at http://www.horifudo.com"
... Logan Hicks
INKEDblog: How'd you get into the tattooing field?
Erik: I got into tattooing... I got tattooed by Bill Loika in Conn and asked about doing flash for some extra cash and he said...nah just go apprentice and start tattooing. So with his advice I ended up appretincing with Frank Romano at peter tat2 .
INKEDblog: What's the strangest request you've ever had for a tattoo?
Erik: Strangest? Not so sure maybe doing a portrait of my friends wife (whom he loves) as a severed head... or doing a portrait of another friend as a severed head on himself!
INKEDblog: What makes a tattoo good?
Erik: Good tattoo....clean solid image with PERSONALITY.
INKEDblog: What are the best and worst things about being a tattoo artist?
Erik: Best...hours....Worst... hours......nah the best is meeting people and watching things develop. worst, dealing with customers who are rude and suck.
INKEDblog: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
Erik: Favorite..Tomomori backpiece by Ed Hardy...seeing it in tattootime... Whoa you can do that.... that just made me feel like you could do a tattoo and give it feeling, that tattoo truly inspires me even today
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
Erik: Old vs. New.....? I don't know I just think that people get a little caught up in trends, I mean thats what happens but I am seeing more people wanting to cover armbands and chrome eyeballs everyday saying.. I dont know why I even got this. So old is tried and true. New is essential for growth as well though. Hmmm... Tough one.
Friday Jul 29, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Dave Waugh
"Six years ago I moved to San Diego, California from Baltimore, Maryland. There couldn't have been two cities that were more different. Baltimore was raw, industrial, and gritty. On the opposite side of the spectrum, San Diego was sunny, happy, and cheery. I was a bit nostalgic for my Baltimore days in the beginning, so when I walked into various tattoo shops in SoCal, it always made me happy to see the tattoo flash of friend and Baltimore inhabitant, Dave Waugh.
I met Dave through the band, IronBoss, well before moving away from Maryland. He was one of those guys who just seemed to have his hands in everything - music, art, tattooing. At this point, I seem to encounter more flash from Dave than any other tattoo artist.
After I moved 3000 miles to establish a new career in California, I lost touch with Dave. Once I began interviewing tattooists for InkedBlog, I decided to use it as an opportunity to reconnect for a quick Q&A.
To learn more about Dave’s work, go here."
... Logan Hicks
INKEDblog: How'd you get into the tattooing field?
Dave: Luck. An injury. Being in the right place at the right time...I ran my future skin stretching hand into a table mounted ripsaw and chewed up the index finger somethin' good. Off work, future bleak, arm and hand in a sling...then a guy named Vinnie opened up a tattoo shop near my tiny town. I stopped in cuz I heard he would trade tattoos for artwork (flash) and the rest is ancient history! You are old and cranky when 1992 is ancient history, yet I can still use it to impress some people tho...
INKEDblog: So what makes a tattoo "good"?
Dave: When it makes the guy who paid for it happy. Uh, it does help if the tattooer can draw, has a real style to his artwork, and can apply it properly. And as much as we think it's about "us", it's really about "them". Damn the retail business!!! But we may be the only ones in the field who can get away with telling the customer to "fuck off" when we want! Hey, maybe this job will actually pay off in the end...?
INKEDblog: What are the best and worst things about being a tattoo artist?
Dave: Best: I finally fooled everyone into thinking I'm cool. And it worked! No, no it didn't...but I do get to draw for a living and it certainly beats running stair nosings through a ripsaw with no protective hand guard. Worst: Continuing to fool everyone, but thank god there are new 18 year olds popping in everyday. They're easy to fool. Heh, I kid, but you know...have you ever tried to draw a straight line on a table while someone is shaking it? Sigh...I must love the challenge.
INKEDblog: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
Dave: Well, I know I probably didn't do it, but I have done a few that I wish I had on myself, so that’s saying something...hmmm, let me think about this one.
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
Dave: Dunno if that even exists anymore. "New Skool" meaning the coined term for the style, not the actual shop itself, (hey...don't blame me for "twisted traditional", I, uh, overheard it at a bi-annual convention along time ago!) and "Old School" meaning the Sailor Jerry style? It has all melded together to form one big commercial property replete with fashion t-shirts and power drinks and shops on every corner, and dammit, I'm pissed I didn't market myself better when I coulda 10 years ago! Guess I should have concentrated a little more on other things and stopped partying like a tattoo star! But, damn...it was fun. Still is I guess, so no complaints. I need to get a quote from Joe W. tattooed on me to remind myself of that sometime.
Best job I ever have.
Thursday Jul 21, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Kaotic Enzymes
"Kaotic Enzymes is the moniker of tattooist Jesse Smith, a Richmond, VA-based artist who travels often to showcase his talents. Jesse is a renaissance man with an urban eye. One stop to his website and you can see his Aerosol works, drawings, paintings, tattoos, and licensed merchandise. As his full line of merchandise includes flash, prints, stickers, and t-shirts, Jesse manages to walk the fine line between creative person and businessman.
For more info, go here."
... Logan Hicks
INKEDblog: How'd you get into the tattooing field?
Kaotic: I met a fella who was tattin out of the house and he taught me how to make a ghetto gun. I originally had only planned on doing one tattoo just for the experience. After that people started lining up at my front door (mostly cuz I was charging next to nothing). I used the ghetto gun for about a month until I could afford a real machine. I would tattoo on my time off just for fun and finally landed a job at a professional studio a year later.
INKEDblog: What's the strangest request you've ever had for a tattoo?
Kaotic: I tattooed a big dragon on the side of this dudes face once. I thought that was pretty crazy. He wanted to cover some tear drops that were under his eye.
INKEDblog: What makes a tattoo "good"?
Kaotic: Thought and patience.
INKEDblog: What are the best and worst things about being a tattoo artist?
Kaotic: (Best Thing) It's pretty laid back and you're pretty much your own boss. (Worst Thing) It's hard to draw a line between your business life and personal life. I pretty much work all day everyday.
INKEDblog: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
Kaotic: That's a hard one. There's tons of tattoos that I really dig. I've got a whole scrap book full of tattoos that I love. Most of them revolve around artists like Tim Biedron, Chucho, Gunnar, Kevin Starai, Travis Franklin, and Jime' Litwalk.
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
Kaotic: If I answer this question I'm bound to piss someone off so I plead the 5th.
Wednesday Jul 20, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Regino
"Recently INKEDblog featured an amazing tattoo from artwork by the New York collective, Faile. I didn't know much about the artist, Regino, so I set out to see what he was all about. A few questions and answers later, I found out that it is possible to tattoo the 'taint' and that the tattoo industry is lucky to have a talented person like Regino in its ranks."
... Logan Hicks
INKEDblog: How'd you get into the tattooing field?
Regino: I've always been fascinated by tattoos that I saw on people around the town I spent my secondary school years in. These tattoos that I was fascinated and influence by were pretty crudely done home made and prison work but the mere act of rendering complex images with a needle in your skin really made an impression on me. I was really mystified by how needles could make such subtle gradations of tone under your skin. Ignorant and excited enough, I tried to do a few tattoos on willing friends who were nice enough to let me try it on them. I really did not know what I was doing with the exception of the few things I had heard and was told by a friend who was also at the beginning stage in his career. Around 95 while working a crap gas station attendant job, a fellow named Dan Adair heard through a friend that I was interested in learning and offered to train and hire me as an apprentice.
INKEDblog: What's the strangest request you've ever had for a tattoo?
Regino: A customer wanted a small snake tattoo in "No Man's Land", otherwise known as the "Taint" or the "Chode".
INKEDblog: So what makes a tattoo "good"?
Regino: What I like in a tattoo is clarity in parts and as a whole. There are certain subject matters that I enjoy doing more than others but that does not necessarily make a good tattoo in my opinion. Generally, I like tattoos that are well crafted meaning: clean line work, solid colors, smooth shading, and intentfully drawn and rendered. Graphic legibility is also something I strive for, you shouldn't have to explain to other people weather that grey blob on someone's arm is a water or smoke. On the other hand, I believe these are not necessarily rules to live by, One of the most amazing tattoos I've seen was Rubens back piece of a war scene hand poked on an old Russian prisoner. I was in awe when I saw this piece. I guess the combination of context, content, and technique is also something to consider...
INKEDblog: What are the best and worst things about being a tattoo artist?
Regino: I think the best thing for me is the fact that I get to draw, design, and create everyday I'm working. This is what I did in my childhood and what I plan to do in years to come. The fact that I pay the rent with what i enjoy doing is also a big plus. The worst thing would be the politics and creative limitations within the business.
INKEDblog: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
Regino: That's an impossible question to answer, I have too many favorites. You would have to specify the era and the genre.
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
Regino: Styles and fashions are bound to change just like any other art-form and soon enough whatever tattoo has the label "New School" will be labeled by years like "90's tattoo" or something to that effect. These are preferences that I have no authority on commenting on. I've worked the majority of my career in a street shop situation so you had to be versatile and know what the person that walks through those doors is looking for because for the most part they are not coming to you because of your name or your particular style so you have to be well versed in a variety of styles and executed it in a professional manner if you want to pay your rent. Versatility is not a bad thing, it teaches you approaches to problems you would not encounter if you worked in one distinct genre. But on a personal level , I try to wear imagery and subject matter which is not going out of vogue by next fall although I do enjoy seeing well done pop culture tattoos on other people.
Tuesday Jul 19, 2005
Five Questions For. Dan Witz, Artist
INKED: When and why did you decide to get your first tattoo?
DAN: I was 17, with a close friend on a cross country find America/find ourselves coming of age odyssey. We got to San Francisco and wanted to celebrate our bond. Also, being suburban at heart, I wanted to be "bad", to epater the bourgeoise., which was a lot easier back then.
INKED: What does your tattoo mean to you?
DAN: It's my art collection.
INKED: What makes a tattoo sexy?
DAN: rebellion is sexy.
INKED: What tip to would you give to someone who's getting their first tat?
DAN: think of it as a note to self--a permanent note to self.
INKED: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
DAN: Of mine? My little lonesome boat. By Bill Beccio in Venice Beach, Ca. Generally though, I like the old time traditional Sailor Jerry type stuff. By now my collection has pretty much covered all the common motifs.
You can see Dan's art here.
Monday Jul 18, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews William Thidermann
"It was a roommate after college that first got William into tattooing. That roommate, Chris O'Donnell, has gone on to tattoo at NY Adorned and William has since gone on to Tattoo at Th'ink tattoo in Denver. It’s hard to say whether or not William would have been a tattoo artist if he didn’t meet Chris, although it’s safe to say that has made the most of it since focusing his attention on the field.
Before arriving in the tattoo industry, William was classically trained as a fine artist. This is evident in his tattoo work. His understanding of form, detail, and light has helped develop his unique style of tattooing.
To see more of Williams work, you can visit him here and here."
... Logan Hicks
INKEDblog: How'd you first get into the tattooing field?
William: Well, I got out of art school and I didn't know what to do. I know I wanted to pursue art in some way but I didn't want to starve for too long. Anyway I was in a hardcore band called Four Walls Falling and got to travel around and meet people, at the same time I lived with a tattooer named Chris O'donnell who got me my first job with him and Nate Drew. Everything just came together at the right time... I had a bit of exposure to the old tattoo world, when I was 17 I got to meet Crazy Ace, Bernie Luther, Dannie Fowler, and I was intrigued by that world so when I got a chance to get in I took it, although at that time it was a hard road.
INKEDblog: What's the strangest request you've ever had for a tattoo?
William: Hmmmm...too much to think about there, ok uh, I guess I don't do too much strange stuff, I tend to like to work on things that aren't based on a joke or fetishism, however I tattooed a half sleeve lesbians-in-a-graveyard-thing once.
INKEDblog: So, what makes a tattoo "good"?
William: First off ...if it makes the client happy, does it make them feel the way they want to feel. Secondly and more formally, it should be able to last, have solid fades, be smart compositionally, enhance the body and not detract from it. Tattooists should pay attention to the way it reads in any direction and make sure it is as technically as solid as possible.
INKEDblog: What are the best and worst things about being a tattoo artist?
William: The people, the people, Depending on who you get to deal with your life can be a joy or quite frustrating. I focus on the people who care and respect tattooing so that way I have the time to work on and work out the projects that I really care about on the people I really care about. If you take care of tattooing, tattooing will take care of you.
INKEDblog: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
William: There are way too many things I have been impressed by in the last 11 years, too many to mention... I will however say that when I lived in Richmond I saw a piece on Watson's back by Tim Hoyer that at the time was one of the most amazing things I had ever seen, it impressed me hugely and still does.
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
William: Huh... as far as Traditional American tattooing goes there are probably not that many people doing it in a really old style, most people do sorta neo traditional... it kinda is traditional but it has all sorts of colors and stuff that the old guys never did, so I don't think it is actually very traditional. As far as the term new school, I don't exactly know what that is... if it that bendy-wacky stuff that is overly candy colored with triple highlights, I don't personally like it. I personally like all different styles of tattoos, it just needs to be readable and convey a strong visual impact as well as some structure and a solid application. I think a good tattoo has a timeless feel to it no matter what the style.
If you are interested in getting work or commissioning a painting, or whatever plus check out my convention page to see if I will be around your area.
Thursday Jul 14, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Garrett Ostrowski
"As tattooing has become more popular, you see people approaching the industry like it's a popularity contest rather than a craft. Some of the guys out there think that they need a PR agent just to manage all the "cool" that they radiate. But not Garrett Ostrowski. Garrett is one of those cats who sits back, tattoos his ass off, and makes a solid living off extraordinary talent without trying to live - and look - like a rock star. Although Garrett is one of the few tattoo artists that doesn’t have a website, I managed to track Garrett down for this Q&A.
To check out his work, or to get inked up by him, you can find him at:
Cliffs Custom Tattoo
1446 Middle Country Rd.
Centereach, N.Y. 11720
(631)-698-3833"
... Logan Hicks
INKEDblog: Garrett, how'd you first get into the tattooing field?
Garrett: When I was 14 a buddy and I went to a guy tattooing out of his house, as soon as I felt the sting that was it, I wanted to know everything about it. It was hard then, no one wanted to give up information. So, a lot of trial and error for a few years, a move to Florida and then to New York and I've been here ten years.
INKEDblog: So what's the strangest request you've ever had for a tattoo?
Garrett: Well, that’s a hard one. I live in New York. I guess I would have to say there was this one guy who came in and asked for a cross with a loop at the top (Egyptian Ankh) with the tribal symbol for "white pride" (Japanese Kanji) in the middle..........I think he was a little mixed up....
INKEDblog: So what makes a tattoo "good"?
Garrett: A vision, a patient client, also have patience, and alotta heart.
INKEDblog: What are the best and worst things about being a tattoo artist?
Garrett: Best, the freedom..................Worst, the drama
INKEDblog: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
Garrett: Well, if you mean on my body, I would have to say the portrait of my father by an amazing artist from Germany named "Till". If he sees this call me damit! If it's one I've done, I would have to say the 3/4 sleeve I did on my fiancee (judith)...
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
Garrett: I'm drawn to both so much, I love big, solid, bold, bright color, shades, shadows. They both involve everything I like..... Keeping art electrified...
Wednesday Jul 13, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Juan Puente
I recently caught up with Juan Puente for a quick Q&A. Juan is a tattooist's tattooist. If you read or hear about the influences of most tattooists, Juan's name is sure to pop up more often than not. He has worked with many legendary tattooists - Hanky Panky, Eddie Deuche, Chris Garver, and Scott Silver, just to name a few. Not limited to tattooing, Juan’s talents are evident in his photography as well as his film work.
Juan is currently tattooing at Spotlight Tattoo. Visit www.JuanPuente.com for the full Juan experience.
... Logan Hicks
INKEDblog: How'd you get into the tattooing field?
Juan: I really don't know how I got into tattooing. When I was young I never really wanted one but I always liked them. When I got my first one, and realized that it was not such a big deal, and that I actually liked the whole process,( I don't mean the pain.) you could say that I became addicted, and that is where it all starts right?? I had done art by painting punk leathers and flyers in the 80's but tattooing is where my career as an artist really started.
INKEDblog: What's the strangest request you've ever had for a tattoo?
Juan: Man there have been a few odd requests but thinking about it as a whole I wonder what is really odd?? Tattooing is not natural, it is a modification, an after market accessory if you will. Subject matter, forget about it. It seems now it is almost boring trying to outdo one another but it definitely is amusing and that leads us to the next question kind of. Quality of tattoos, what makes a tattoo good...
INKEDblog: So what does make a tattoo "good"?
Juan: That is kind of an odd question. There are a lot of different styles today and everyone has their own taste. If the lines are clean, color is solid, has the right amount of shading, technically I guess that makes it a good tattoo. Right???? Magazines have helped and hindered the tattoo community. If these publications put good to great to excellent tattoos in their magazines, we would not have people coming in to the shops with these magazines under their arms saying that they want something like "this" or "that", and as an artist you know it is just shit, but try to explain that to someone who wants it when they want it. "Everyone gets that tattoo they deserve..." I forgot who said that but it is so true.
INKEDblog: What are the best and worst things about being a tattoo artist?
Juan: The best thing about being a tattoo artist is being a tattoo artist. It definitely is not for everybody, in fact there are a bunch of people that are doing it that really have no business doing it, but the world goes round. There are artists, underachievers, overachievers, drug addicts, hustlers, straight businessmen, world travelers, nomads, outlaws, scumbags, we got it all in this business, but as a whole we are a family and we look out for one another and if you are not in, your just not in. Tattooing has taken me all over the world, taken care of me and my family, how much better can that be?? The worst thing about being a tattoo artist is seeing how people have to live such a structured existence while you are having a good time. Another thing is people can really suck sometimes. No one gives a fuck if you have been working late every day that week, if you are sick, if you are having personal problems, whatever, they want their tattoo right then and fuck you if you can't do it, but instead of just splitting or hanging up the phone they are going to bitch and moan to try to see if they will get their way. I have weeded out most of those customers but I still have a few.
INKEDblog: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
Juan: As far as favorite tattoos go that one is the hardest one of them all. I just returned from Japan and saw the most amazing Japanese tattoos ever. Whether I am in San Francisco, New York or Los Angeles, I am blessed to be around the most amazing artists that each place has to offer. There are so many favorites that I can't even go into this without it being a twenty page article.
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
Juan: Old school, new school??? I just had a friend of mine bring it to perspective to me. I was just in NYC for a tattoo convention and there was an art show for tattooists from NYC and also tattooists who have only been tattooing for under 5 years. I have attended this art show for a couple of years now and have seen some amazing pieces, even purchased a few. So my friend calls me, he is in NYC as well for the convention as well, and then he brings up the art show, I tell him I am going later and what not. Then he starts barking to me about Old school and back in the day this and that, how these motherfuckers have no respect, how could they do this, blah blah blah. In the meanwhile he went from airbrusher to piercer, to tattoo artist. Nothing old school about that. I like celebrating tattooing in all forms. I don't care if you have been tattooing for a week, if you are doing great tattoos, fuck yeah, if you know you have a way to go and are humble and want to learn, fuck yeah. There are amazing "New School" artists as well as "Old School" artists, and then there are the shitty ones, what can you do. I like and appreciate both styles but if someone wanted a new school tattoo I will refer them who can just kill it, and that person will just be stoked with his or her new tattoo.
One last thing. This last August my friend Eric Masske died, and I credit him for a lot of what I am today in this business and for without him I may not be where I am today, and I just want to thank him for everything that he did for me.
Tuesday Jul 12, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Phil Holt
"Before I actually interviewed Phil Holt, I first asked some of my friends in the tattoo industry what their impressions were of Phil. I had heard his name, but didn’t know that much about him. Every single artist I spoke with had nothing but the highest regards for Phil. He is one of those rare people that elevate the craft, trade, ethics, and professionalism of tattooing without diluting the rich history that lies beneath its surface. Since my first introduction to Phil, my personal interactions with him have cemented his reputation in my mind.
Phil has been tattooing in towns ranging from Ohio to Chicago to California. His current shop is in Ybor City in Tampa, Florida. Tucked inside a converted cigar factory, quality work remains the mainstay inside Phil's shop, RedLetter/
Recently, Phil's good friend, Tommy Laskas, was stabbed along with his wife after trying to break up a fight between two bar patrons. Tommy subsequently died and Phil has begun collecting artwork for an benefit auction that will be held on July 17, 2005. The email that Phil sent out was one of the most selfless, caring letters I could ever imagine someone writing. This is merely one example of how this powerhouse of talent continues to give. (Those of you who would like to donate artwork to the charity auction can do so by contacting Phil directly at phil (at) redletter1 (dot) com.
To check the tattoo work of Phil has completed, you can visit Redletter here."
... Logan Hicks
INKEDblog: Phil, How'd you first get into the tattooing field?
Phil: I was young, fresh out of highschool scratching on skater kids and teenage junkies in their parents kitchen.
INKEDblog: What's the strangest request you've ever had for a tattoo?
Phil: Strange I can handle. Stupid is what kills me. Its the kids that want "white power" in Japanese. People getting names on themselves when the dont even want to but their significant other wants them to get it so they comply with the request. Its stupid. I think some people take tattoos in the same light as purchasing a teeshirt or a bumper stick from the local truck stop. It just a novelty to these people and its foolish.
INKEDblog: What makes a tattoo "good"?
Phil: Aside from technical aspects of tattooing accurately the drawing means a ton. If the drawing sucks the tattoo will suck. If the drawing rocks the tattoo could still suck if the technical side is failed. I've been trying to make everything flow really well from every angle, every side. Your body has shape and dynamics that shouldn't be ignored.
INKEDblog: What are the best and worst things about being a tattoo artist?
Phil: Traveling is probably my favorite fringe benefit. Well maybe its the people involved. Okay its probably traveling to see the people involved. I have been so lucky to meet the people I have through tattooing. So many awesome people the worst thing is probably traveling. Well, maybe its the people involved. Okay its probably traveling and having to deal with all the people involved. Its the best of times and the worst of time in the same breath.
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
Phil: I like old school tattooing. It holds a great amount of importance and beauty. When done right. New School isn't a term I like. I dont particularly care for super wacky coming-at-you shit. i am more impressed with tattoos that will hold up through the years and still look good when someone ages. Tattoos that age with the individual. however I am most impressed with innovative tattooing. the guys that do stuff no one else does, guys that have their own style and formulas. I suppose this could be consider new school because it is a new idea with a fresh approach.
Thursday Jul 07, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Pooch
Tucked away down in Lake Worth, FL sits Mike "Pooch" Pucciarelli, a tattoo artist with a pool of talent as large as the Atlantic Ocean. In 1989, Pooch was introduced to tattooing by Big Jeff Watson; however at the time, his primary focus was musical pursuits. After 10 years in his band, Raped Ape, Pooch decided to revisit tattooing.
In 1996, Pooch opened up Altered State Tattoo and has been etching colorful masks, skulls, figures, and scenes onto skin ever since. His work is on a level with Mark Ryden, Todd Schorr, and Mitch O'Connell: one look at his work and it is clear that Pooch is a pure talent through and through. His pieces would look just as good framed on the wall as they do on someone's body. Pooch commands his mediums with an ease and comfort that most artists strive for their entire lives... Logan Hicks
To view Pooch's work, visit him at: http://www.alteredstate.net
INKEDblog: So how'd you first get into tattooing?
POOCH: I was in a metal band called Raped Ape and JC Dwyer our drummer (now with Propain) kept urging me on to do it, that way he could have an ink hook up! I was drawing a lot and doing airbrush paintings at the time, very motivated by HR Giger. JC had some tattoos from Jeff Watson, so I hooked up with him and he did my first tattoo, which was based off one of my drawings, kinda Pushead like skull, Giger, Pushead and Frazetta are my alltime favorite artists. Anyhow, Jeff asked to see more of my drawings and I guess he liked them because he offered me an apprenticeship.
INKEDblog: What's the strangest request you've ever had for a tattoo?
POOCH:I find many of them strange because most people do not understand the graphic language of drawing and what makes a good tattoo, but I understand that, and always give them an option so I can do a good tattoo for them, most of the problems I see are people wanting too much in a small space which does not work, but I am lucky to have a lot of clients that let me do what I want with their ideas. A good tattoo has to hold up over time and read well, to me tattooing is more like pen and ink with watercolor than it is like an oil painting, it requires outlines which help it hold up over time to sun and fading, which being in Florida is a big problem.
INKEDblog: So what makes a tattoo "good"?
POOCH: It depends on the artist and their ability I suppose, but most of all it must be clean, I wouldn't try to tattoo without outlines, some artists do it like they are painting, but I can't say how it will look in 20 years, I do see some black and grey tattoos done that way that work though, I've done a few like that, but still prefer a clean outline, Also flow with the body is important and placement and of course bigger is better! The use of black is very important as well, a good balance of black can make or break a tattoo, as well as negative space, thats just my opinion though and I see many talented artist who do realistic work that blows me away, it's just not my forte
INKEDblog: What is the best thing about being a tattoo artist?
POOCH: The honeys and the money dawg...uhhhh no... really though, for me it's doing the best tattoo I can and the satisfaction of a happy customer that's proud to wear it. Also doing something that I love helps, so its not really a job its my life.
INKEDblog: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
POOCH:My favorite tattoo of all time? My Mom heart by Dennis Pase
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
POOCH: My thought is there should be no VS. at all, if it's done well and clean that's all that matters, I appreciate all styles and try to learn from them
Wednesday Jul 06, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Kim Addonizio, Author of "Dorothy Parker's Elbow"
INKEDblog: So first, how did you first become interested in tattoos?
Kim: I got my first tattoo when I was thirty-six. My boyfriend had several, including a lightning bolt on his chest, and I got a copy of that on my ass. It felt like getting married, only more permanent. Over the years I got a chameleon on my left shoulder, a primitive band beneath it, vines and blue roses on my back, and most recently--to celebrate my 50th birthday--a lotus on my right shoulder.
INKEDblog: Tell us a bit about your book "Dorothy Parker's Elbow"?
Kim:I was at a writer's conference with Cheryl Dumesnil, a poet friend, and we were talking about the stories behind our tattoos. Cheryl thought it would be a good idea to put together an anthology that might tell people's stories. As we worked on it, the book turned into an exploration of what tattooing means to people, on all levels. It really opened out into a book on the human experience, on permanence and change and beauty and identity, pain and memory and connection. We were blown away by all the varieties of experience that ended up in the book.
INKEDblog: What inspired you to write the book, and what kind of response have you had from the tattooing community?
Kim: I think tattooed people have enjoyed the book because it offers so many provocative ways of thinking about body art. It's great to look at pictures of tats, but it's fascinating to think about where they come from and why we get them, and what they mean.
INKEDblog: What's the strongest and strangest story in the book?
Kim:Truly, I think every piece in the book is standout. We didn't have to compromise in terms of what we picked; we were knocked out by all of it. A couple that leap to mind, though, are a non-fiction piece by a San Francisco investigator, Steve Vender, about a convict's tattoos; and a wild, funny story by Alejandro Murgia about a guy who picks up a hitchhiker. There are also a couple of essays by tattoo artists, and it's interesting to see things from the other side of the needle. As for strangest -- "Mando," the piece by Steve Vender, might qualify, though a Kafka story we reprinted, "In the Penal Colony," is way out there and stretches the definition of tattoo.
Tuesday Jul 05, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews... Jason Kundell
Jason Kundell first explored the potential of the tattoo world as a graffiti artist. After getting tattooed by the likes of Eddie Deutsche, Marcus Pacheco, and Elio Espana, he began painting graffiti with Paco Excel of New Skool Tattoo. He managed to convince Paco and Adrian Lee to give him an apprenticeship. Since then, Jason has climbed remarkably high in the tattooed ranks.
Today, Jason’s shop, Art Work Rebel, has become ground zero for the San Francisco Tattoo scene. Perched on Market Street, it houses the talents of Jason as well as Grime.
This world-class tattooist has been traversing the globe for most of 2005, practicing his craft at different shops and conventions. Stops in Rome, London, Madrid, and Milan have helped to showcase this first-rate talent.
It is clear Jason has reached his stride: he is quite comfortable in his heavily tattooed skin, living off of his talents, and enjoying life every second along the way... Logan Hicks
Check out Jason at: http://www.artworkrebels.com
INKEDblog: How'd you get into the tattooing field?
Jason: As soon as I turned 18 I started getting a lot of tattoos. I was lucky cause I had a friend from Venice who I knew from painting (graffiti) who gave me some really good people to start getting tattooed by: Elio Espana, Marcus Pacheco, Eddie Deutsche. So anyway right off the bat I saw how good tattoos can be. Especially then,(92-95 or maybe 1996) those guys were doing some great stuff. So I was instantly hooked. I always did art, mostly graff but I really wanted to do tattoos. About 2 years later me and Paco (Excel) started painting together and I eventually convinced him and Adrian (Lee) to give me an apprenticeship. The rest is history.
INKEDblog: What makes a tattoo "good"?
Jason: Lots of things can make a tattoo good. I guess just being done good makes a tattoo good, but it takes a little more than that to impress me. I guess good attention to detail really pays off. I don't mean cramming everything into a small space and making it detailed. I mean having a good design sense to make things look nice, making shapes work well together. It's also very important for me to have things remain somewhat simple but really interesting which is not always easy to not over due things. Also having good contrast weather it be in black and grey or color. Those are some things that are very important for me and things that I look for in my tattoos as well as others.
INKEDblog: What is the best and worst thing about being a tattoo artist?
Jason: Some of the best things are getting to create something new everyday for people. It's very flattering that people want you to draw things that are going to be on them and a part of them for the rest of their life. Of course there are people that don't give a shit if you tattoo them or some hack down the street. The other great thing is traveling, being able to tattoo all around the world is something incredible that I feel very fortunate about. Hell, almost everything about this job is great. For those tattooers out there who had shit jobs before (like me for sure) this has to seem like heaven. Of course not everyday is perfect but what is. Worst thing is people who don't give a shit about what your doing. They just want a fashion tattoo or something. When you finish they just look in the mirror like they just bought a new dress and it's just 1 of many to through in the closet and complain about. Also one of the worst things for me is tattooers who don't have any tattoos, or barely any.
INKEDblog: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
Jason: It changes, so I can't really pin point any one in particular. Grime is really probably the most incredible well rounded tattooer I know. No matter what style you want he can rock it. There lots of tattooers I look up to for different reasons though. I can't type that long so I'll just give you a few names. Mike roper, Chris Coon, Chris Trevino, of course Chris Garver. Horiyoshi2 and 3, horitomo is incredible. Filip Leu and Mick. Luke Atkinson, Ed Hardy, Scott Harrison, I don't know there are too many to name. Some people I think are great for reasons other than how they can put on a decent tattoo and others just treated me really good in the beginning just because they are good people, and that says more to me than anything else. People like Marcus Pacheco, Elio Espana, Chris Conn, those people were great to me, even if it was just little mannerisms, they say a lot for people.
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
Jason: I don't really give a shit about old vs. newschool. What does that mean anyway. I've been traveling a lot this last year or 2 and I see so much regurgitated shit. What most people would call old school, you know a key a torch a coffin a hand, whatever, then all mixed up with a rose and shaded from the lines out and it's traditional. To me that's new school. Everyone is jumping on that and there is absolutely nothing impressive about it. There are plenty of people who do awesome traditional shit that doesn't look like that. Snodgrass, Rollo Banks, Craig Toth. There are lots of people who make traditional look good for what it was, simple design images. The same can be said for new school, whatever that means too. There are lots of people trying to do what Marcus Pacheco, Timothy Hoyer, Adrian Lee do. The same effect happens I think. Who knows, let everyone do what they want. You can tell who does their homework and who doesn't. Their are also people who I think are awesome tattooers who don't fit in either of those categories so what do you argue about then. People like Phil Holt and George Campise do awesome shit that I don't think is particularly old or new school? What do I know? I do the same as everyone else, I try and make a decent tattoo I just don't look at other tattooers tattoos for my reference.
Every BODY Has A Story - Simon Daoudi
"The story of my Star Wars tattoo goes back to when I was three years old. I have been in love with Star Wars for 24 years. When I was in film school I got the nickname Jedinetboy because of my love for Star Wars and also how I was on the net all the time looking up info on the Star Wars prequils. (I also used to have website called Jediland.com)
I am not one of those fans who dresses up to watch the films. But I
did go to Toys-R-us at 12:01am and I do know all the movies by heart.
I guess Star Wars is what made me fall in love with film, history, and politics. It also got me into design because when I was a
kid I was in love with the old movie posters from the original
trilogy. Now I work as a freelance designer. I got my Jedi logo because I am really into the Jedi philosophy.
The day before the 12:01am showing of Episode III, I went down to
Nathan's Tattoos and got myself the tattoo. Culleton (the artist) was done working on it around 7.00pm. I was then waiting in line for the 12:01am showing of Episode III later that night.
Star Wars has been there all this time and will still be there when I am an old man. It is one of the few things in my life that makes me happy. So say what you want, but I love it.
I've been joking with my girlfriend that we need to name our kids Luke and Leia."
You can see Simon's tattoo as it was being done by clicking here.
Friday Jul 01, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Albert Jeffers
Being an old school punk rocker myself, my ears perked up upon hearing the story of Albert Jeffers’ first tattoo. The tattoo was the logo for the seminal band, Black Flag: four black bars slightly askew. With punk rock providing the soundtrack for most of my teen years, it was a story I had heard from different people over the years. While the tattoos always vary and the circumstances always vary, etching the name of a band or loved one on youthful skin as a teenage rite of passage is always entertaining. Although I managed to escape the teen marks of a sewing needle and India ink, I always feel a connection with those who know that time.
Albert shed his home-made tattoo equipment as he graduated into the consummate professional tattooist he is today. By this point, his interests extend far beyond punk rock. Albert’s quest to expand his talents reaches farther than just the ink he lays on people. His lust and passion for life seem to guide his outlook and path.
Known for his American and Japanese water themes, Albert has been 'dragging animals out of the sea and navigating bodies of water" since his pre-teen years. One look at his work and you can tell he speaks from decades of experience, not research.... Logan Hicks
For more information about Albert, please visit his website at: http://www.acidbaby.com
INKEDblog: How'd you first get into tattooing?
Albert: I grew up around fine art and music. My Mom was a Classical and Spanish guitarist in addition to her chosen profession (PhD psychoanalyst) as well as a prolific oil painter. Most members of my family have been into either painting or drawing at one time or another. I was working as a picture framer in New York City while part of the punk rock scene there in the 80’s. That’s when and where tattooing really began to blow up on the East Coast. I am primarily self-taught, but after 4 years of tattooing on my own, Lou Sciberras, Ken Cameron and the rest of the staff at Tattoos by Lou on South Beach in Miami, Florida turned me on to more professional techniques.
INKEDblog: What's the strangest request you've ever had for a tattoo?
Albert: Customers ask me this question all the time and I usually get the idea that they are looking for something titillating, like genital tattoos and I don’t really do much of that type of novelty tattooing. I work in a very personal medium; at my best I am trying to pull something out of a clients head and make an image of it. Some of it is very strange, but it all makes sense from client to client
INKEDblog: What makes a tattoo good?
Albert: First and foremost, good technique. Solid lines, bright colors with smooth transitions from color to color and solid bold black shading. Secondly a good drawing that is readable or at least aesthetically pleasing to an outside party (a viewer) and is placed well on the body. Third is what does the tattoo say about the wearer? Too many tattoos are continually put on generically without a thought to meaning or personality. Most people have a more customized car than a customized tattoo.
INKEDblog: What are the best and worst things about being a tattoo artist?
Albert: I like working closely with people. Its nice to do a large complex drawing and have a customer OK it with a statement like “You read my mind”. It’s also nice to do the little stuff and make people so happy with something simple. I think it is empowering to them and changes their self image in a good way. The worst thing is the lack of benefits and paying my own taxes.
INKEDblog: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
Albert: I like a lot of Japanese work. My favorite story about my own tattoos is one I tell clients all the time. Usually when they talk about teenagers who hand poke their own tattoos. In 1983 My best friend, myself and our girlfriends all decided we were going to have me hand poke tattoos on all of us. I was 13 at the time. We did it in my living room with India ink and a sewing needle. I did this Black Flag symbol on myself, I believe even before Henry Rollins was in the band. It’s so funny punk rock made a full circle and is popular again. Anyway, one of my mentors suggested I cover it up with something he thought was more aesthetically pleasing in 1988, so I did. I regret it so much. That is now my favorite tattoo. That moment in time is very precious to me and I wish I still had the memento. It reminds me that tattoos have a deeper meaning than just an image. That sometimes, no matter how crude, maybe people should not give in to social pressure just because someone else does not understand their choice in imagery or the context of an image.
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
Albert: I'm a traditionalist to a certain point. I think its great to put twists into the old stuff to keep it new, but I do believe it should come from an educated standpoint. Picasso did not start out with Cubism. He learned the traditional methods of classical painting first and that is what makes him and other modern artists so important; they could paint a subject true to life. It really bothers me when I see these children on the lifestyle section of the newspaper who do cubist paintings and the public calls them the next Picasso. They can’t be the next Picasso because they are not abandoning classical art for a new medium. They are just blindly jumping into a medium with a lack of substance.
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.
Tuesday Jun 28, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews... Eli Quinters
When the unloved need tattoos, they call upon the talents of Eli Quinters. A bit of an enigma, Eli lets his work do most of the talking for him. I did, however, manage to squeak a few answers out of him for the Inked Blog website.
Eli's beginnings in tattooing are shrouded and subsequent attempts to get the 411 on him were unsuccessful, but here is the full extent of what I do know about him:
1) He went to Pratt Institute
2) He has more talent than anyone can imagine
To see more of Eli's work, check out Tattoos For The Unloved
... Logan Hicks
INKEDblog: Eli, what's the strangest request you've ever had for a tattoo?
Eli: It's always real strange to me when people ask me to put a boyfriend or girlfriend's name on their body. I cover names more than any other tattoo, and it always amazes me when people do get a name. A name seems to almost jinx the relationship. I think its a real sweet and romantic idea, but it's almost always a bad idea.
INKEDblog:So what makes a tattoo "good"?
Eli: Clean and even lines. Solid and saturated color. Dark and smooth black shading. It's nice to see a few healed tattoos in an artists portfolio, so that you can see how their tattoos look weeks or months later.
INKEDblog: What are the best and the worst things about being a tattoo artist?
Eli: Being a tattoo artist is amazing. If you're an outcast, its perfect. That's also the worst thing about being a tattoo artist.
INKEDblog: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
Eli: My favorite tattoo of all time is a back peace I did on my friend Henrick. It's an hour glass with a severed woman's head in the top half. There is a snake wrapped around it and apples all around it. It's my first back peace and I'm very proud of it. My favorite tattoo on other people is any tattoo that is about their mom. You never regret getting a tattoo for your mom. It's a classic.
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
Eli: I prefer to try to make my tattoos look more towards the old school style. But I think that a good tattoo design is a good tattoo design. If the tattoo is still cool looking, and still holding up in the skin in 30 years, than it's a good tattoo.
Monday Jun 27, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Mitch O'Connell
Mitch O'Connell's work is almost ubiquitous in the illustration world, and has appeared everywhere from Newsweek to MTV. He’s down with drawing traditional newspaper comics, but is just as comfortable submitting work to publications like Deadline and Juxtapoz. He published his first graphic novel, ‘The World of Ginger Fox’ in 1986, and followed that with two collections, ‘Good Taste Gone Bad’ in 1993, and ‘Pwease Wuv Me!’ in 1998. He has recently been concentrating on tattoo designs, which have been bolstered with the debut of his Tattoo Flash package, ‘Done While Drunk in 2002’.
INKEDblog: Mitch, how did you first get into tattooing?
Mitch: I always loved and admired tattoo flash. When I look at a sheet of old school flash I can actually feel a tug in my gut. My attraction to tattoos wasn't something I had to think through, it's a physical reaction. So, since I liked 'em so much, I incorporated designs in my commercial (and "fine art") work all the time. Along with that I started to get photos from folks who were having my illustrations tattooed on 'em. It floored me. You can't get a much higher complement that having someone permanently engrave your stuff on their flesh. I draw for a newspaper, it's thrown out the next day. An illustration for a magazine might stay on the coffee table for a couple of weeks (unless it's at the dentist's office where it'll hang on for years) and a gallery show is only up for a month, but a tattoo... that's gonna be the winner for hanging in there! The folks who liked my doodles started pushing me to put out my own flash. They didn't have to push too hard. I went back and studied the masters like Sailor Jerry, Tats Thomas, Owen Jensen, etc. (And again I was knocked out by their skill. Old school tattoos are like, to me, something so solid and classic, like a 100 year old oak tree, a hand sewn Revolutionary war flag, carnival banner or Mount Rushmore). I realized this is a whole different art form where I'd have to adopt to fit the guidelines. Technically I wanted to keep the designs as trouble free as possible for the tattooist. Once I worked up some line drawings I mailed 'em off to tattooists I knew and admired, and also visited local shops to get feedback. I especially wanted to learn the tattooing process and what type of designs moved. I didn't want my sheets just looking pretty but gathering dust on the wall, I wanted 'em to be popular. If some one isn't getting tattooed with my designs I don't think they count as flash. I know that years ago (since the tattoo community has a history of being a closed shop) I might not have been given the time of day. But since many folks had heard of me and could see that I was sincere, I got a lot of very helpful suggestions (O.K. some people did tell me to drop dead, hey, there has to be a little truth to stereotypes!).
INKEDblog: But interestingly, you yourself don't have any tats, do you?
Mitch: I've been working up a design of my wife for my arm for years but still can't get it right. So at the risk of being roundly booed by all your readers...I have no tattoos. But, hell, I'm well groomed... doesn't that count for anything?! We all (Me, my wife Ilsabe and the young 'uns Leo and Kieran) set up at the HellCity Tattoo Convention a couple of years back to unload some flash. I was quite happy it was chilly so I could wear a long sleeved turtleneck so at least people might think I was tattooed. I had visions of being tarred and feathered if I went swimming in the hotel pool and my secret was discovered. Anyway, I didn't fool anyone. They all had tattoo radar and could figure it out pretty easily. No tar and feathers were involved that weekend but I did get many offers to have my first tat.
INKEDblog: So what's your favorite tattoo of all time?
Mitch: Anyone who has been tasteful enough to get one of my doodles inked on 'em. They're all a #1 tie.
INKEDblog: Anyone in the tattoo industry that you're giving props to at the moment?
Mitch: Any tattoo shop that's been good enough to display my flash is, of course tops in my book. Artists I know and/or admire working now include, Daniel Higgs, Seth Ciferri, Marcus Kuhn, Eric Maaske among many, many others. Also, the tattoo magazine editors have been extremely generous in giving me favorable press in their magazines.
INKEDblog: So who;s the most interesting person you've worked with, and whom would you like to work with in the future?
Mitch: Why that would be the lovely Mrs. Ilsabe O'Connell. She helps me figure out how the computer works and puts together my website. You can read all about her and her music career at www.ilsabeoconnell.com
Friday Jun 24, 2005
Six Questions For... Chris O'Donnell
Recently INKEDblog caught up with the legendary Chris O'Donnell of New York Adorned
INKEDblog: Chris, how'd you get into tattooing?
CHRIS: I lucked into a situation where I could learn to tattoo in a professional shop. I learned more about dealing with customers and autoclaving equipment then i did about doing good tattoos but I am thankful. It was my after school job during my senior year of highschool. I avoided wasting a lot of time trying to find myself I guess.
INKEDblog: What's the strangest request you've ever had?
CHRIS: You hear so many unusual request through the years they just become usual. There isnt anything shocking anymore, sorry. Give it up!!!
INKEDblog: What makes a tattoo "good"?
CHRIS: A strong graphic quality is one of the most important things to me. You should at least be able to make out some intresting shape from a short distance. That and a silly image doesnt help.
INKEDblog: What is the best thing about being a tattoo artist?
CHRIS: The best thing and the worst thing about being a tattoo artist is the people. I enjoy people and I've met some great people thanks to tattooing but I love working in solitude. I enjoy working in the comfort of my home on something that isn't worried if I'm doing a good job or not, or worried that there not making enough small talk. I dont know, I would probably miss the personal connection if suddenly it was gone. It can be alot of pressure though.
INKEDblog: Describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
CHRIS: The big stuff is what I've always liked the most. It just seems to effect me more than the small collector style work. Higgs, Hardy, Deutsche, Horiyoshi 2, etc...
INKEDblog: What's your thoughts on Old School vs. New School styles?
CHRIS: Old school, New school, they have to be the most over used, meaningless terms ever to confuse people in the history of tattooing. There are older people doing new style tattoos and younger guys that fantasize about being Sailor Jerry. Traditional Americana vs. Graffiti vs. Japanese Bodysuits vs. Cubist vs. Acid Trip Space Spirals vs....... who cares. I know what I like and try to do a good, clean, sterile, inspired and responsible job everytime.
Wednesday Jun 22, 2005
INKEDblog Interviews Darren Barefoot
Darren Barefoot's search for textual tattoos has lead him to create one of the best repositories of permanently penned phrases on the internet. Fascinated by tattoos comprised mostly of English words and sentences, Darren has become the internet's defacto expert on words on skin. Recently we caught up with Darren to chat about the good, the bad, and the ugly in the world of textual tats.
INKEDblog: So, how and why did you first become interested in textual tattoos?
Darren: I watched an episode of "Lost", and noticed that Dominic Monaghan (formerly Merry in the Lord of the Rings movies) had some words tattooed on his upper arm. They read "living is easy, with eyes closed". That, of course, is a lyric from the Beatles'"Strawberry Fields Forever". In a world of celtic and Asian characters tattooed on backs everywhere, I thought that was pretty cool.
INKEDblog: So Darren, do you have any tats yourself?
Darren: I don't have any tattoos. I've got a bit of a rant about some tattoo owners here. It may explain why I'm disinclined.
INKEDblog: But, if you did have one, what would it say?
Darren: If I did get a tattoo, it would definitely be of the textual variety. I meditate on what I might print on my body here. It would almost certainly be a song lyric or line from a poem. Two that come immediately to mind are "I have heard the mermaids singing" from Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" or "red means run, son, numbers add up to nothing" from Neil Young's "Powderfinger". Something short and pithy.
INKEDblog: So, what's the coolest and most interesting textual tattoo you've seen?
Darren: My favorite is probably a quote from Ghandi
INKEDblog: Okay, so what's the worst quote you've ever seen on skin?
Darren: Unless you speak the language, or have strong associations with the language (as in, you were born in a given country or spent a long time there), I'm really not crazy about foreign language characters. It seems to me that every time I see a 20-something women lean over I spot a Japanese kanji character on the small of her back. To me, it reeks of a kind of cultural imperialism and a shallowness that I find really distasteful. Often they're terribly done -- and deeply inaccurate in their meaning. There's a whole blog solely dedicated to debunking poor usage of kanji characters. You can check it out here.
Here's a good example of such a tattoo gone horribly wrong:
INKEDblog: Is there a certain kind of characteristic in someone that is associated with getting a textual tat vs a tat of a bird or butterfly etc?
Darren: As I've said, getting a textual tattoo takes more courage, because its meaning is unambiguous. As such, I'd expect textual tattoo owners to be more thoughtful than the average person. As you'll see in my rant (referenced in answer #2), many tattoo owners seem to give very little thought to what image they get.
(Photo of Darren Barefoot by Kris Krug)
Tuesday Jun 21, 2005
Artist Profile: Aaron Bell
Although he got his start in Southern California, Aaron Bell has been tucked away tattooing in Seattle for the better part of twelve years. Originally a punk rocker, Aaron acquired his first equipment in 1984. By the time he was 18 years old, he was slinging ink extensively. He gave up tattooing in ‘90 for the stability of creating illustrations and later operating a clothing company that designed punk rock-related T-shirts.
After moving up to Seattle in ‘93 with his wife, a biker named Bill opened up a tattoo shop next to Aaron’s apartment. A quick chat later, Aaron jump started his tattooing by apprenticing at the shop. When Biker Bill decided to move on, he sold the shop to Aaron and ‘Slave to the Needle’ Tattoo Shop was born.
Since then, Aaron has cemented his place in the tattooing world by leading the New School as well as traditional Japanese tattoo styles. Doing close to 10 shows a year worldwide, he has managed to walk the line between creative force and consummate business man with ease.
If you are in Seattle, stop by the ‘Slave to the Needle’ shop and say hello, but don’t expect to saddle up to the booth and get a tattoo same day. Aaron is in high demand these days, so appointments are strongly suggested.
-- Logan Hicks
"I started tattooing in the early 80’s. It was not a main source of income at the time and I struggled throughout the years to enlighten myself about the evasive, secretive world of tattooing. Finally in ’94 I got my big break. I received an apprenticeship. Once I obtained that ‘secret’ knowledge from my boss, and co-workers, I traded in my old addictions for a new one, Tattooing. Since fall of 2003 I’ve managed to win over 60 awards. I have been a member of the Alliance of Professional Tattooists and the National Tattoo association since the start of my ‘professional’ career. I am always striving to further my education in all aspects of tattooing, from the technical to the prevention of disease transmission.
I have many influences and mentors in the business, including the incredibly talented group of artists here at Slave to the Needle. I am learning from each and every one of them daily and it is truly great to be immersed in such a creative environment. I am very happy about what I do. Thanks to all who’ve inspired me and to you the customer, for the trust, and for keeping it interesting for me. As I like to say “This sure beats working.” ... Aaron Bell
Visit www.slavetotheneedle.com for more information.
Monday Jun 20, 2005
Six Questions For... Guy Aitchison
Guy Aitchison is one of the names that you constantly hear in the tattooing world. He's credited with being an inspiration, elevating the tattoo profession, and having a unique style.
It wasn't until I saw his work that I understood why: Guy is a powerhouse of talent. His work is peppered with texture, patterns, geometry, religious iconography, and architecture. His work is executed with a precision that is unparalleled.
Guy began by cutting his teeth at Bob Olson's Custom Tattooing in Chicago. Two years later he opened his own shop, Guilty & Innocent Productions. Since then, he has become a staple in the many tattoo magazines. He lectures and shows his tattoo and paintings regularly.
--- Logan Hicks
INKEDblog: So first, how'd you originally get into the tattooing field?
Guy: I was a young commercial illustrator, doing album covers for low budget hardcore and heavy metal records. My sister one day suggested we go get tattooed, which had never really occurred to me before that. Watching the process, I couldn't shake the idea that I'd enjoy doing it. Four years and many complications later, I landed an apprenticeship with Chicago's Bob Oslon. I had gone in to get a tattoo, and had brought my own drawing for the piece. We hit it off, and he was at that critical moment when his new shop was really picking up for the first time and he needed a second artist in the shop. It was a quick, straightforward, very educational apprenticeship. I stayed at his shop for two years.
INKEDblog: What's the strangest request you've ever had for a tattoo?
Guy: I had a guy ask for an inkless tattoo on a sensitive area. Being new in the field and emboldened by Bob Oslon's stories of working in a sleazy Hollywood Boulevard shop, I made the appointment with the guy, figuring it was nothing compared the the wierdness that went on in some shops. Well, the day came, I did the piece, but he didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I think he had hoped, and it was a short session.
INKEDblog: In your mind, what makes a tattoo "good"?
Guy: If the wearer loves their tattoo, it's a winner. This can be from a combination of good design, strong execution, and the right personal treatment during the session. If any of these elements are lacking, they won't love their piece as much as they should.
INKEDblog: What are the best and worst things about being a tattoo artist?
Guy: The best things are the worst things, and vice versa. This is a profession that really takes over your life. On the one hand, this
intensity can be attractive, highly motivating, high status, all that
stuff... but on the other hand, this can burn a person out if they don't find the right lifestyle balance. It is also a great medium for a painter to work in, since tattooing will force the artist to problem solve in new ways and break old habits. On the flip side of this, it is sometimes hard for a tattooist to find time to paint, and if this is something they want to seriously pursue it is a frustrating thing to find that happy medium.
INKEDblog: So, describe your favorite tattoo of all time?
Guy: That's a tough question; I don't like to play favorites. One of my very favorites is my left arm, which was a collaboration between Aaron Cain and Grime. It covers a bunch of old tattooing that I had lasered off. I was involved in the design aspect of the piece. It was a thrilling event for me artistically and is a powerful sleeve. I like it even more knowing what used to be there before I started lasering.
INKEDblog: Any thoughts about Old School vs. New School styles?
Guy: I think all styles are valid, and each can inform the other. I don'tvunderstand these young tattooers who choose the nonconformist route of becoming heavily tattooed, then taking on the highly conformist attitude that only the style they personally work in is valid. Get over it, people. Tattooing is most successful as an art movement when it acts as a great artistic melting pot. I don't understand closed minded artists; it seems like a contradiction to me.
To book an appointment, or for more information about Guy, visit www.hyperspacestudios.com
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