Excerpts from a recent Q&A session/interview... Enjoy! :] 1. Who influenced your tattoo skills the most? I dont know that I have any tattoo skills but, Doc Dog (Las Vegas Tattoo Co.) has, without a doubt, influenced my philosophy & approach to tattooing more than everyone else combined! Ive been in & around the tattoo industry most of my life and never seen anyone who knows the way like Doc Dog.., it is nothing short of amazing to watch him work!!! 2. What would you like to see happen for the future economy of your industry, both on a small and large scale? For the economic state of the industry (and public health concerns), on a small scale, itd be nice to see more enforcement of the laws prohibiting the rampant epidemic of countless people carelessly tattooing, without a license, in unsanitary conditions, without health department oversight or income tax responsibilities. These scratchers are like leaches, sucking the life blood out of a sacred art, without any real concerns or obligations, while undercutting prices, thus driving the market down, leaving little room for legitimate, licensed, tax paying artists, like myself, to compete & make a profit!!! On a larger scale, Id like to see some legislation prohibiting tattoo supply companies from selling their products to anyone other than licensed professionals.., or face stiff penalties! I understand that this would be tricky due to the fact that, its hard to apply these kinds of laws to the foreign companies importing most of the supplies these days... In my idea of a perfect world.., the internet would completely crash & only the real tattoo guys/girls would know their way in the dark!!! 3. What considerations do you encourage your customers to make before getting a tattoo? At the end of the day, I tattoo whatever my customer requests but, I do have a conscience so, I try to encourage my clients to consider their employment options with certain placements and/or imagery.., after all, if they cant get a job they wont be back so, its job security on my part as well. Tiny, intricate details are another thing I try to steer people away from, due to experience. Weve all seen the indecipherable images on our parents or grandparents.., the result of a small, overly detailed tattoo blurring as their skin naturally ages. Doc Dog taught me, I dont care how great it looks up close.., if you cant tell what it is from across the room its not a good tattoo! I also advise against going cheap versus saving up & paying what it costs for a quality tattoo. Its not a pair of shoes that you can throw in the closet when they start to hurt your feet! The shame of wearing a cheap tattoo lasts a lot longer than it takes to save a couple extra bucks.., theyre a luxury not a necessity! In most cases, time spent is directly proportionate to money spent so, the less money they spend the less time Im going to spend researching, designing, & applying their tattoo. I love working in my chosen profession but its still work! 4. What are some technological advances in your industry that you find fascinating? It seems like, for the past few years, there are new advancements in equipment practically every year, if not season, but I wouldnt say Im particularly fascinated by any of it. Im pretty old school in the sense that I figure, if it aint broke dont fix it! The traditional coil tattoo machine was patented in 1891, by a tattooist named Samuel OReilly, a slight variation of an engraving tool invented by none other than Thomas Edison. That basic design is still in use & was pretty much the only design until a few years ago. Now every new kid on the block wants to reinvent the wheel & some even have some great ideas but, in the end, it still pushes a needle up & down at variable speed & depth! For the most part, I see a lot of the new machines geared toward making it so that the user doesnt have to know how their tools work in order to use them.., bypassing an important aspect of the trade in my opinion. 5. What do you say when you come across critics of your trade? I assume you mean the negative criticism & stereotypes...!?! In that case, its not a real issue anymore. I do remember a time when it was next to impossible to get a lease or loan, without disguising my occupation with titles like dermagraphic technician or micro pigment implantation specialist, but now, in the fashion & media devoured state of tattooing today, its almost advantageous to write TATTOO ARTIST, on applications, as big as possible. Since the tattoo related TV shows landed in the living room of nearly every household around the world, the stigma & mystique of the art is virtually nonexistent.., a most unfortunate & disenchanting reality if you ask me! 6. Who is the coolest person you ever met on the job? After almost 22 years of nonstop tattooing professionally, Ive met so many cool people because of my job, its one of the few things left that makes me excited to continue working in the industry! Obviously, there are the people I look up to in the trade, that Ive met, who I am honored to now consider family.., Doc Dog being the closest! I hate to name drop but, most people reading this probably have no idea who most or any of these people are so, I feel they deserve mentioning. With Doc Dogs encouragement & blessings, I have inexplicably earned a place at the table alongside the elites of the tattoo industry such as Zeke the streak Owen, Crazy Philadelphia Eddie, Lyle Tuttle, Bowery Stan Moskowitz, Shanghai Kate Hellenbrand, & many more.., as well as having the pleasure of sharing thoughts with internationally known artists like Jack Rudy, Doc Forest, Tattoo Svend, Bob Tyrell, Paul Booth, Mr Cartoon, Deano Cook, Boog, and countless others. Aside from my heroes within the industry, Ive met & tattooed all walks of life from the underworld to the elite & everything in between.., most of them being pretty cool in their own right! 7. How do you discern an artist’s specific style when looking their portfolio? Being in & around the trade for as long as I have (40+yrs), its rare that I see a portfolio with an artists specific style. Im not exempt from my own criticism here either! More often than not, I see the same style and/or trend being regurgitated & beaten like a dead horse.., even when done well, its still lifeless after the 10,000th time its been done! Maybe that will be my contribution to the technological advancement of the industry.., a copy machine that searches the internet for the latest tattoo trends & does half hearted duplicates right onto the skin, a kiosk in every mall across the country, that way it would only cost a couple bucks & people could save their money so they could keep up with the latest fashion trends on their favorite (un)reality show! Sorry.., Im starting to let the drunk leprechaun take over here, end of rant... When I do see a portfolio with a distinct style and consistency, it doesnt look like anything Ive ever seen before, it has life to it, & it causes an emotional response.., thats when I know the artist is the real deal! (MORE TO COME...)
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 17:23:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015