Transforming dreams into tattoos and bodies into works of art – tattoo artist Maxime Etienne, owner of Leonart studio in Bondi, Sydney, Australia chats to us about his humble beginnings, the process behind his designs and his charity work…
I have been getting tattoos since I was 18 and always loved art in terms of creation. Painting, sculpting, drawing and tattooing have always been industries I’ve wanted to work in. But, I never thought I could have the skills to do any of them until I tried to draw in late 2016. I started drawing with a lot of geometry pattern and in an abstract version of realism.
I started tattooing in late 2016 at home when I realised I could actually draw a little. I wanted to get more tattoos but couldn’t afford them. So I ordered a $40 tattoo kit on eBay and started to practice on my legs, my arms and even my chest and stomach before tattooing some friends.
I never thought I could be a professional artist of any kind. But after tattooing a decent number of friends for the about eight months loads of people contacted me via Instagram and my follwers increased. I realised that maybe I could become a real tattoo artist one day. One night I met a bunch of tattooists that loved my chest piece that I did myself. They told me “if you can do that on yourself and it heals that way then you can definitely become a tattoo artist.”
So, after roughly 10 months I decided to apply for my licence here in Australia and started in a studio as soon as I received it. After 10 months working in that studio, I opened my own and now it has been two years and I work more than I ever expected.
After some researc I discovered so many artists that inspired me and realised what I like is already there and what I could do would be appreciated by a certain audience. I pushed my creativity further and came up with what I do today. Realism, abstract and detailed pieces that are done to tell a story or express a feeling. I am inspired by everything that comes into my mind and what I love. Nature, animals, astronomy, women’s features, architecture and scientific research illustrations.
Most of my designs are from my clients’ stories. I am trying to turn their feelings, dreams, or their past into images. I design everything one day before the appointment and finalise it on the day after asking further questions. I work that way because I really put myself into their story or project and so I don’t work on several designs at the same time. I only book one client a day to ensure we can get the best out of their future tattoo.
I see myself as a designer more than someone who draws, as I often mix up several elements all together.
I try to give my designs the best contrast and shape for the placement that is given to me. I cannot freehand my designs as they require great details and geometry. Floral and extra small pieces in a piece can sometimes be free-handed, but I prefer having a stencil on to ensure the result will be the best and let my client really visualise what it will look like.
My style is really hard to describe in one word. It is composed of micro realism, abstract and geometry. A dream project would be a full body covered of many designs that would express the wish of freedom and the love for nature and earth. I love the diagram patterns used from engineers and would attach all designs together that way to turn the body into an actual book of human feelings and perception of life on our planet. What we are doing on earth, thanking it for the beauty of it and mixing different feelings most of us are going through to express our strength and fragility.
I see my art lasting through time as I am constantly trying to evolve, learn and create. I am a dreamer and a hard worker at the same time. I always give everything I have to achieve my goals, but if one day my art isn’t appreciated any more and I am forced to only execute clients’ thoughts without having the opportunity to create on my own, then I will do something else.
Tattooing became a passion, it’s more than a job. It has never been a way to make money for me, but a dream that became true – to live by doing what I love and making people happy.
Tattooing is an industry where we are in contact with people for hours and deep conversations occur during the process of tattooing. I’ve met so many incredible people that have told me real stories of what they have been through and their issues. Which are unfortunately not mentioned enough to a general audience, including domestic violence issues. I have been raised by my grandmother and my mother and grew up with one sister. Women are everything, they made me who I am today.
I work with an organisation called Karmagawa created by two really close friends of mine, Mat Abad and Thimoty Sykes. I travel with them and help them on different events around the world and design clothes for charity. They both inspire me not only with their charity work, but with their personalities and open minds. They showed me that we can do more than just work for ourselves and we must all help when we can.
Domestic violence, which isn’t always physical, on children and women is something I would really like to help with. Organisations are here to help those in need and money is often necessary to ensure they can keep running. Doing a tattoo fundraiser isn’t only for the money but to reach people that might be in need or even to help them realise what happens to them isn’t normal.
Social media as a platform is powerful, me doing a tattoo fundraiser with posts and stories might push other artists to do so too. I have done similar with the Australian bush fires and given the money to people that were helping those on the spot not just to the organisation.
That’s what I would like to do here. I would like to raise money of course by giving all the profit to organisations, but I am sure that just posting about it could help to raise awareness and I will do that a couple of times every year. My future project is to open a studio in Amsterdam and work with artists that will be willing to do some flash days every year for different causes.
Editor Rosalie shares her most romantic tattoo and speaks to other tattoo collectors about their tattoos inked in the name of love…
That’s right an initial, I got the first letter of my husband’s name tattooed on me. It’s not even his full name or a significant date that ties us intrinsically together. We’ve been a couple for over 11 years and we’ve already got matching tattoos, three to be exact – a hamster (our first pet together), maple leaves to mark our Canadian honeymoon, and watermelons (he has the whole minus a slice, and I have the slice).
So why did it take me so long to take the next step? I’m not even sure to be honest, definitely not a fear of commitment or the pain, or that age-old idea of tattoo regret. A lot of my tattoos have little meaning, and I feel as I go on getting more and more tattooed, the design and reasoning matters even less.
It’s not on my wedding finger, or prominently etched onto my arm, his little A sits on my leg in a little heart lock. Perhaps unnoticeable in the sea of tattoos that make up my body. The romantic in me, did it as a surprise, though (how sweet?).
Now I’ve joined the name tattoo club I wanted to hear from some other members:
Kath from Essex, got her husband’s name tattooed on her recently – “It’s a funny story, we got married in 2002 then divorced and then remarried in 2017. I only got the tattoo this year as this time it’s for keeps! He doesn’t have any tattoos and I got his name as a surprise, he’s quite chuffed with it!”
Paige from Newcastle and her fiancé Shay got matching tattoos after a couple of months together – “I’ve nearly been with Shay a year, but when I met him I just knew – you know? We got a lot of shit for our tattoos. My account has quite a few followers and one of them shared the tattoo on a tattoo shaming page on Facebook. The amount of grief we got, not just for the names but for the other tattoos we have, was ridiculous. It did upset me, what I put on my body is my business. If it’s not something they’d do, that’s their choice, this is mine.”
Paige and Shay’s tattoos done in Gateshead
“We know we want to get some more, but just don’t know what, the strawberry was part of the match because we had a running joke about strawberry lube! But when something like that sticks out to us again we’ll probably get another matching one. I want one where we draw something for each other and get it tattooed, like, something little, like a frog or something!”
“I love my tattoos, I don’t see tattoos as a sacred thing, as you can tell! I have a lot of cover-ups too. It’s more of an experience to me, if a tattoo is shit it’s just another one. Like getting Shay’s name, it wasn’t a big deal – if we break up, I can just get it covered up, y’know? It’s only small. I can understand why people think it’s a big deal but it just doesn’t bother me.”
Chloe, tattoo artist from Leicester, got her husband’s nickname tattooed on her – “I got it just before we got married (September ‘17) while Jody was guesting with us. We were getting matching lemons as we were about to get married in Sicily, and I wanted a little something extra as a surprise for him. I wish there was a better story behind the nickname other than we just started calling each other it one day after watching Beavis and Butthead!”
Are you part of the lover tattoo gang? Let us know and show us your tattoos by tagging us on Instagram!
Bonnie Maxwell, self proclaimed ‘Autistic Queen’ is a tattoo apprentice at Gun and Pedal Tattoo Studio in Brighton. Since sharing her experiences as a person with autism in the tattoo industry on Instagram, we knew we had to speak to Bonnie and find out more about her story…
What made you want to become a tattoo artist? I sort of just fell into it, I always knew I was going to do something creative with my life as drawing is everything to me. I have a first class degree in Illustration from Brighton University so from there I’ve had multiple creative jobs, but never felt I could really be myself in them, tattooing felt natural to me and the thought of being my own boss as a queer autistic woman felt empowering.
What do you love to tattoo or draw, what inspires you? To put it simply, I am a neo-traditional artist who loves colour, animals and nature and anything in between. A lot of my inspiration comes from concept sketches and video games and even from my love of Pokémon, just a huge mix of drawing Pokemon for years and translating that into something I enjoy. I like using colour and subject themes and sometimes limiting my colour palette and drawing in a way that fits the space and canvas perfectly.
When did you get your autism diagnosis? Can you tell us about this? Absolutely, so I have always known there was something different about me – even when I was younger, I never really had an interest in having loads of friends or doing all the “normal” things a teenager would. I was more interested in my hobbies and my art.
I was officially diagnosed in November 2019 at the age of 27. Up until this point I really struggled socially and didn’t have a clue that I might be autistic, just because the general portrayal of people with autism is very different, and what most don’t realise is that it’s a spectrum and women can present differently to men. Women have the ability to mask, to blend in, which means obtaining a diagnosis can be such a challenge as women can appear to seem “normal”. I was lucky enough, but there are still so many out there who need that support.
Can you tell us about your experiences within the tattoo industry? Have you struggled with apprenticeships before? Where do I start? So I’ve basically struggled with every apprenticeship I’ve been in, I’m in my fifth now and I’m totally okay with that. My current studio have been super supportive and just let me tattoo and get on with it and that’s all I ask for. I’ve been in a few different kinds of apprenticeships, each with different ways of doing things and I have picked up tips from each, but never managed to really stay at a studio so predominantly I am self-taught.
I feel like there isn’t an understanding of disabilities, even in this industry. I have experienced bullying first hand which is never okay and those artists should feel ashamed.
I have tried to fit in with studio banter, I’ve been called lazy which is insulting as there’s not a day that goes by where I’m not drawing. I’ve had people tell me to fake it ’til I make it, pretend to be confident, to look busy and talk to the customers all the time, even though all I wanted to do was avoid the drama and draw. I didn’t want to lose another apprenticeship because I didn’t do what my mentor asked, but because of my disability, I didn’t feel like I could change myself to fit a mould and this became overwhelming so most of the time I ended up leaving.
Because of my autism I don’t really have a filter and most of the time I will just say it as it is, which can get me into trouble and I don’t always understand that this could be wrong. Because I have poor organisational skills, I mostly forget what I’ve been told to do and this can make it seem like I’m lazy. I have strong beliefs in right and wrong and will correct someone without realising, I also have a lot of sensitivities – like if people are talking over each other and music is too loud, it’s physically painful. For eight hours a day, I avoid eye contact and social interaction which can be exhausting. These are all things I’ve come across in a studio setting. This is just my experience and how I’ve felt, but may be completely different in a more understanding studio or for someone else with a disability.
What do you find most challenging about tattooing? Tattooing itself feels like the most natural career for me, it’s the personalities and egos that make it challenging especially in those that have very specific views on what an apprenticeship should be. Social engagement is hard enough when you have autism, so having to deal with other people makes the job harder. I feel like some still believe an apprenticeship should be a challenge and something gruelling that you have to earn, which may have been how they did it back in the day, but now anyone can tattoo. Just because your mentor was treated badly and had a hard time in their apprenticeship doesn’t mean you should be treated the same.
There’s also no job security, so as an apprentice you are completely dispensable. As someone with autism or a disability, you will have your own way of learning and adapting a task to make it more manageable. When I was trying to do a traditional apprenticeship and be someone’s cleaner for a year, I didn’t feel like I was progressing much. Although I did learn about cleanliness and health and safety, I learned this from artists outside of my apprenticeships and made my own cleaning routine.
I know I may upset some by saying this but I believe if someone has the artistic talent and promise to do well they should be able to learn in a way that encourages this and is accommodating with their disabilities. Tattooing should be accessible to all.
In what ways do you think your autism helps you and makes you a better tattooer? Ooh now how to start this without coming across as arrogant or blunt. My brain is wired differently so I have a completely different view of the world. It may be different to others with the same disability, but for me I can see and view things in a very unique way. People with autism tend to have special interests which means we have intense interest in certain subjects or hobbies. Some like bikes or watches I have an intense interest in art and tattooing, not to mention my not-so-secret love for Pokemon. That love will never die.
So for me instead of going out and socialising or drinking or doing anything else, I spend 90 per cent of my time doing something tattoo related, whether it’s researching needle groupings, or learning techniques, or finding out about the different types of aftercare or working on how I can give my client a great experience and tattoo. I have the ability to hyper-focus and draw for hours and hours without taking a break, I’m fast and can knock out three or four full colour flash sheets if I wanted in a single day.
Nobody can tell me I’m not passionate or cut out for this industry because I can’t complete a traditional apprenticeship, when I live and breathe art and tattooing every day. My clients love this about me and how much time and effort I put into my work for them.
Tattooing is not just a job or a rockstar lifestyle, it’s a passion. I am proud I’m autistic because I feel lucky to feel so passionate about what I do and this is what makes me feel like I make a better tattoo artist.
What would you like your clients to know about you or is there anything they can do during the appointment or before that could help? So everyone with autism is different and will have different requirements and needs. For me, too much social interaction can feel exhausting so unless I know the client very well sometimes I don’t talk as much and just get on with the tattoo. That’s never a sign that I’m being rude, I would rather focus on getting the tattoo perfect for the client than to have to think of phrases and conversations. I have sensory issues so if I’m not feeling myself that day I may stick a headphone in so I don’t get overwhelmed. Again I don’t mean to be rude, it just helps me to give you the best tattoo I can.
Also change is a big scary thing for someone with autism, for me I could have a bit of a flap if a client changes their mind too much on the day of the tattoo, because with my disability I can’t process that change if I have planned out the tattoo. This seems like an explosion of information for the client but honestly it’s not that bad, all my clients have been awesome and understanding and are completely clear and let me do my thing. So far anyways…
What advice would you give studio owners or other tattooists who either have autism themselves or work with someone who is? Best advice to anyone in my shoes is to be honest and upfront with your mentor about your needs and discuss how you like to learn and what you both can do for each other to make sure no communication is lost. Never tolerate an apprenticeship that treats you badly or makes you do things that are completely not tattoo related or puts you in a position where you have to fit their mould. You are better than that.
There will always be people that will bully and drag you down especially when you are talented and different, but never let it get to you. The journey doesn’t matter, we all want to be in the same place. And to the mentors out there with an autistic apprentice or looking to take one on, my biggest advice for you would be to learn all you can about autism, learn about your apprentice’s needs and how they like to learn. Even for an autistic client this would be useful, ask if they would like the music turned down or an extra pillow for sensory issues. To be inclusive and knowledgeable will really have a positive impact on this industry.
In the world of tattooing, skin conditions including psoriasis, seem to be almost completely left out of the discussion. But what happens when you want to get tattooed and you have a skin condition?
Writer and tattoo collector Lucy Edwards was diagnosed with psoriasis at 16, in this interview she chats to Aimee Grace Godden, a tattooed artist also fighting psoriasis about her psoriasis journey and how it has affected her tattoos.
Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition characterised by an overgrowth of skin cells causing red lesions that range in severity from person to person. It often flares up during times of stress or when any damage is caused to the skin such as tattoos. The condition affects people so differently that there is no solid tattoo related advice for all individuals battling psoriasis. I have never had a flare due to a tattoo and my tattoos had always healed normally, but this may not be everyone’s experience.
The silence around psoriasis and tattoos unfortunately leaves many people questioning whether or not they can or should get tattoos. I spoke to Aimee to understand her experiences to open up the narrative around skin in the tattoo industry…
Aimee, can you tell us a little bit about your journey with psoriasis so far I was 14 when I first had signs of plaque psoriasis. This mainly affected common areas such as elbows, scalp, knees and my underarms. So although it wasn’t pleasant it was manageable. It wasn’t until two years ago in 2018 when I was 31 that I contracted a virus which triggered guttate psoriasis. A less common but rapidly spreading form of psoriasis. It covered most of my face and body.
This was much harder to deal with not just because of the discomfort, pain and itching. But because my appearance completely changed, I felt ugly at first, like no one would look at me the same. I couldn’t face a mirror or leaving the house except for work. I thought I’d never meet anyone to date and I’d be different forever.
Eventually I accepted and embraced my new look and I actually learned to love myself all over again. I don’t have such high expectations of myself anymore, my vanity has disappeared and I no longer worry what people think about the way I look. I love myself just as I am with or without a flare up.
Talk us through your tattoo collection, do you have a favourite tattoo? I have six tattoos. Including two large pieces, my first was my right thigh which I sometimes regret a little, it doesn’t have a lot of meaning to it, it’s a mixture of random things, a candy skull, roses, a key, a potion bottle. My back piece is made up of symbols I love the meaning behind the Hamsa, Om, Ying and Yang. My smaller pieces are all on my arms. I have of the sun and moon on my right forearm, this is a memorial tattoo for a best friend that passed a few years ago. She is the sunshine.
I have an unalome and lotus flower tattoo on my left forearm meaning wisdom and the path to perfection, and the lotus represents overcoming adversities. I had this tattooed after struggles with my mental health. I also have a quote on my lower left arm saying “The Universe gives its toughest battles to its bravest Warriors” I know this isn’t the traditional quote but I changed it slightly after having my severe psoriasis outbreak in 2018.
People who have psoriasis or another auto immune disease call ourselves warriors and I wanted a tattoo to remind myself and others how brave we are and that we have got this!
Are you actively planning on getting any new tattoos? (post pregnancy of course!) Yes definitely, I’m already planning a tattoo of an image which represents my baby’s name. I can’t give too much away as we haven’t announced the name yet.
Do you have a specific aftercare routine for your tattoos that takes your psoriasis into consideration? I keep it simple. I don’t use any product a tattoo artist recommends not because they don’t work, but because I have to consider the fact my skin can be triggered by anything. So I stick with coconut oil. It helps my tattoo heal fast and I’ve never had any problems.
How does your psoriasis affect your tattoos? There is something called the Koebner Phenomenon, which can happen to many psoriasis warriors. Which is when damaged or broken skin develops new psoriasis around and on that area. For people that suffer with this it’s pretty impossible to have a tattoo done without this happening. So I highly recommend seeking your doctor’s advice. I’m actually one of the lucky ones.
My mum suffers from Koebner phenomenon but I haven’t so far. This means I am able to have tattoos while I’m not in a flare up without any concern it will develop into psoriasis later on. It’s also important to mention my tattooist will not tattoo me during a flare. I’d probably have more tattoos if it wasn’t for flare ups.
When I do have a flare up I worry the psoriasis will damage the tattoos I already have. I have noticed some of the ink fades faster during a flare but fortunately I’ve had no major damage.
Do you have any advice for those with psoriasis who also want a tattoo? Please speak with your doctor first and of course with your tattooist. Your tattooist is right to say no if you have any signs around that area of psoriasis so please listen to them. Not many people have heard of the Koebner phenomenon but it’s worth researching.
I think most psoriasis warriors will know how their skin and psoriasis reacts by now to damaged or broken skin. If you ever cut yourself or even a small graze, ask yourself does it turn into psoriasis? If so I wouldn’t recommend a tattoo. It’s not worth it, and the tattoo will never heal well. If you know you do not suffer from Koebner then I’d say it’s safe to have tattoos on unaffected skin not during a flare.
We love that you are so involved with body positivity, how has your psoriasis affected your confidence? Initially the 2018 flare completely knocked my confidence. I couldn’t leave the house except for work, I hated what I saw in the mirror and I realised I took my looks for granted before. I never thought I was beautiful, but I didn’t appreciate that I looked “normal” as some might say or that I had no noticeable flaws.
But, it didn’t take long for me to find self-acceptance. In fact, it only took a few weeks. It was after posting a photo of myself on my social media to explain to my family what was going on and why I was in hiding. I didn’t expect my photo to get so much attention from strangers and the media.
Although I had to deal with trolls the positivity and kindness towards me totally outweighed the negativity. The more I posted the more people sent me messages of love and support. People started telling me I was an inspiration, I never thought I’d be called that. It soon boosted my confidence. I felt beautiful in my skin for the first time even with a huge flare up.
I’ve learned it’s what’s inside that counts and it’s about self-acceptance and embracing your flaws how you treat yourself and what you put out to the world is what you will receive in return.
Words: Lucy Edwards, a 20-year-old tattooed university student, cat mum and trying-new-things enthusiast. You’ll most likely find Lucy posting about mental health awareness and self-acceptance on her Instagram.
Our contributor Sarah Kay learns about the relationship between mentor and apprentice…
Five years ago, tired of expensive rents and constant noise, delayed trains and endless commutes, I decided to move to a small village in the Upper Normandy region of France where neighbours all know each other and the cheese is definitely better than what I could experience elsewhere. Sure, it was a terrible decision as I travel a lot and was further away from airports, but I had an amazing bakery, a great apartment – then last year, something happened: a tattoo shop opened. Curious, I went in in the first days. Located two doors away from me, I had never seen a tattoo shop that far away from the big cities that had, according to their page, a serious quality to them.
I had just returned from NYC and asked MVDV, whom I barely knew at the time, to tattoo a slice of blueberry pie on me. His enthusiasm and really funny disposition made me immediately at ease, and the result is incredible. Having them as neighbours, I had the opportunity to know them better – and to continue booking appointments even as borders remain closed due to COVID-19. It’s an incredible luxury. I took time out of the apprentice, Trixie Lunie’s busy day to ask her questions about the tattoo world and her decision to enter it, and asked her mentor, MVDV, how he sees it. The keyword? Humility.
How long have you been an apprentice for now? A little over nine months.
How many tattoos have you done on actual people, including yourself? Over thirty I think on people, and five on myself.
How long have you wanted to be a tattoo artist for? For about 10 years. It wasn’t always possible, since a tattoo apprenticeship is unpaid, but now I can do it because I have a partner supporting me and after having worked for many years before I’m entitled to unemployment benefits.
Were you drawing before or were enrolled into any form of art curriculum? No, I’m an autodidact. I’ve been drawing since I was capable of holding a pencil though, I had been watching my dad tattoo – he was a tattooer himself. He was more of a scratcher: he would tattoo from home, mostly his friends, local people, I still got to take a look at how he worked, and we would attend conventions together. As clients, not professionals! (laughs) Let it be clear that I’m not into his style, but he never was told or taught how, never had a strong foundation, and that’s what I wanted and needed. I wanted a reputable studio where I would be shown and told strictly what to do and how to learn to be the best tattooer I can be.
How long did it take for you to find an apprenticeship? A long time! It’s really hard. There are a lot of requests and very few spots. It took me about a year to find this one. I found them through social media, I liked the work being performed, people seemed satisfied; I just didn’t want to go just by reputation. A reputation can take ages to be formed, but it can fall apart so quickly. I wanted something solid. Now I truly believe I have what I wanted, with a great mentor.
So who is your mentor? Is it Casper (the owner) or MVDV (the tattooer)? Casper is my Jedi Master, and I am MVDV’s padawan. We’ve only known each other since February! It’s going very well. I’m learning a lot, because my preference is manga and anime, and he works mostly in realism, so that was definitely a learning curve. He’s making me draw a lot, I’m starting to tattoo on fake skin, and he’s always behind me, telling me what I can improve. He gauges when I’m ready to do something, which may not always be when I feel ready. They’re making me draw some flash sheets right now so I can get used to creating designs.
I saw that you posted on your Instagram about the tattoo me too situation. How do you feel about that and how do you see your place as a young female up and coming artist? I know that in this studio I will never face any form of discrimination whatsoever. I think elsewhere however, womxn can be under-respected because they are still believed to only be there to draw cutesy hearts or butterflies; I follow a lot of female artists that do, and do so in very different styles and who completely own it. And there’s nothing wrong with being girly. Womxn can be good at everything. There’s enough room for everybody now, and now there are conventions for female tattoo artists too, so I’m entering the business at the right time. A few years ago, it may have been different.
Who is inspiring you right now? Charline Puth, who has a private studio in Paris, I’m getting tattooed at Getcha Club by Charlotte E San in Lille. I love all this Japanese inspired art world. At the end of the day though, we’re all here to do the best job possible for the client and their idea of the design, so as Casper told me when I started, we need to be able to do everything. Of course I’d like to specialise in manga-inspired work and work on really colourful designs, and there is an audience for that, but I must be capable of performing in any style as well.
When it comes to the tattooer-client relationship, what are the values that you hope to bring to the table as a solo artist? What matters to me is to have a very clean shop, that is inviting, really abide by strict rules of surgical hygiene with the equipment, and look my best as well, so people can trust me. Then I want to establish a friendly atmosphere, regardless of the mood I’m in, just like in any other workplace, a lot of humour so people can feel comfortable, and be really respectful of their bodies and of their boundaries.
How do you deal with someone who is anxious – because it’s their first tattoo, a sensitive body part, because of the pain, how do you put them at ease? You talk to them a lot, you offer them a cup of coffee, you ask them if they had something to eat, you take your time. You make sure to have a lot of time so the person can take as many breaks as they need to, I know MVDV is really cautious on the first lines to see how the person reacts and how he can talk them through what’s happening.
Do you think it’s a possibility that a womxn would enter the shop and would rather have you tattoo her than MVDV? That’s a total possibility. It depends on the body part. I would do it, if this is a person that would rather have a womxn do it, especially with everything that’s going on. With MVDV though, he’s been working with some sensitive body parts as well and everything went smoothly; that’s his job, he’s used to it, he knows how to work it, and he would never post insensitive photos on Instagram afterwards, you see.
Do you think it’s harder to be a female apprentice with a male mentor? You need to have a strong personality in this business anyway, because there are stupid people everywhere. You need to stand your ground and go for it once you found the place where you’re comfortable.
About competition? Of course there’s a lot of competition, but as I said there is room for everyone and everyone can carve their own space.
How do you see your future in this shop? I’ll be 80 and still tattooing on fake skin. (laughs)
Your biggest fear right now about tattooing someone? I recently tattooed one of my good friends and she was really stressed out and it was contagious, but I managed to keep a steady hand and I had really prepared for it.
This fear that you’re permanently altering someone’s body and you’re afraid to screw up, that never fully goes away, right? No, it doesn’t. With experience, you gain perspective. A tattooer will always have something to learn. If someone goes ahead and tells you they have nothing left to learn and know everything, I don’t think they got the point. They no longer evolve. Techniques change. Methods change. Equipment changes. Designs change.
Now that tattooing has become so prevalent in the last decade, you see “tattoo schools” pop up, and people entering the fold with art degrees. What do you think about it and how it changes the nature of tattooing? I believe in apprenticeships, but it would be helpful if it had a real legal status. We deal with it, and I do, but it would be great if it could be recognised as an apprenticeship just like any other profession. As for art, you may be a brilliant artist, that still won’t make you a good tattoo artist. Those are two different things. Nothing can replace a solid apprenticeship.
How long do you think your apprenticeship will last? My whole life! After a year and a half I think I will have a good foundation. Just the foundation. But I wouldn’t be a good artist then. I am going to start tattooing soon, because it comes with practice. The shop remains small and approachable, even though we’re starting to be booked quite solidly, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. My two masters are extremely good, we have a great working relationship and they tell me if anything is wrong. They explain to me how to place order, how to manipulate equipment, hygiene requirements, but this is not a shop where they will only have me serve coffee and sweep up for a year, you know? They’re making me draw and work on fake skin every day.
A last word on womxn in the industry? That female tattoo artists are just as qualified as a male one, that some can run circles around others, that we’re not here to be a punchline. Things are changing really fast, hopefully for the better. And there also should be no objectification of heavily tattooed womxn either!
How long have you been tattooing for? It’s been nine years. Very happy with my evolution – I’m learning more about the craft every day. I was just doing my thing for five years and now I’m officially set up in a shop for four.
And now that you’re an apprentice’s mentor, how do you feel about it? It feels really strange because I don’t feel like I am in a position to be a mentor. I don’t feel I have what it takes yet to be a mentor. I don’t feel any seniority.
So how does the dynamic work? I can give her tips and pointers based on what I am capable of doing, but I still feel like mentorship has to be earned and being a mentor is something that carries with it a lot of responsibility. No one is really a mentor as we all learn something new every day. To be a mentor, for me, is the end-all-be-all of the work, it’s being in such a strong position of authority in the history of tattooing.
What has been the most challenging piece for you so far? It was a realistic lion that I just did this week! And it has taught me a lot about what I can do and how to best approach it.
How do you see Trixie debuting in this industry once her apprenticeship will be complete? I’m not necessarily apprehensive, but just like I did have, it necessitates a lot of rigor and a lot of perseverance to make it. For those of us who had to learn everything on the go, it’s even harder, so it requires a lot of personal commitment.
What does it mean to you to train a new female artist? There are so many womxn out there who are doing such an amazing job, discrimination makes absolutely no sense. Womxn have their place in this industry the way they do everywhere else.
What do you think of this reckoning right now in the tattoo industry about sexual misconduct? Those are horrible people who would be horrible in any other job as well but abusing their position. We are in a profession where the human body is literally our canvas, our workplace, so men who are unable to behave with respect in this job have absolutely no place here.
Do you feel a specific type of responsibility when you tattoo a sensitive body part? A place that she wouldn’t like, but she wants to look at and see something beautiful instead? It’s the case for everyone, I feel, that they come to tattooing to change the way their body is before, and turn it into art. And it’s entirely my responsibility to do the best possible job I can so they can look at it years onwards and still love it. It’s true that if they’re having a difficult time because of body image, we have the opportunity to work with the client to make something really significant. Any art you work on is for life, and you have a duty as an artist to make it as perfect as possible. There’s no way to half-ass it. Whether it’s your specialty or not, if you accept to do it, the responsibility is there. I think about this all the time: it’s permanent body altering.
And that’s really something you want to transmit to your apprentice. Yes: the love of working with people, the love to create; and to me this is when you know someone is really into tattooing and has the potential to be a really good tattooer, it’s when they take pleasure in the challenge of creating something special. Going to work is not a chore. The tattooer-client relationship is an exceptional one. And being talented is something you have to constantly perfect, constantly improve.
The piece that makes you the most proud? I recently worked on a UFO, and I really loved it. I had added it to a flash sheet and I never thought someone would pick it; it’s something that is really dear to me, UFO and aliens, and that was really just something that came out of my head. This person really crushed on it and loved it, and I was just so happy to be able to do that piece. I thought it would be a little too “out there” for people, and no, it found its client! And that was wonderful for me.
What’s the future like for you? I’m not worried about clients coming in, but I know I have to keep on learning, evolving, meeting new people, working on my craft, because you can become irrelevant real quick, there are new people coming out every day who just blow everything out the water. That’s something I learned immediately, so I’m just really looking forward to being in a job where I have to keep on learning every day. And if I can travel with this, learning other techniques, histories, legacies, that would be ideal. I had no mentor personally – when I arrived at Casper’s, they showed me the technical aspect of this, how to pose a stencil, how to best see a placement, and for that I’ll forever be grateful. But I don’t consider myself “arrived” or anything like that. I have a team that is family for me, and being a little orphan boy, having found them matters so much to me.
Both Trixie and MVDV are working at Casper S.O. Ink, Chaumont en Vexin, France.
Sarah Kay is a very, very tattooed international human rights lawyer living between Paris and New York. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sarah has kept its taste for cold rain and the rewards that come from sitting still under pressure. You’ll probably find her in London drinking wine.
