Evolution in the ink world
Whenever people tell me they want to get into tattooing, I think about artists all over the world and reflect on how the art form has changed since I started. Surely, many people through the ages of tattooing have had these thoughts.
I did my first tattoo 13 years ago in Cornwall, in the UK, where I apprenticed with a lovely lady who had done some of my tattoos. I couldn’t complete my apprenticeship there, so I finished up in Brighton a few too many years later. The disruptive environment I experienced in Brighton wouldn’t pass now, and it shouldn’t. But I see the attitudes of people who have had an easy ride, and it makes me grateful for my experience and the artist that it’s made me.
Instagram has greatly changed the industry, but it wasn’t around when I started tattooing. As a massive self-critic and overthinker, it feels scary to have your work online to be seen, studied and critiqued worldwide. But if you don’t dedicate time to it, it can hide you, and no one sees your work. It’s time-consuming and hard to have a social life if you add up the tattooing time, drawing time, emails, orders, bookings and social media posts. I still don’t know how artists with children manage.
With AI technology, if someone wants a photo of a cat in a teacup with a hat on, they no longer have to search for cat references, teacup angles or the way different hats sit on the head to create their own design. I was taught that copying or tracing other people’s tattoo designs was lazy or cheating. But AI does it all, cutting out the creative process altogether. Will people start writing ‘artist drawn’ under their work on posts, like when things have a ‘handmade’ label?
I hope people getting into it now still find the same excitement and joy in tattooing as a career. There are amazing artists out there, but also bad ones who don’t respect their clients and clients who don’t realise this isn’t acceptable.
The best thing about tattooing is the people that you tattoo. I love meeting new people; they’re why I go to work every day, even on difficult days. Like in any industry, you also encounter both good and bad colleagues. I’ve gathered an incredible bunch of artist friends from all over the world over the years. They’re the ones who matter and keep you sane.
Memorial tattoos are an honour to do; they can benefit the healing process, allowing someone to feel connected to the person or animal that isn’t here anymore. Covering scars, cellulite or body parts that clients dislike boosts their confidence, a truly amazing thing to do.
Travelling is my second favourite thing. When I moved from England to Scotland, I met my first Kiwi! It wasn’t a fairy-tale ending, but it sparked my love for New Zealand, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
I have a ridiculous number of books on NZ birds, flowers, ferns, moko and more. I come over as often as possible and have made the most amazing friendships. I still feel that tattooing in Aotearoa is magical. When I’ve witnessed Māori artists at work, they spend time talking with the client, drawing on designs that reflect their life stories, family roles, and more before even beginning the tattoo.
Before the lockdown, I was offered a NZ work visa. That was my first solo trip to Aotearoa. I found myself in Coromandel town where people told me to visit Evolution Studio in Whitianga. There, I found a group of smiley, down-to-earth guys. They were excited to share a photo of a piece one of them had completed the day before. Since then, I’ve become good friends with the lovely owner of that studio, Nathan, who’s been so supportive in my visa journey.
Currently, I can visit for holidays or with a Convention visa. I’ll be at the NZ Tattoo and Art Festival in New Plymouth in late November, but I hope to get my visa soon so I can work in my favourite shop and be a guest in others!
The best advice I could give someone wanting to enter the industry is to avoid getting distracted by everything around you. Keep your head down and focus on giving your clients the best experience, doing your best job! Try to balance work and time off well, and make sure you have good people around you can trust.
Check out Dana Hurricane’s beautiful work here.
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