The Tattoo(ed) Ladies
This summer you’ll be seeing more tattoos than ever. Fine art, custom designs, and new technology have all played a role in the rise in popularity of the ancient art. But so has the number of women who have fought their way into this traditionally maledom
Influences on your art? I am inspired by everything around me — Renaissance painters, Japanese woodblock prints, Civil War-era textiles, architecture, sculpture, music, and mythology.
Common motifs? I very much enjoy flora and fauna and the classic elements of Japanese tattoos and printmaking. That being said, I have a range of skills and appreciation for many styles of tattooing, be it American traditional or pet portraits.
Differences between what women
and men ask for? I find that now, more than ever, there are no true gender-specific requests. Perhaps 10 years ago or more, you could say that there was female- or male-specific subject matter that was dictated to clients through pre-drawn “flash” on shop walls. With the growing trend toward custom work, I feel our clients have more freedom to express themselves beyond gender expectations.
Current trends? Designs?
Innovations? Right now, it seems like there is a renewed interest in naive- or folk-art-based work, which has a more illustrative feel.
How has the art of tattoo
changed? With the amount of imagery available via social media and the internet, it has altered the way we do our business, how we create artwork, and how we put ourselves out there in the world. It’s a double-edged sword because on one hand, it makes the world very small, and if you are savvy, you can reach thousands of potential clients. The other side of that coin is a bizarre popularity contest that doesn’t hinge on talent but rather that will see the death of creativity and individuality because everyone wants the things they see on Instagram and not something that truly speaks to them.
What is it like being a woman in this traditionally male-dominated
field? I have been tattooing for nearly 15 years, and I get this question a lot. If I’m being honest, I would say that being a woman in tattooing certainly was — at some point — a challenge. When I started, there were not nearly the numbers of women in our industry that there are today, and our part in tattoo culture was often overlooked or minimized simply because we were so few in comparison to our male comrades. Apprenticing versus schooling? Traditionally, tattooing has been learned through an apprenticeship. The apprenticeship process can vary from tattooer to tattooer, but the bottom line is that this is how we learn our craft. It’s bad enough that over the last few years, we see many self-taught so-called tattooers opening studio after studio. They are making a mockery of our industry and disrespecting those of us who aim to elevate our craft. I find it incredibly offensive that a college might try to create a program that would simply over-saturate our industry with poorly educated tattooers who have no respect or understanding of the history of tattooing and the sacred tradition many of us have sacrificed a lot for and love dearly.