ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Diane Farris

Powerhouse Tattoo

Montclair , NJ
www.powerhousetattoo.com
  info@powerhousetattoo.com  

 

 

Artist Name: Diane Farris                

Years in The Biz:  20+

 

Hobbies & Interests:  Radio disc jockey for 27 years; music in general, aside from art of  course. Degree in art from Rutgers University .
  

BAW: What made you want to become a Tattoo Artist?

Artist: I was working for Spider Webb in NYC, not tattooing, but after being in the studio over a period of time, it seemed like a natural progression to take my art to skin.

BAW: Who are your influences?

Artist:  Spider Webb, Zeke Owen, Gill Montie, JD Crowe, Mike Perfetto, Lyle Tuttle,  the Dutchman, Greg Irons, Jack Rudy.

BAW: What is your favorite style of work?

Artist:  I love japanese work, clever traditional designs, and art nouveau styled pieces

BAW: Tell us about your first Tattoo experience?

Artist: I went to Spider Webb for my first tattoo and basically got a job taking appts., doing sketches, scrubbing tubes & taking care of ads & walking the dog (Tripod a 3-legged german shepherd)... AND I got my tattoo as well. 

BAW: What is your favorite piece you own?

Artist:  My chest piece by Filip Leu

BAW: What is your most memorable Tattoo given and why?

Artist: I did a small rose on the back of a girl's leg to cover  what looked to be an old blemish of some kind. There was nothing wrong with the skin there in terms of tattooing it, just slightly discolored.  When the piece was done and she looked in the mirror, she burst into tears. Apparently she had been abused as a child and her dad used to hit her with the end of an electrical plug repeatedly. She was grateful because she would never have to see that painful reminder again.


BAW: Is there a part of the body you won't Tattoo and why?

Artist:   I hate tattooing feet & toes & think they look shitty usually,  but if someone really wants it I'll do it. And if you've got three thousand bucks, hellyeah I'll tattoo your ballsac - why not...
  
BAW: Do you support supply co. that sells to the public?

Artist: I'd prefer not to, but that's a pretty grey area nowadays.

BAW: Do you feel there now should be mandatory schooling for soon to be tattoo artists?

Artist:  There should be mandatory STANDARDS or training set up within apprenticeship programs, not necessarily schooling. 

BAW: Do you feel Tattooing has changed over the years, and if so why?

Artist:  Everything changes over the years. Of course tattooing has.  Why? Progress, saturation, media attention, lowlife intrigue, celebrities getting tattoos.

BAW: Do you think it is important to do as many conventions and shows as possible?

Artist: Not necessarily.

BAW: What advise can you give to someone who is starting or looking to get into the tattoo business?

Artist:  Get a bunch of tattoos first and hang out in a tattoo shop. I get millions of frikkin kids telling me that they can "do it", it looks easy, etc., but they're not sure if they want tattoos or not. I really don't have much respect for tattooers who don't have any tattoos. Tattooing is real life; it's psychology, bartending & EMS all rolled into one. If you & your customer can't relate to each other at all, you should at least have the experience of being tattooed in common. Take CPR, take art classes, if not get a degree in art, take bacteriology - take any kind of appropriate course that will help you on your way. The worst waste of my time is interviewing someone who thinks they want to tattoo, but doesn't know anything about it except it looks cool. If you at least prepare yourself somewhat ahead of time, you might actually impress someone as being sincere. And for god sakes, get a hep B vaccination, now!

BAW: What could you say to someone who has had a bad first experience?

Artist:  Don't go back to the same place; do your research!

BAW: Since you have started what changes have you seen in the industry?

Artist: Gloves, billions of supply companies, barriers.

BAW: How do you feel about apprenticeships?

Artist: It depends on the individual.

BAW: Where do you think the Tattoo Industry is going today?  Do you think it is getting better or worse?

Artist:  I think the industry is saturated. There are flash companies left & right selling flash that's not really tattooable (or at least will look like crap on the skin in 3 months), ink companies selling product that's not tried & true - we hear about recalls ALL the time, and so many artists in the business now that the proportion of bad artists/technicians is higher than it has ever been, or at least SO many of them are fairly inexperienced that they haven't seen their work healed in the skin 5 years later. There are a lot of people out there that can blast in a cool looking piece that falls out in no time. It's aggravating to see. A large percentage of the work at my shop is coverup work and it's not because the customer got a name; it's because they got a crappy piece from the shop around the corner that doesn't guarantee the work of someone who doesn't work there any 
longer... bla bla bla. Tattooing is permanent & the practitioners need to be serious. I find some of the stories I hear about my peers/competitors amazing & appalling all at the same time. After 
reading that paragraph, I guess it sounds like I think the tattoo business is getting worse.

BAW: If there was something you could change in this industry what would it be and why?

Artist:  I'm trying to change things in the industry every day; just do each piece the best you can & never lower your standards for any reason.  Don't take the fast buck; it always bites you in the ass.  ALWAYS.

BAW: Please share any other comments or views or questions to the public you might have.

Artist:  I think tattooing is a great business & a good craft to have; but I think the customer is also responsible for doing their homework & making sure they are going to be happy with their piece. I cannot tell you how many times people come in to Powerhouse & show me a piece 
they got somewhere else and say " I wanted  bla bla, but the guy GAVE me this..." These conversations always blow me away. If you told someone you wanted a green frog & they are taking out the purple ink & going to town on YOUR skin, well, what the fuck, junior, OPEN YOUR MOUTH! It's important to communicate well & make sure you're on the same page as an artist. Granted, there is always the informed consultation & why a certain color won't look good, and I have had customers not really comprehend why I have told them a certain design will not work well for a variety of reasons, but people, you have to know what you want or you will hate your tattoo one day - maybe sooner than later. It seems as if too many people get tattoos for fashion purposes. Please think about your work, and if you're not sure, don't do it right away. And check up on your local tattoo shop before you go there cold; a word of mouth recommendation is best, but you can find out how long a shop has been around by just a google search or a phone call.