A day in the life of a tattooist – Q&A with Michael Forrest
At Conspiracy Tattoo‘s recent Flash Day, tattoo artist Michael Forrest brought together a collection of traditional works. These pieces are a reflection of his deep appreciation for tattoo history and imagery from the early 20th century. Forrest joined me to chat about what it’s like to work in the tattoo industry.
When did you first realise you wanted to work as a tattooist?
I realised I wanted to be a tattooist after already having worked in a [tattoo] shop on weekends for two years whilst I studied photography at uni. I was already getting tattooed on a regular basis and found myself getting more and more curious about the process. So when the opportunity arose to apprentice, I took it as tattooing is an extremely difficult industry to get into. Best decision I’ve ever made.
What’s a routine day like at Conspiracy?
I wake up at 7am, get to work by 8:30am and start drawing/preparing whatever tattoos I have for the day. I spend a lot of my morning before we open the doors replying to inboxes and emails and then when the clock hits 10, we open shop. Every day is different depending on what I have booked in. Some days are back to back with no break, other days can be pretty cruisey. Being a street shop, I always try to squeeze in the occasional walk in appointment where I can. We don’t close until about 5-5:30pm and then we spend another hour or so replying to more inboxes and emails.
What is the best and worst thing about being a tattooist?
The best thing about tattooing is having people come to you specifically to get something marked on their body permanently because they like the work you do. It always means a great deal being chosen to do something so personal for someone. The worst thing is people not showing up to their appointments. We only get paid when our customers pay us, we don’t get a normal wage. I’ve had days where more than one customer hasn’t shown up or called ahead and left me with an empty day/empty wallet.
You’ve also done a bit of work as a street artist. Is there a common thread between this and tattooing? Does your art or approach change between audiences?
I wouldn’t say they’re in any way similar other than the imagery I like to paint. The processes are completely different, which is why I enjoy it so much. I spend most of my time doing very small very precise tattoos, so when I get to blast something big and loose on a wall it’s quite refreshing. My day job is very much dictated by what my client wants to get. Because they’re the ones that have to spend the rest of their life with it, I do my best to give them exactly what they’re after, whereas any walls I paint are dictated by me. I only paint walls if I have complete freedom to do what I’d like to do.
What are some of your influences?
I follow 1,320 people on Instagram and 99% of those people are tattooists. So I would say everything on my feed influences me. Other than that I think my mentor/boss Dan is my biggest influence. There is so much more to tattooing than just the art side. Dan has taught me how to be business savvy as well as be morally and ethically sound in my approach to the work we do. It’s an incredibly huge responsibility and we have to know the right time to be able to say “no” to people for their benefit rather than ours.
Do you have a favourite tattoo that you’ve done?
My favourite tattoo I’ve done always seems to be the most recent. I definitely feel more attached to more recent work, which I think is a good thing as I feel like I progress with every tattoo I do regardless of what it is, however big or small.
Is there anything or anyone you won’t tattoo?
We’ve got a bunch of rules at our shop, such as not tattooing anyone under the age of 18 under any circumstance. Wedon’t tattoo hands, necks or faces unless the person wanting it done is completely covered and they’re the only spots they have left. We also don’t tattoo anything that can be considered offensive. We tend to knock back a fair few people because we don’t find what they want to be in their best interest.
Lastly, any advice for people wanting to get their first tattoo?
I think my best tip for anyone wanting to get tattooed for the first time is to research who they want to tattoo them. You need to find the best person for the job, which sometimes means having to travel in order to get tattooed. A lot of people will just go to their closest/cheapest shop thinking they will get the best tattoo possible. That’s not always the case.
You can see more of Michael’s tattoos and artwork on his Instagram or check out Conspiracy Tattoo on Facebook.
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