Exclusive Tattooed Chicks Interview With Claudia De Rossi
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Firstly tell us a little bit about your workplace.
I moved over here a little bit more then a year ago from Italy and started to work straight away in the shops where I still work now. I work three days a week at NewSkool Tattoos in Surrey and three days at Frith Street Tattoo in Soho. How did your love for tattoos start? I don’t know really…I was really curious about tattooing and every form of unconventional art…I remember that when I was 15 I drag my family to Bologne at the tattoo convention…and I loved everything of it. I loved the idea of something u can’t take of your skin and the sound of the machines…unfortunately my mum pull me by the jacket out of the place after half an hour we got in….she didn’t like it at all! |
I am really influenced for sure by my master, Ian Flower. If I have any kind of doubt about a design I ask for his help!…a part from that, I try to not look too much what other tattooists are doing cause I don’t want to get too influenced by styles that are not mine. I’m fresh at this job so I'm like a sponge and could be easy to suck up all the beauty of some pieces that are the result of years of experience and that is not fair and I wouldn’t make anything really mine. So I’m really careful when I’m browsing through myspace pages and websites.
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What is your favourite part of the job?
I don’t have just one favourite part…I have two! And I think they are both the heart of my job in itself..….the drawing part and the tattooing part. I love and hate both…sometimes it’s a proper struggle….to find the right shape or to do some nice lines and good shading, is not always easy. But that’s what makes my job interesting and different everyday. Promoting yourself is a part of my job and I’m rubbish at it!! But I’m good at painting. So I paint. Doing a set of flash is exhausting but, in the end, it gives u the chance to show people what u are doing and what is inside your mind. Since I’ve done mine for the past London Convention, the amount of custom work I got asked to do improved so much I cant really complain about anything!!! |
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Do you get treated differently because you are a female tattooist?
I don’t feel like I’m treated differently to be honest. In Italy, things are harder for a young female tattooist…in this country there are loads of women doing my job and people is more used to it. I feel like I get trust from my customers and that’s what it’s important to me. I heard only once saying “I don’t want to get tattoo by a girl” and to be honest I don’t make such a big deal out of it, cause I got loads of “I’m glad it’s a girl to tattoo me”!!! Do you think that people's perceptions of tattoos will ever change? I think in this country people is already really open minded about tattooing…I got stopped so many times from people that showed interest and appreciation for my sleeves…in Italy people stare and point at me in street! Sometimes I got insulted too!!!….But I think that is getting better everywhere…more people want to get tattoo and I think is an evident sign that things are changing and for the best. |
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How old were you when you got your first tattoo and what was it?
The first time I got tattooed I was just turned 19...I got two symmetrical old style roses on the inside of my ankles, and 2 stars on the outside….I didn’t got them done in a shop…that’s why probably I ended time covering them by myself!! Have you got any plans for future work on yourself? Yeah, I have a couple of ideas. I am going to get a nine tales fox by Alex Reinke on my left thigh soon and two goldfish by Ian Flower on my wrists to close my sleeves. And I really want to get a phoenix with peonies or some other flowers as my back piece, but I haven’t decided yet by who! |
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Is there any artist you would like work done by?
Yeah…loads but by Horiyoshi III without any doubt and more then another!! What advice would you give to someone about to get their first tattoo? Always look at the portfolios of the shop and, if they like what they see trust the suggestions and the advice of the tattooists….we draw and tattoo everyday and we have a bit more experience about it!! Is there anywhere on someone's body you wouldn't tattoo? I don’t tattoo on the face. On hands, fingers and neck if the person is not already heavily tattooed. |
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Are you attending any conventions this year?
I used to be a lot into conventions, but in the last year I focused much more on my work then in these social occasions! And I think I won’t have much chance to leave the UK this year, as I have some other priorities and commitments to the shops where I work, so the only convention I’m looking forward to is the London Convention. I‘ll be working in The Frith Street Tattoo booth. It will be my first convention so I am kind of excited. But, you know, many things could change from now to October, so I don’t really think much about it. I would just like to take this opportunity to thank Claudia for taking the time to do this interview |
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Previous Tattooed Chicks Interviews
 Jinxi Boo |
Claudia De Rossi |
 Jo Harrison |
 Isobel Varley |
 Eva Von Slut |
 Sabina Kelley |
 Bif Naked |
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