Exclusive Tattooed Chicks Interview With Jo Harrison
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What drove you to do your first tattoo?
Well I have always loved tattoos, seeing the punks when I was growing up. But no one in my family had tattoos so it wasn’t until I was hanging round as a teenager that I was really introduced to them and I was hooked. I really wanted to be a tattooist but I knew how hard it was to get into so I never thought I would be able to. Despite wanting to do it so much I was very nervous doing my first tattoo. I was never one of those kids that tattooed themselves with Indian ink so it was a huge deal. The first guy that I tattooed didn’t have any tattoos so I don’t know who was more nervous, me or him! We are still friends so I must have done ok! |
Do you have any tips for a young woman for starting out in the tattoo business?
I think my tips would be the same for men and women wanting to get into tattooing, DRAW ALL THE TIME and start to get a professional portfolio together as you would if you were applying to get into art college….. and get lots of tattoos. You learn a lot from getting tattooed, the way a studio works as well as the way to deal with customers. Also you will be building up a good relationship with someone who may be able to offer you an apprenticeship. When you draw try to take influence from tattoo designs so you understand the structure but try not to copy them. Another thing to bear in mind is that this is a job where you are dealing with people all day so you have to be a good people person.
What is your earliest memory of someone close to you being tattooed ie Father, Mother, Friend etc. Or are family not into tattoos?
Nobody in my family was tattooed until I got tattooed so the first memories I have would be seeing the punks tattoos when I was a child and old men with those blue tattoos. But I really didn’t see it that much which is probably why it was so mysterious to me.
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What images inspire you?
Well obviously other peoples tattoos inspire me; Nick Baxter, Adrian Lee, Shigue, fillip Leu, Kurt Wiscombe, Guy Aitchison to name a few. Also any pictures of nature; flowers, animals, scenery, sunsets. Most of all I think surrounding yourself with hardworking enthusiastic people who inspire you everyday is very important. Some people just have an infectious love for life and work which is something I really admire. Should tattooing be studied by art historians? I think it defiantly should, the art world doesn’t seem to class tattooing as a valid art form. I did a degree in textiles and as soon as they realised I was going to be a tattooist they totally lost interest in helping me with my work. I think they thought I was not going into a credible career and their time would be better spent with other people who may be going into their industry. |
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Are there any images you would refuse to tattoo on someone? I wouldn’t knowingly tattoo anything that would be classed as racist or offensive to anyone. But most of all now I am very lucky to be in the position to pick the work I want to do so I won’t tattoo anything on anyone unless I am totally convinced on the design, knowing it will make a good tattoo that the customer and I will be really happy with. Do you have any cover-ups and what are they? Well where do I start! My whole left sleeve is a cover up. So is my lower right leg and soon to be the upper right leg too. Because we have the laser tattoo removal in the shop I have lightened the tattoos first to make it easier for a cover up. I got very heavily tattooed when I was very young and I wouldn’t recommend it. I loved being that tattooed so young, especially as a woman you just didn’t see it that much. But now I am paying the price. I still have a lot of work I am lasering to be covered. |
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Which is your favourite tattoo?
I am lucky now I have a lot of work on me that I really love. I had a piece done recently at the Milan convention by Davide Andreoli which I really love. It was a ladies face and bust coming out of a rose. I also had one from Kurt Wiscome after the green bay convention near Chicago. That was a cover up of the laser I have had and that was a big skull and 2 Japanese flowers. I am so pleased with it but it really hurt me! It took 8 hours in one session and I really feel like I earned that one! Xed le head just did my neck too and I love that so much. It would be hard to pick a favourite. I also have a fairy on my arm, she is holding an acorn to her tummy because my sister was pregnant at the time so that means a lot to me even though it is out of fashion a bit now I still love it. |
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If you could be tattooed by any artist in the world, who would it be and why?
I have been very lucky to be tattooed by people from all over the world when I have been doing conventions, Mike Austin, Davide Andreoli, Tim Kern, Kurt Wiscombe, Amanda Toy and Rudy Fritsch but I would really love to get work from Shigue, he is amazing. But I am not sure if I have the room left because his work needs a lot of skin but hopefully I will. Also Nick Baxter and I am planning on getting a tattoo by Joe Cappobianco and Fillip Leu. Do you have a funny tattoo story? I do actually, years ago I had a guy who was getting a little tattoo on his bum. He was about 40, quite shy and wearing a tracksuit. I was knelt on the floor ready to put the stencil on, I asked him to take his trousers down and pull his boxers to the side. He pulled down his trousers to reveal a WOMANS RED LACY THONG! It didn’t leave much to the imagination! I didn’t say anything I jus pretended that it was totally normal and laughed about it after. |
Do you regret any of your tattoos? Although I am having a lot of lasering and cover ups I don’t really regret any of them as such because they meant a lot to me at the time. Well having heavy coverage meant a lot to me more than the actual design. Don’t get me wrong the tattoos I had weren’t too bad but they were just not as good as I know they could and should be. Do you see yourself tattooing 10 years from now? Oh god defiantly, I don’t think I will ever retire although I could see myself cutting down some hours so I can draw and paint more. I would love to have a week off at home with no jobs to do so I could get a collection of paintings together. Running a big shop and doing up our new house and obviously tattooing with all the drawings that need to be prepared takes up all my time and energy. I have a little bit of time left over to do yoga which I love but I wish someone could invent a 10 day week!! If they did I would only tattoo most of it!!! I am lucky that I love my job so much it doesn’t even seem like work. |
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Tell us about your shop Modern Body Art
My partner Matt and I opened Modern Body Art in 1999 and it was just the two of us to start with but it gradually grew and grew until it was literally bursting at the seams! We moved the location of our shop about a year and a half ago, only round the corner but it is such a great location. We have a double fronted shop where the light floods in, it is so nice tattooing in natural light compared to our old shop which was always so dark. Moving is the best thing we ever did. We have 5 tattooists now (Matt, Dawnii, Ben, Iain and myself) and a receptionist/ piercer (Rosie) and a receptionist/ piercer/ laser tattoo removal technician (Bec). Bec also runs rum and raven shop too which sells tattoo related clothing and accessories in store and online www.rumandraven.com We make a great team and everyone is very hardworking. We try to keep an artistic environment where everyone comments on each others work and helps each other out. I couldn’t wish for more but we will expand no doubt so watch this space! |
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"A 74 colour page, professionally printed and bound book with a glossy cover. All original designs, not seen before and not tattooed on anyone." |
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 Jinxi Boo |
 Claudia De Rossi |
Jo Harrison |
 Isobel Varley |
 Eva Von Slut |
 Sabina Kelley |
 Bif Naked |
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