Michelle Myles interview
HUCK: How did you get into tattooing?
I started getting tattooed when I was in high school and I just kept getting them whenever I could scratch together some money. I went to art school and did a painting major at Parsons, and eventually I found someone who could kind of help me out becoming a tattooer (sic). When I started it was illegal in New York so there weren’t any traditional apprenticeships available, it was all underground. I worked illegally for a few years.
Was that scary?
No, not scary. There was no advertising, no signs above shops but in the 38 years it was illegal, nobody was busted for it. It was just a health code violation. It wasn’t a criminal offence like selling drugs or something. In fact, cops would come in and get tattooed, they didn’t care about it at all. One of our shops, Fun City, we bought four or five years ago off this guy Jonathan and it’s the oldest shop in the city because he was the first person to hang his sign outside in 1991 when it was still illegal. We opened our other shop, Dare Devil, in 1997 when it was legalised. None of the tattooers wanted it legal actually because it kept out the competition.
What do you think about tattoo culture becoming mainstream?
I guess a little something dies when it becomes completely absorbed by mainstream culture. I mean, they’re everywhere now and that’s an adjustment but at the same time it’s fun that it’s such a huge vibrant community. I liked working underground for a long time and I feel like tattooing in New York ran parallel to the craze because while it was illegal, it was underground and dirty but now you get kids coming in because it’s trendy. They come in and get huge tattoos from the get-go, but back then, you had to be kind of tough.
Are there more girls involved now?
Probably yes but it’s still largely dudes, I’m the only female tattooer who owns a shop in New York. Honestly, I guess because there are more male tattooers than female there are also more good male tattooers, so the number of outstanding female tattooers is pretty small. Initially, people don’t take you as seriously but in the long run, it’s what makes you stand out. It works both ways. For me personally, I’ve gotten a lot of attention because of it.
What’s the tattoo culture like in New York?
New York’s a lot different from other cities. For one thing, it’s deeply rooted in history. There’s a really rich background because New York was the birth place of modern electric tattooing. The tattoo machine was patented on the Bowery, a few blocks from where we work. People in New York have come full circle in really appreciating it as a tradition. There’s a real strong bias towards traditional American tattoos, which is cool for me because I love that stuff, whereas on the West Coast you get a lot of Chicano stuff and fine line work. There’s a lot of competition though, we’re flooded with crappy tattoo shops that actually soak up a lot of business, so it’s not easy to survive. Shop-owners, guys who own delis or whatever, stuck a tattooer in the back when it became legalised and a lot of kids don’t do their homework and price shop for tattoos. I know when I was eighteen, I wasn’t looking deeply into anything, I had twenty bucks in my pocket and I wanted a tattoo!
I read on your blog, Devil City Press, that you wanted volunteers for an art project?
Yeah, that’s Amanda, one of our artists. She’s a very prolific painter as well as a tattoo artist and she does these really unique watercolour style tattoos. I don’t think it’s new but there are not that many people who are capable of pulling off that kind of work. It’s very different to a conventional tattoo. We’re really lucky to have someone who does something so unique. We have a lot of projects, it keeps it fun.
Do you ever have to do something you really don’t like?
If I feel like something comes in that’s better suited to another artist, I’ll give it to them. I’ve done tons of awful tattoos but it’s not about me, it’s about what the person wants. Generally speaking, people pick what’s most appropriate to them, even if I think it’s dumb or silly.
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