FROM TATAU TO TATTOO

First published at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne alongside Tatau and on www.craftvic.org.au

Inspired by the Tatau exhibition for Craft Cubed 2012, Craft was intrigued to discover more about the diversity in tattooing across Melbourne. Together with photographer Beth Wilkinson, we sought out some eight locals with unique tattoos, and captured their personal stories about their love for and reasons behind their ink. Here are four of these stories.

STEFAN DELATOVIC & EILEEN BRAYBROOK
untitled
Artist: various, including Jane Laver, Chapel Tattoo and Georgia Perry
Tattooist: various, including Jane Laver, Chapel Tattoo
2008 – 2010

Stefan Delatovic and Eileen Braybrook are more than a little bit obsessed with cats. They share their beautiful little home with their gorgeous cat Mo (otherwise known as “little fur baby girl”), they have knickknacks and cat related paraphernalia everywhere, and of course, they both have their cat tattoos. Now that’s a serious love for an animal. The cat obsessed , pop culture, sci-fi, and comic book  loving couple have used their skin as a platform to show off their shared passions, and as a way to show the world how truly awesome they are.

They got their first tattoo together, a Legend of Zelda triforce on their wrists, in, what Eileen describes as a romantic and geeky reference to their shared love for the game. “We both love Zelda super hard and play every new game together: I do the fighting while Eileen collects all the bugs. It’s a symbol of us being together being awesome”, says Stef. “When I first got it, if people I didn’t know asked about it, I’d tell them it stood for ‘power, wisdom and courage’, which is what it means in the game. But now I tell everyone it’s from the coolest game ever and if they aren’t into it then it’s an easy way to tell we’ll never be best friends.”

Eileen’s cat tattoo was done on a whim, from a beautiful drawing by her friend, designer and illustrator, Georgia Perry. The image of a cat floating away on a balloon was chosen for no reason other than “I just thought it would be a good idea”. The cat added to Eileen’s other tattoos, including a diamond behind her ear, and a stunning Phoenix, done by Jane Laver from Chapel Tattoo. “The Phoenix was planned and custom drawn for me – it was to mark some positive changes that had been happening in my life.” Eileen is clearly not afraid of the tattoo needle, with some ink spots on her skin from what was an attempt at a homemade tattoo at the age of 13: “It didn’t really work but there are a couple of ink flecks left of what was supposed to be a love heart”.

Stefan’s only other tattoo, other than the triforce, is his cat inspired piece over his upper arm. “I wanted a piece that obviously communicated that it was not a talisman of deeper meaning, rather, something that made a statement of ‘AWESOME!’ I am forever preoccupied with pop culture and the greater meaning that can (and maybe shouldn’t) be attached to such narratives, so this is a bit like that, a reaction to the idea that tattoos must always be more than kickass pictures.” Stefan asked Jane at Chapel Tattoo to combine his obsession with cats with his sci-fi and comic book interests, resulting in a much loved image of a lucky cat fighting a 1950s robot. The cat is shooting eye lasers, while the robot belches fire. “I waited until Eileen got her big arm piece before I got mine because I’m a coward. Once she did it and said it didn’t hurt it I knew my masculinity was in jeopardy.” Despite the pain, Stef is still keen to have the image coloured in, particularly the cat’s eye lasers, because at the moment it looks like the robot will have no trouble winning.

While the couple’s love for cats and pop culture has offered some fantastic opportunities to get inked, Stef claims that after getting his cat vs. robot coloured, he isn’t so keen on the idea of any more. Meanwhile, Eileen already has plans for another, once the process of saving for it is complete. Both Stef and Eileen adore the tattoos they have, which is undoubtedly spurred on by their shared love for the subjects depicted in their ink, and because of the wonderful responses from others: “The reaction is overwhelmingly positive – because I tend to gravitate towards people who like awesome things”.

SINA BROWN-DAVIS
various, including malu, taulima, ta moko Mahuika and moko kauae
Artist: Sua Sulu’ape Paulo II and Turumakina Duley
Tattooist: Sua Sulu’ape Paulo II and Turumakina Duley
1990 – 2012

Sina Brown-Davis is inspiringly passionate about her cultural heritage. Coming from Maori, Samoan and Tongan descent, the mother, wife, and indigenous activist is committed to land rights, climate justice and anti-globalisation in the Pacific. Living and working on the lands of the Wurundjeri Peoples of the Kulin Nations, Sina is an avid supporter of the cultural traditions and values of her ancestors. This passion and love for her culture is so much a part of Sina, entirely ingrained in her spirit, and made tangible by the traditional tattoos that adorn her body.

Sina’s tattoos are an amazingly ornate and culturally rich collection of traditional pieces. On her chin and lip she wears a moko kauae, which is a traditional Maori women’s chin tattoo; on her legs are a malu, which is a traditional Samoan thigh tattoo; on her right wrist is a Samoan wrist band, or taulima; on her left hand is a traditional Maori image called ta moko Mahuika, and on her left ankle is a Balinese tattooed anklet. Each of the Samoan and Maori tattoos represents an important aspect of Sina’s heritage: “They are nature based motifs that represent what is important to my cultures, my connection to my peoples, and nature on a myriad of levels.  Also it symbolises my role and service to my family, my community, and the natural environment”. Meanwhile, the Balinese anklet has a very different meaning, honouring dear friends lost to HIV/Aids in the 80s and 90s.

However, beyond their cultural significance, Sina’s tattoos also represent a deeper political and spiritual meaning. “I am part of the resurgence of Maori and Polynesian pride in Aotearoa (New Zealand) from the 1970’s until now. I wanted to reclaim an ancestral right, wanted to feel closer to all my ancestors, and now that I have children, I wanted this expression of our culture to be a normal thing for them, like it was before colonisation.” Highly committed to bringing a renewed understanding and appreciation for her culture, Sina would like to hope that her tattoos are going some way to normalise traditional tattooing culture in Australia. The high visibility of many of her tattoos, particular her face, is her way of demonstrating that celebrating your heritage shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of.

Sina has also brought herself closer to her culture by turning to the traditional methods of tattooing – the malu and taulima were her first tattoos, done in the early 90s by renowned Samoan tattoo artist Sua Sulu’ape Paulo II. These tattoos were completed using the traditional tapping technique, which gives them even deeper cultural significance. And despite the pain and lengthy process, they are considered to be totally worth it. Her lip and chin tattoo was done in 2007 by Queensland based Maori artist Turumakina Duley, while her ta moko Mahuika was finished in 2012. The more traditional processes of tattooing have been important for Sina to challenge the concept of colonisation and the loss of culture: “My tattoos have been a process of decolonisation for me”. 

Sina’s commitment to her culture generally receives high praise and affirmation, because her passion for her heritage is so infectious. Living and breathing her culture, Sina communicates in her native language very naturally, her home is filled with objects and creations inspired by her heritage, and when Craft went to photograph her, she was dressed in a hand spun and made shawl, and headdress woven specifically for the portrait from the plants and flowers found in the garden. And of course there are her tattoos: “They are an intrinsic part of me. The line, the colours and the spaces in between. The fluid connection between my ancestors, my present and the future.”

JEREMY WORTSMAN
untitled
Artist: various
Tattooist: various
1995 – 2012

Jeremy Wortsman is the cool kid on the block. He is the director of the incredibly cool Jacky Winter Group, has the cutest and coolest Italian greyhound called Levi, and has covered himself from head to toe in cool tattoos, for no other reason than “to look cool really”. Jacky Winter and its many creative enterprises keep Jeremy busy, but when he is not working, he spends a great deal of his time on the never ending commitment to his skin.

Jeremy got his first tattoo at age 15 – just something small – before taking it up a notch and getting a bigger one at 17. That’s all it took for the tattoo bug to bite. By the time he hit his twenties and had relocated from the USA to Melbourne, Jeremy was fully committed to the cause: “I would try to get something small each time I went home to the States every year or two. Once I moved onto bigger pieces, I would do sessions every 2-3 weeks.” Jeremy’s tattoos are an assortment of “bits and pieces”, including traditional, American inspired work, large custom Japanese pieces, graphic imagery, and a variety of reproductions, such as the New York Mets monogram, and an Adrian Tomine cover for The New Yorker. “Originally I was just going to do my whole left side, but that sort of bled out and is now creeping over to the other side. I have my entire left arm and leg filled up, as well as my back, neck, upper chest, and knuckles.”

While Jeremy cannot pinpoint an exact reason why he gets tattoos, other than to look cool, each tattoo has its own unique origin and story, and has been done by a different artist, chosen for their suitability to the artwork. Some pieces are tangible mementos of places of importance, such as the steeplechase face from Coney Island. Others are tokens of projects – as a contribution to Shelly Jackson’s Skinproject, Jeremy has the word ‘remember’ inked on the inside of his wrist, which means nothing personally, but represents just one word of a story tattooed on thousands of people (check it out here). And some tattoos aren’t based on any concept at all, but are done just because. “Sometimes I don’t have an idea, but I just love the artist’s work, so leave it pretty open. I’m definitely more of a collector in that sense”.

Due to his role as company owner, and being lucky enough to work in the creative industry, Jeremy is in a fortunate position where he doesn’t have to worry about covering his tattoos. “Being a business owner definitely has influenced me in terms of where I have put the work, as I feel I don’t need to be as conservative as I would if I was on the other side of the fence.” However, he is aware that there is certainly a time and place to show off his ink: “I do refer to the piece on my leg as ‘The really filthy one which will never let me wear shorts in front of children again’.”

When asked how he feels about his tattoos now, Jeremy admits there are some areas he wishes he could have done differently: “I’m currently having an old piece lasered off, but that’s only to make room for a new piece that needs to go over it”. To go through the pain of laser removal for the sake of his ink shows enormous dedication, and Jeremy acknowledges that his love for the art form is an interesting exercise in commitment. And it is a commitment to which he is truly loyal: “As long as tattoo artists continue to do great work, I’m sure I will still be getting tattoos”.

HARLEY LEWIS
untitled
Artist: Steve Cross, Korpus Tattoo Brunswick, and Jane Laver, Chapel Tattoo
Tattooist: Steve Cross, Korpus Tattoo Brunswick, and Jane Laver, Chapel Tattoo
1998 – 2012

Harley Lewis likes to talk ink. So it’s probably a good thing that his job allows him to have a good chat. As a hairstylist, he spends every day with clients, and finds himself frequently in discussions about tattoos – which is of no surprise when you see him: Harley is covered in tattoos from the waist up. His devotion to the art form receives genuine interest from his clients, and the high visibility of much of his ink operates as a very effective conversation starter, drawing attention and intrigue from those he meets. But it hasn’t always been this way.

Harley got his first tattoo at age 16, back in the late 90s, when the attitude to tattooing was vastly different from today. “When I started getting tattooed it was very looked down upon. I remember people looking at me with disgust, or as if I was a criminal or drug addict.” Fourteen years later, and a lifetime spent in the tattoo studio in the commitment to his artwork, things have changed dramatically. Harley has seen a change in people’s opinions about tattoos, and watched the popularity of the art form develop: “I’ve been lucky enough to watch the tattoo industry change – from being scurried away out the back of shop, away from visible eyes, almost like it was wrong, to today, in professional industry studios, opened up with art, music and people.”

Despite the attitudes of others, Harley has continually committed himself to his ink, covering his entire upper body, including his neck and throat. All of his tattoos are custom designed and inked by a few choice artists, largely influenced by street art, but with some ornate lifelike work, and many inspired by life events. “They all have meaning for me, either directly or indirectly relating to the tattoo.” Not surprisingly, out of all the tattoos across his body, Harley has his favourites, including a prominent piece across his throat that he loves because of its unusual positioning, and because it reminds him of a particular time in his past. However, his absolute favourite is a face of a gypsy girl across his right hand: “This was drawn on free hand, using no stencil, and has taken a life of its own. Lots of people have seen this tattoo or know of it, so I always get people saying ‘oh, you’re the one with that tattoo!’”.

Harley has been lucky enough to find himself a few local tattoo artists on whom he relies for all his work, proud to have found artists who are talented enough to handle whatever idea he throws at them. “Steve Cross from Korpus Tattoo Brunswick has been tattooing for the last twelve years, and I have trusted him with 95% of my tattoo work – I don’t think I could have found a better man for the job. Steve is a great tattoo artist, but away from tattooing, he is an amazing artist in his own right.” Harley is particularly attracted to the atmosphere of Steve’s studio, which he describes as “one of the coolest looking studios going around”, but with a relaxed, and visually stimulating ambiance. Jane Laver from Chapel Tattoo is Harley’s other favoured artist, who was responsible for completing his right sleeve, which was his first black and grey tattoo. 

Asked how he feels about his tattoos now, Harley admits how much he loves them: “I could not see myself without them… they are a part of me, so they come with the package.” And considering his long history of involvement with the art of tattooing, it is just as well he loves them. Harley is currently having his back piece finished off, and beginning to plan his next piece, and all the while, watching and waiting to see whether the popularity of tattooing continues its stronghold: “I think the popularity of tattoos will drop off for the general public. But there will always be people out there who want to experience the journey of getting tattooed…and express themselves.”