Amanda Wachob, a great tattoo artist.

Amanda Wachob INKED magazine interview:

amandawachob.com

Private studio in Brooklyn, NY

What year did you start tattooing?

1998.

How did you get into tattooing?

I had a friend that was working in a tattoo shop who suggested I come in and speak with the owners because they were looking for an apprentice. I had just graduated from art school and had no idea what I was going to do with my photography degree.

I was open to trying anything new, anything art-related, so I met with them and got the apprenticeship. As soon as I started, I was hooked. 

Where did you apprentice?

In the Hudson Valley Region of New York.

Do you have any special training?

Ten years of classical violin training, Suzuki method!

What conventions have you worked? What are some of your best convention memories?

I’ve done London, Milan, and NYC multiple times. Best convention memory would have to be watching my friend Big Steve tattoo Lucky Diamond Rich in London.

How do you describe your style?

Unconventional.

What sets you apart from other artists?

Aren’t we all in this together?

What inspires you as an artist?

Museums, art exhibits, books, my creative friends, living in New York City, and new or radical ways of thinking.

What other mediums do you work in?

It’s all tattoo-related, but I don’t just stop at skin. I tattoo canvas, fruit, leather, etc. I want to expand the idea of what a tattoo can be. It’s my intention to push the boundaries.

How have you branched out from tattooing?

I’m exhibiting my art as much as I’m tattooing, but ultimately they go hand in hand.

What tattoo artists do you admire most?

George Burchett, Ed Hardy, and Cynthia Witkin.

What kind of tattoos do you look forward to doing?

Anything strange and unusual, something I haven’t done a million times. I love when someone will come to me and ask for a design similar to one I’ve put on leather or canvas. I am usually asked to do color work, but I really love doing black-and-gray. It’s so relaxing to tattoo with just one ink, as opposed to 10.

Before someone gets a tattoo what advice do you give them?

Don’t go too dinky.