If there is one thing that the Eastern side of Australia is missing, it’s Stacey Gardiner. Stacey’s style is clean, cool and quirky, riddled with antique imagery – It’s almost nostalgic. I have no reservations in saying that this is some of the best Neo – Traditional work that i’ve come across lately, and i’m absolutely stoked to present her as this weeks feature artist.
Stacey works at Hold Fast Tattoo Perth, give them a buzz and go get tattooed!
You can find more of Stacey’s work here.
Thanks for your time Stacey, whats been happening?
Hello, work has been happening a lot!!! And painting and family and pets and friends.
For those who don’tknow, can you tell us a bit about who you are and what you do? How does a typical day in your life usually unfold?
My name is Stacey Ann Gardiner i’m 29 years old, I live in Perth and I tattoo at Holdfast. I have 2 Devon Rex cats, a Boston Terrier cross French Bulldog puppy and a Steffen (partner). A typical day for me consists of getting up not early enough usually, sometimes some drawing, go to work. tattoo then hang out and relax after work for a while, then back to drawing or painting, and hanging with the animals. The weekends are a bit more relaxing!
What initially got you involved in art, and how did that lead you in to becoming a tattooist?
I was always interested in art when I was younger and in high school. I once tried in year 10 to do work experience at a tattoo shop, and yeah, that didn’t happen! By the end of high school i didn’t think it would ever be possible to be able to do that job, so I worked in the drug and alcohol field for 6 years and it wasn’t until I was asked to do reception on the weekends at Tattoo Magic that I thought that it may be possible. After a few months I was luckily enough to have found an apprenticeship at Voodoo Ink in Melbourne.
Favourite medium to work with apart from tattooing and why ?
Water colour. Ifind water colour good for me because it’s a challenge, the technique is so completely different to tattooing which makes it even more enjoyable. I don’t enjoy how much i procrastonate whilst painting though!
Who taught you to tattoo, and how have they had any effect on your style today?
I started my apprenticeship at Voodoo Ink with Lewis, the owner of the shop. Bugsy was already working there at the time, he helped me and influenced me a lot. Then I went overseas after about 6 or so months and met everyone at Frith st, which included Thomas Hooper and Chad Koeplinger who helped me immensely also. I was influenced by everyone that worked there, they are all amazing tattooers. Everyone I have worked with has influenced my tattooing in some way.
And in saying that, how have your styles evolved since you began tattooing?
I always knew I wanted to do some form of Traditional as a style, when I first started tattooing i didn’t have a style though, i thought I did andI tried speed the process up, but I didn’t even really understand how to tattoo properly yet. I think that it wasn’t until I started to understand or try to understand that my tattoos started evolving. I feel they still are evolving and I hope that they always do. I feel I will always be interested in the traditional style and enjoy tattooing that, I also like to tattoo antique things, i’m not sure if that’s Traditional or not though, but i like to mix the two together.
I guess you could say Tattoo’s have become accepted in today’s society, possibly even expected,obviously there being more people for you to tattoo is a good thing, but do you think there is a downside to it?
I guess, maybe availability and waiting lists.
How do you think certain “reality” tattoo shows on TV have affected tattooing on a broad scale?
It has definitely effected the amount of people getting tattooed. Customers always ask if I have seen them and majority of them have watched them. So I guess for people that had never been exposed to tattoos and were thinking about gettng one it could help, but not all shops are like the ones on TV so people should still do their research and source out a good shop that will do the best job for what they want, and people don’t need to have a big long explanation behind the tattoo you can get tattooed just cause also, if you want.
What’s been pumping through your speakers lately?
Ummm The Smiths, Break Even, Band of Horses, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Yeah yeah yeahs, Fucked Up, Lucero, The Stone Roses, Cold War Kids, Jose Gonzales, The Knife, Roy Orbison, The Strokes, Bright Eyes, Wu Tang, Paul Dempsey, Deloris, The Draft, I cant remember what else, we listen to all sorts at work!
Greatest accomplishment as an artist/ tattooist?
I’ve had many of great accomplishments with tattooing, like learning how to do it in the first place, travelling and working in amazing places with amazing tattooers, like London and America, getting tattooed by some of the worlds best tattooers, tattooing in Alaska, but my greatest accomplishment hasn’t been accomplished yet.
No doubt you have seen some pretty fucked tattoo’s in your time, what is the worst tattoo you’ve ever seen?
Does it have to be in person? Because I just watched this youtube footage of a dude getting glasses tattooed on his face!!!!!
Favourite place to kick it?
Bondi Porch (our house not Sydney) at my Mum’s in Phillip Island, anywhere if the company is good. I like to kick it around shops to, I like shopping.
What was your first tattoo, and who did it?
It was a little Elf Gnome thing laying on a mushroom, it looks a bit like a gremlin I think, it was done by a lady in Dandenong.
What inspires you to create?
Life, the people around me, the people I work with and have worked with, the people I tattoo, other tattooers and artists.
What’s in your pockets right now?
I don’t have pockets right now, but if I did it would most likely be a lighter.
What are your views/opinions on the World and Society today?
It confuses me. People confuse me. The way the World’s issues are dealt with confuses me, people’s ignorance and lack of compassion, also confuses me.
Name 5 you always pack on your travels?
Clean clothes, phone charger, books, toiletries, camera and tattoo stuff.
How much has tattooing changed since you began, and where do you see it going in the future?
I think in Australia it has changed a fair bit we have so many great tattooers here, and people are travelling a lot more. In the future i’m not sure, we may see more tattooers producing more things outside of tattooing, related to tattooing. That’s why I find Perth exciting to work in because it’s such an up and coming city and there are more and more great tattoos coming out of here and a lot of people wanting to get tattooed so hopefully that continues. Globaly I have no idea, tattooing so far just seems like it;s becoming bigger and bigger and the quality of work is getting greater also. Maybe more tattoo shows will happen, maybe they will cut out the part about the epic story and all the emotions and just show the tattoos.
Advice to aspiring artists/tattooists?
Draw a lot, paint a lot, get tattooed a lot and don’t be to sensitive.
Anything in the mix or coming up that we should know about?
I have a few things planned that I want to do in the near future!!!
Word association, you know the deal, say whatever comes to your mind when you read the word.
Australia – Where I live.
Kevin Rudd – Not sold.
America – Be there in November.
Obama – Probably wont be catching up with him when I am there.
Religion - Not 100% convinced.
Time - 2:40 am
Greed – Not a fan.
Humanity – Needs a bit of work!
Peace – I wish my dog Lizard would give me some and stop trying to eat anything and everything and would stay off the kitchen bench!
Freedom – I wish that they were thinking this when they refused my entry in to London last year due to their suspicions of me working in there country.
Tattooing – Pretty much consumes 80% of my life.
Art – I should be doing some right now actually.
Life – Is rough at times but nothing good comes easy.
Happiness – Is me if i had already done my drawings and was in bed.
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