Gray Silva
Not sure just how interested you are in the life and times of Me, but here goes.Been tattooing now on and off for around 15 years, working from my kitchen to start with, as many of us do, then graduating to a variety of studios, working with some interesting characters many of who were then, and still are, miserable buggers (Hi Guys). I learned many bad techniques, made many bad choices, and upset quite a few people in the process, but hey, we all fuck up, Right?
To all those people I upset back then I’d like to apologise for not upsetting you more and taking greater pleasure in your misery! Ya ll deserved it. I now know how not to treat my apprentices/clients/bank manager etc. So, fuck you, you know who you are.
Back to me. I spent a good few years working as a brain surgeon then as a male model, for Calvin Klein and J.P. Gaultier but decided to leave all that behind to become an astronaut. I was actually on the first manned flight to mars (you can just see me on the mars probe photos {I’m the one in the middle}), but again was unsatisfied with this choice of career so gave it up in exchange for real ale, chip butties and tattooing. Thanks guys you made me who I am today (the beer and chips that is).
I seem to have spent the last 7 years working alone, honing my skills, losing my hair and testing how far a 38 waist will stretch until either the button flys off or I cut off the circulation to my legs. (not far if youre wondering!). I’ve gone from listening to punk and psychobilly all day to Tom waits and Radio 2! My eyes no longer work without assistance, you have to repeat almost everything you say to me, and the hair growing out of my ears and nose causes a state of constant tickling, which I have to get my two wonderful apprentices to scratch on a regular basis. (paying theirs dues!!)
I have no formal art training but did study for a degree in design at Leeds, (spent most of the time out of my face) and seem to have picked up all the arty stuff along the way. I love working on custom pieces in my own inimitable style, but I really do find something very satisfying in putting on a quality piece of flash art. Any spare time in my day (although there aint much of that) is spent either drawing, eating, reading, scratching my own ear ‘n’ nasal cavities (must crack the whip on that one!), and generally moaning, well, mainly moaning. Quite a lot in fact.
If I come across as a grumpy old man, then its because Ive noticed that its the obvious next step in my evolution as a tattoo artist, Isnt it? Looking around tattoo conventions the grumpy old buggers seem to be almost everywhere, with a few wonderful exceptions (they probably have a link on this site).
So heres to old age and experience, (Im 37 going on 57 by the way) and enjoying them both.
Gray Silva