Interview: Fabio Giovannoni

Why did you become a tattoo artist?
I studied Art at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg straight after school. To be honest I didn't know I was going to be a tattooist right up until my fourth year. The mother of my girlfriend at the time knew a tattooist and introduced me. I took a portfolio and did an apprenticeship, which lasts about a year or two years depending on how quickly you learn.

When did you start getting tattooed?
When I started my apprenticeship I actually didn't have any tattoos and one of the first things they said to me is you have to have a tattoo if you want to be a tattooist. So that was my first lesson, getting tattooed, to understand what I'm doing to other people. If you see a tattooist that doesn't have any tattoos, I'd be very wary.

What's the most interesting tattoo you've done?
I get asked that question a lot. The funny thing is, in this business you kind of become desensitized to what's interesting or strange because you're dealing with it everyday. When people walk in through the door it's a big deal for them obviously because they're being marked permanently. I suppose for me the most interesting thing is just meeting the different people. There's a lady I tattooed years ago. I did her very first tattoo and now I've pretty much tattooed her all over, and if you saw her on the street you wouldn't expect her to be heavily tattooed. You get to know people really personally when they're getting tattooed because it's a kind of a painful process they tend to tell you a lot of their secrets that they wouldn't tell anyone else, which is quite an honour in a way because people see you as someone they can talk to. Another interesting one - I've only tattooed this person once, I did a face of a bull on the chest where the nipple was the nose and he had his nipple pierced so it looked like the bull had a ring through its nose. You get that sort of thing now and then, but I don't find that that unusual, although I suppose many would.

I notice you draw and paint as well. Can you tell me about your art?
My art is something that is a form of relaxation; something to get me away from everyday work. So for me, to sit with a glass of wine and a paint brush is my escape really. I'd describe my art as quite traditional. Even when I was at university I wasn't the kind of person who went for installations and trying to make too many comments about genres, or political situations, or anything like that. For me it's just the enjoyment and about making beautiful pictures, and obviously beauty is a subjective thing, but I would describe my style as quite Classical really.

You've mentioned painting. What else does a tattoo artist do to relax?
As little as possible. I've got three children and one on the way so that takes up most of my time, just spending time with the family. But we're just normal people at the end of the day. Same as you and everyone else, we come to work, we go home and relax.

What's the most popular tattoo you tend to do?
At the moment it's stars and writing, specifically on the wrist, but these things come and go and I think a lot of the celebrities tend to dictate what becomes popular in terms of tattooing. A few years ago it was the black tribal design. That's fading out thankfully. I think programmes like Miami Ink and LA Ink tend to help with the popularity of big designs. The only gripe I've had about these programmes is that they kind of mislead people into thinking they can just walk in and get it done then and there. Because of the programme's editing and so forth they think the tattoo takes twenty minutes, but there's a lot of time and effort that goes into these tattoos and it's a commitment, not just from the tattooist but it's a huge commitment from the person getting it.

What's the longest sitting you've had to do?
I personally don't sit on one tattoo for too long because the person gets fidgety and I get bored with it, and then I start getting sloppy. I like to be fresh for tattoos so I'll do two or three hours. The longest I've done is six hours. But I know people who've done fifteen, sixteen hours. But I think it's a waste of time because after a few hours you tend to lose concentration and you don't do your best work.

Why do you like Cambridge?
I'm not really a city person and I'm sure everyone agrees that Cambridge is a city within the countryside. It's got the nice rural kind of quality to it, but all the amenities of the city, and we all seem to know each other in a way. The tattoo community is quite small so it feels like I'm part of a community and it's nice when people come to me through recommendation.

To find out more about Fabio visit his website at www.tattooingbyfabio.com