Mick is considered a reference in the world of Japanese tattooing in Europe. Living quietly in a house on a hillside in a remote region of Switzerland near the German border, he continues a body of work that began in the 1990s, well before the rise of the Internet. Tattooed by the Japanese master Horiyoshi III and long based in Zurich, he remains at nearly 60 years old one of the most respected artists of his generation. Discreet and wary of social media, he still welcomes his clients in a space that reflects his personality: understated, demanding, and focused on a form of artisanal excellence.
The technical evolution of machines has helped change the tattoo landscape considerably in recent years. I see that you use a Pen, what do you think of it?
The Pen isn't the devil, it's just another tool. If it hadn't worked, I wouldn't have used it. But it works and these toys are powerful. Being radical or purist isn't always a good thing, in life as in tattooing. You have to remain flexible. I like the Pen for the bokashi and the colour but not for the outlines - for that, I continue to use the good old coils.
How did you make the transition?
I have a client, a German tattooist, who brought me his machine so that I could try it out directly on him, to colour in a few elements. I found it very pleasant to use. Then a friend called me and was surprised that I was happy with the machine. He helped me get one from a supplier. Hahaha, I'm a happy camper. The cordless aspect is really a plus, it makes work very comfortable. On the other hand, as everything is disposable, it produces a lot of waste... Not sure it's the WWF's favourite system!
How do you see the world of tattooing today?
Through my glasses... (laughs). It's amazing how things have exploded. Just this morning I received a letter from a charity saying: ‘You're a selected tattoo studio, you can do something good for our cause. March 21 is International Tattoo Day.’ Of course, I never heard of it. So now the marketers are using the popularity of tattoos to raise money... It's absurd, isn't it? They've even attached a payment slip. How do they do it?
The popularity of tattooing has spread far and wide, and the number of studios has also exploded. What does that mean to you?
It means that the work has become a bit more diluted, of course. A lot of clients go where it's cheapest, without worrying about the quality of the work, but that's not a new phenomenon. What is changing is the popularity of these discount shops. They are more popular today because there are more studios. Having said that, we also have to recognise that the quality of tattooing has reached a level we could never have imagined in the 1980s. If you go to a tattoo convention these days - especially these big events like Le Mondial du Tatouage in Paris or Gods of Ink in Frankfurt - you come across some incredible artists. There are so many of them that I don't even know a fraction of them! (laughs)
Is it possible to keep up with the world of modern tattooing if you're not - as you were until recently - active on Instagram, the central platform for this medium?
In the 1980s and 1990s there were magazines. Today it's Instagram. Why hide from it? I don't see it as a negative thing, on the contrary. It's a real source of inspiration and keeps ideas fresh. The important thing is not to rest on your laurels. Some artists are pushing the boundaries of the medium, and that motivates me to keep producing good work. The fact that there are more talented artists is raising the general standard, and that's a good thing, for customers and tattooists alike.
Has this voluntary withdrawal from the networks had an impact on your business?
For a long time, I was surprised to find that it worked well for me, even without using this tool. But I've come to realise that a lot of the younger generation are no longer looking for a phone number to call. Some even mistakenly thought that I was so busy that they'd have to wait forever to get an appointment - which is completely untrue. Today, for example, I'm booked only two months in advance. It's also to correct these kinds of misunderstandings that I've decided to make myself a little more visible online.
How do you find the right balance when it comes to using Instagram?
It's a constant flow of information, and sometimes difficult to manage. So I try to limit my time on the damn phone as much as possible... But there are still some interesting things. For example, I can finally see the work of old friends that I couldn't follow before. For the moment, I'm content with a few publications and a restricted circle of contacts. I try to be fairly selective about what I share. It's almost a job in itself! You have to learn to feed it, a bit like a tamagotchi. And those bloody emojis... I find them downright childish. Among the accounts I follow, I really like Lal Hardy's. He often shares very cool and informative things about the history of European tattooing. But I encourage people to go beyond Instagram, to dig a bit, to look for the roots of it all.
How do you see your role in this world today?
I try to remain consistent and continue to offer quality tattoos. It's gratifying to see the younger generation coming here, asking questions and trying to improve. If I can help them, so much the better. It's a way of giving back to tattooing what it has given me. When I started out, I learned by getting tattoos. I went to meet people I admired, people I thought knew what they were doing. Getting a tattoo, asking questions, getting informative answers, it's a fair exchange. Learning on the Internet is certainly useful, but it can give the illusion that everything is easy. But all you're doing is watching someone else do something you can only learn by doing it yourself. It's like reading a book to learn to swim. At some point, you have to take the plunge.
You had your arms done by Horiyoshi, what did you learn from him?
That in Japanese tattooing, the background is everything. You can put Mickey Mouse and Goofy in a design, but if you have a good Japanese background, it will look authentic. Only if you look twice will you see Disney characters instead of traditional Japanese imagery. And then, of course, you have to study a bit of history, understand the stories behind all these characters. Horiyoshi III used to say: ‘Japanese culture is very deep and once you're in it, it's very wide’. So it's never-ending. When I started in the 1980s, I was eager for books on the meaning of imagery, but they didn't exist. Today there are many.
You're one of the European pioneers in this quest for authentic Japanese style.
Honestly, I'm a Western tattooist trying to do Japanese style and I'll remain so for the rest of my life. A few years ago, I might have wanted to be very precise, to respect the right associations between animals and seasons and all those things that convey authenticity, but I can't insist if the client wants a certain imagery - unless it's extremely fake. I'm not the one who's going to get the tattoo. I say to him: ‘That wouldn't be fair, a Japanese person would tell you that this snake has nothing to do with sakura flowers’. But if it works graphically, the placement is good and the client is happy, then that's the most important thing. At the end of the day, it's just ink on the skin. You can't be too religious.
Is your work exclusively devoted to Japanese tattooing?
No, I try to keep a certain variety, it helps me keep an open mind. Nevertheless, 90% of my work is Japanese or Asian influenced.
What role does tattooing play in your artistic practice as a whole?
About 90% of my time.
What role does painting play in your work?
It's a bit like a rollercoaster. There are periods when I'm inspired and I do a few paintings. Then sometimes, for months at a time, I don't really feel like painting. When I'm tattooing, I often put ideas aside to explore later in painting. It's also a question of energy.
Do your paintings get the recognition they deserve?
In the tattoo world, yes. But I think that for most tattoo artists who paint, it's difficult to be recognised in the art world. I admire the hard work of people like Mike Dorsey in the US and Oliver Macintosh in the UK. They're really, really excellent and they're taking tattoo-based painting forward in a fantastic way.
Would you like more recognition from art institutions?
It would be nice to have a small exhibition somewhere other than a tattoo gallery. The Leu family managed to organise one at the Tinguely Museum in Basel - that was a big step forward for European tattooing. It's great to see this family of artists recognised by a major museum.
Yet these institutions have never really liked tattoos?
We're a bit like the redheaded child of the art world... Tattooing has long been underestimated. Figures like Ed Hardy showed us how to do things properly. His pioneering work is very important. He was able to speak the language of ‘educated’ artists, explaining to them that tattooing is a form of creation in its own right. The world of tattooing as we know it today owes an enormous debt to him. Without him, Western tattooing would still be a baby's clothes.
Physically, how has your body coped with all these years spent tattooing? What advice would you give?
You've got to keep moving. I go for a half-hour walk every morning, just to start the day. When you spend hours sitting in a chair, your back ends up paying for it. I also cycle - an electric bike, because in the mountains like here, it's up and down! and even up and down in the mountains here. Sorry, I'm not twenty any more, it might have been a challenge back then, but no thanks. That said, I still did 20 kilometres yesterday. CONTACT : Mick Tattoo IG : @micktattooswitzerland Tel : +41 (0)44 262 66 20
