Onnie’s work is one of the hotest stuff you can go through in the tattoo world actually. Her images influenced by comic art of beautiful, voluptuous women are an ode to the woman body and beauty, a celebration of desire and pleasure… that it is hard not to be receptive to. Being an enthousiastic traveller, she definitely makes the world warmer
Can you tell us about how everything started for you in tattooing?
Well, I had an interest in tattooing when I was studying in my early twenties. But coming from a small town in Australia meant that getting an apprenticeship at a studio also meant being beholden to one biker gang or another and that scared me away from it. It wasn't until a few years later, in 2011, when I was actually offered the chance to do a more informal apprenticeship in a small private studio in Sydney that I seriously considered it and took them up on it. I had my first tattoo the same year for my 25th birthday. Of course, as soon as I did it I knew that was it for me and I was going to be hooked for life. It was definitely a very informal apprenticeship though, and I left for Amsterdam after a year and got an apprenticeship at Motorink with Celio Macedo in 2012. That was really the beginning of my career.
The female nude in art is one of your favorite subjects, can you tell us about it?
The female nude is a versatile vessel in the art world. We're used to seeing her embody so many different guises and concepts, from the Statue of Liberty who represents freedom to the Nike of Samothrace who represents victory, that it's an easily recognisable form. For me it's a source of constant inspiration. I'm fascinated by our response to women's bodies, to sexuality, to how that response can be manipulated. But rather than having these women I draw represent abstract concepts I want them to represent themselves, and all the determination, vulnerability, strength and character that they actually do embody. With a particular emphasis on strength and confidence and sexual identity.
Do you have an art background?
Yes, I gained my degree in Visual Arts at the Sydney College of the Arts and then a diploma of Fine Art at the Hunter Street TAFE (technical college) in Newcastle. I majored in painting and printmaking, although illustration was always my main interest. University taught me a lot about what I didn't want to do, but through TAFE I was lucky to have some really inspiring teachers who encouraged me to pursue art full time.
You're doing pin-up girls in every shape and size, where does it come from?
Ha ha! Look around, women come in every shape and size! All women are pin-ups, but not all realise that. I spent a lot of time when I was at university looking at pornography because I was finally living away from my parents and no one cared. You'll find every sort of taste is catered for, there is no one thing that is universally sexy. Of course there are traits that I personally like, you might find that it's more common for me to draw women with large breasts, but that doesn't mean that small ones aren't just as sexy. In real life it's not about a woman's body, but her attitude and personality, and that's the hardest thing to draw, but I try.
You're not only doing pin-ups but also female characters having huge pleasure in different situation, living many kinds of adventures, all in technicolor, was it missing in the tattoo world?
It's something that's missing from the world in general. When we look at the common ways that women are represented, especially sexually, it's as objects or concepts. Their sexuality is offered to us, to appease us in some way, to sell us something, to service us somehow. What does this say to women about their place in the world? That their sexuality is nothing more than a commodity. I want women to see that pleasure is theirs to own, to dispense as they see fit and to enjoy for sake of enjoyment itsef. In a sense it's a vision of a sexual utopia, one that I hope becomes closer to reality as time goes by. This is the antithesis of slut shaming, it's a celebration of a free and open sexuality and an invitation to take part. This has been the main theme of my work since I started.
Do you have limits in representing pleasure?
Not in terms of pleasure, however I won't do tattoos of aggressive or hateful subjects, but it depends on the clients intent. I consider each request as it comes. I have limits when it comes to where I'll place tattoos, and I still haven't tattooed any hands or necks, because the I feel that these should be the last places to get tattooed, and whenever I'm asked I have to tell them to go away and finish their body suit first. It's a real fashion statement these days, and it shouldn't be. In a lot of big cities it's not such an issue. But a friend of mine was visiting some rural parts of eastern Europe and she was refused service in restaurants and shops because of her hand tattoo of a flower. An Australian tourist was harassed and assaulted in India because of a tattoo he had on his leg. We forget how powerful a symbol it is to wear an indelible image on your skin, and the ability to hide or reveal these as is appropriate shouldn't be discarded so lightly.
What do you do when you do tattoos with no boobs in them?
No use crying over spilled milk! I am always happy to be tattooing, whether it has boobs in it or not.
Are there specific subjects you would like to do?
I'm really hoping to do more work based around stories people would like to be told. I love it when there's a lot of meaning behind something. It doesn't have to be all symbols, but pieces that hint towards something more. I don't think I'll ever get sick of doing pin-ups, but I want to take it far far beyond the classics.
When you started tattooing you already had your identity as an artist, how did you make it fit to tattooing?
Well, tattooing, like any medium, has its own set of physical limitations. I started by looking at anything I could, trying to figure out what worked, how it worked and why certain aspects of it were so appealing to me. I was lucky to work with German artist Sven Groenwald very early on when I was an apprentice and I learned so much from him and his unique style of application. A lot of it is about working out how to make something very effective, using the least amount of time and effort, because that's being smart, and it's also good for the client. A lot of my design devices come from needing to do quite large pieces quite quickly while travelling. Simple and effective is good for everyone!
You're doing mainly flash, why do you like that format? Because I travel so much I need to create designs that can be completed in one, or sometimes two sittings at the most. Even now that I'm currently based at Stone Heart in Sydney until mid-2016 a lot of my clients are travelling from somewhere far away to get a piece and can't come back regularly for multiple sessions. Even if I start a large project like a sleeve I do it in small manageable sections so that if I'm away for a long period of time my client isn't left with a half finished tattoo. It's also very satisfying to be able to complete a piece in one session, and see it all finished at the end of the day. I also like to tell a small part of a story with the design, so brevity works well for that purpose too. It doesn't need to be too big to include those few key elements that give a hint as to what is happening. A lot of my ideas come from my clients, and that really is my favourite way to work, to give form to an idea they have and make it my own. It's not always easy, but it is a lot of fun!
What are your references and where do your influences come from?
Well, the main one is actually French. When I saw Métal Hurlant at 17 I was captivated, and then I wanted to be the cover artist. I still do actually! The magazine was the first time I'd seen women represented like this, strong, sexual and capable and the stories fascinated me. I loved how each comic panel seemed like a painting or a story on its own. I'm very interested in this implied narrative and it's something I try to create in my own work, although not as successfully as I'd like. It was through the magazine that I found the works of Milo Manara, Moëbieus, Frank Miller, Azpiri and all the greats. Their work has all had influence in some way, whether it's their artistic technique, their personality coming through in their work or the characters themselves. The art that I feel most compelled by are comic artists. I'm currently looking at a lot of Mike Mignola’s work. A lot of artists from the sixties and seventies, John Romita who drew Spider Man, but more importantly for me Young Romance. Aside from that I've always loved horror and fantasy, and I'm currently watching Tales from the Crypt while I draw in the evenings and trying to make more time to go to the Art Gallery of NSW which is very close to the studio and has some great paintings by Hugh Ramsey and George W. Lambert, who are two of my favourite Australian painters.
Are there tattoo artists you feel close to or inspiring?
Oh so many! First and foremost the guys I work with at Stone Heart, Pat Banares, Dean Olling, Chris Veness and Kara Alexis. Our manager Thraxxy is the biggest babe alive, and she's the one who holds it all together. Recently I was lucky enough to be invited to San Francisco by Doug Hardy, who is now a great friend and while I was there I got to meet some artists whose work I'd been following for some time, Greg Dyer especially, who works at War Horse Tattoo for George Campise, who is another incredible artist. Greg and I did a whole bunch of paintings over a couple of days and we're selling prints of them now. Greg is a great person to bounce ideas off and is one of the most prolific painters I know. Then back here in Australia there's Jamie August in Melbourne, who is one of the best tattooers I know. Everything I see of his is just immaculate and he's super humble about it too. Ryan Parsons was a super nice guy to me when I was first coming up. A lot of influence comes from people who are working hard and being good people in life too. We might have very different approaches to art, but they inspire me to make more of my own!
Do you find it difficult to be a woman in the tattoo world, which is more masculine?
I've experience far more sexism in my other professions than in tattooing. The difference being that in a tattoo shop if someone does something out of line I can call them out on it right away, some guys have been pretty surprised to find out what it's like to be on the receiving end of sexual harassment. But in this industry you're judged more for your ability as a tattooer and gender is secondary, as it should be.
In Europe there are still strong stereotypes about women wearing tattoos, how about Australia?
In warmer countries it's much more common to see all people with tattoos, men and women, so I believe those stereotypes are broken down sooner and exposed as ridiculous. There will always be people who form opinions on what women wear or do, so yes, those stereotypes do exist, even here. However, I feel that at least in the larger, more cosmopolitan cities that it is considered perfectly unremarkable that a woman should have a tattoo. Contact : Email: tattoosbyonnie@gmail.com http://instagram.com/onnieolearytattoos
Best cult movie?
'Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill' except where they all die at the end. I wish Varla got away with it all! Favourite part of the body? Shoulders, or hands, or ankles, or dimples anywhere, actually can I just say the whole thing? Best place to make love? On top of the washing machine, or outside, I love the possibility of getting caught! I've had some lucky escapes before! Favourite dish you cook for your lover? My Nanny Ogg's famous recipe for carrot and oyster pie, of course. Carrots so you can see in the dark, and oysters so you have something to look at! Love is better when you listen to... ? What your lover wants
