DAVE WAUGH

By Elvia Iannaccone

At the Frankfurt convention I got the chance to meet Dave Waugh-from "Little Vinnie's Tattoos"-who's in the middle of a world tour that has so far stopped at Houston, Detroit, Tucson, Norrköping (Sweden), Amsterdam, Maui (Hawaii) and Los Angeles, and will next go on to Miami, Bologna, and Berlin. Dave is without a doubt one of the most interesting artists working in the traditional American style. He does it with a passion and artistry that come straight from the heart and shine through in his tattoos. This cheerful and good-natured 29 year-old has athletic, all-American good looks . . . and is inseparable from his baseball cap!

ELVIA: Tell us how you first got into tattoos, and how you developed as an artist.

DAVE: I've been working at "Little Vinnie's Tattoos" in Westminster, Maryland for about six years, but my passion for tattoos started when I was a teenager. In fact, at age 16 I tattooed myself for the first time, by hand, and did a few on my friends too. They were really hideous, I admit it! I was already thinking, back then, that it would be great to tattoo for a living, so at 18 I bought my first tattooing kit. Vinnie Meyers had recently opened his tattoo shop near my house . . . I was unemployed at the time and, besides having done plenty of tattoos on myself and my friends I'd also collected quite a few drawings. So I decided to go to the studio and ask for a job. Vinnie said he'd help me out in exchange for a few drawings, so the next day I went back with a bunch of illustrations. He liked them, and that's how he started teaching me the trade, and everything I needed to know about technique. I never dreamed I'd be able to combine work with my love of drawing . . . but tattooing has given me this wonderful opportunity. I make some money, I get to travel, and I have a great time! That in short, is my life-story a real American tale!

ELVIA: Your style is decidedly "traditional", but with a difference a modern take on classic tattoos. How did you become enamored with this style?

DAVE: It's simply the oldest, most traditional style in American tattoos, and I think I've always loved it because to me these are archetypal tattoos, timeless designs that will never go out of style. They may be reinterpreted but they will always be the same, good old tattoos. I try to combine my personal drawing style with classic subjects like panthers, eagles, dice, pinups, swallows . . . I use my imagination to breathe new life into traditional "on-the'wall" themed designs that have shaped the history of tattoos and which, today, can be pleasing to the eye as well as filled with symbolic significance. We get a lot of people coming into our shop-it's on the street where we normally do custom work; one-off pieces. But many people come in and just pick out a flash design from the wall, not knowing that we'll reinvent that drawing on their skin, update it and make it more imaginative! The subject stays the same, but we give it a new lease of life!

ELVIA: Perhaps not many people today appreciate the traditional style . . .

DAVE: That's true, in a sense. Today lots of people go for tribal designs, partly because it's a bit of a fad. Not everyone likes traditional designs, because they can seem dated and don't leave much room for creativity, but I think that's precisely their appeal. The main thing is that a traditional tattoo really stands the test of time, much more than other styles, because of its solid outlines and colours. The rest is a question of personal taste. Anyway, today in America the traditional style is making a comeback, it's being rediscovered and revisited, and I'm happy about that. . . there's a sort of nostalgic revival, people want things from the past. But whereas in the 40's and 50's you could choose from a limited number of designs that were executed in a certain way, today we offer a more modern an imaginative take on those same designs. The basic principles stay the same simple drawings, and so on but you get greater visual impact. That's why they're gaining popularity, especially among women who are now asking for traditional tattoos . . . and I think it's the perfect style for women, because it's strong and feminine at the same time.

ELVIA: What are your favourite subjects?

DAVE: The whole classic American repertoire, and some Oriental stuff. Lately I've been doing my own special version of a pinup, a lot sexier and really stacked! When I was a kid I watched lots cartoons, so I also like to do weird and wacky stuff like jumping eyes or living hamburgers in a cartoony style. It's a mix of traditional and cartoons, with thick lines and brilliant colours.

ELVIA: How is your studio set up now?

DAVE: There's Vinnie and me, obviously. We do the big custom pieces. Then we have two other guys, Glenn and Matt, who do the smaller-stuff for people who want something quick and simple, but always in American traditional style.

ELVIA: Are there any artists that have inspired you in some way?

DAVE: When I was younger I was fascinated by the Oriental style and by artists like Don Ed Hardy, Eddie Deutsch, Paul Jeffrey, etc. Naturally Sailor Jerry was the first artist to influence today's young tattooists - he's our spiritual father! In fact, today there are artists my age who do marvelous traditional pieces-names like Scott Sylvia and Jeff Rassier, whom I know personally, and many others. These are people who aren't in this just for the money but also because they truly believe in what they do. There's a lot of collaboration and exchange of ideas, which I think is fantastic! After all, people with genuine talent will endure through the years, while someone who pretends to be what he isn't won't last very long.

ELVIA: What is Dave Waugh like as a person?

DAVE: First and foremost, I try to learn something new every day. Tattoos fill most of my life, and the only thing I miss is not having enough time to draw. When I can, I play the bass guitar . . . I'm in two bands. Music has always been my other great love and there, too, I do a very traditional American style: it's called "bluegrass" and it's a mix of rock'a'billy and country, played also with the banjo and double bass . . . a really fast, rollicking sound that's sometimes a bit silly . . . but a lot of fun! Music and tattoos have certainly made my life happier and fuller. I get to travel and meet lots of wonderful people . . . I admit it, I'm a happy man. What's more, I'm the father of an 8 year old boy, Dave Jr. who loves my tattoos and may be a future artist. When he plays with temporary tattoos he puts them on his hands and neck just like his dad . . . that's great!

ELVIA: You're almost completely covered with tattoos, including visible areas like the neck and legs. Has this ever caused you any problems?

DAVE: Sometimes I can't sense people's intolerance, they're the ones who remind me I'm covered in huge tattoos, I tend to forget about it. I don't like being stared at but unfortunately it happens. But I've chosen tattoos as a major part of my life, I can't complain. In fact, it's the really big tattoos that are my tribute to this art form. And if someone doesn't understand. . . tough, because I'm proud of them. Who knows, maybe one day tattoos will shield us from radiation. . . as well as from bigots.