As Flaming Wrekage’s brutal fourth album tickles your earholes, you know this is something special. …
Sydney based Rites of Passage Tattoo Festival will feature over 250 of the world’s best tattoo artists, including Melbourne’s very own Neo Traditional tattooist, Jake Danielson. Jake is best known for his unique style of art, and has only five years experience.
HYS: How long have you been a tattoo artist for?
Nearly five years.
HYS: What first got you interested in the craft?
I’ve always drawn growing up, and my dad had a few tattoos that I saw get done, so that kind of introduced me to it. In my early teens I became more and more interested, listening to heavy music, seeing bands covered in tattoos, etcetera. The more I was exposed to it the more I wanted to be a part of it.
HYS: Who did you do your apprenticeship with and long did you do it for?
I did my apprenticeship under Zane Stevens at Royal Ink Tattooing. I was 16 when I began my apprenticeship and I graduated from being an apprentice when I turned 18.
HYS: Who has influenced you the most as an artist?
Artists like Emily Rose Murray, Jasmin Austin, Eckel and Justin Hartman have been huge influences in my career, especially as an apprentice trying to refine my style. These days I’m influenced and inspired by those artists and more, but also the things I hear and see, things my fiancé does, things I come across during travels, etcetera.
I think if you picked five great Neo Traditional artists, all of their work would be noticeably different.
[Jake Danielson]
HYS: What style of tattooing do you specialise in and why?
I specialise in my own interpretation of Neo Traditional. I find it the most comfortable for me to draw and I really love the way the style looks and how you can do it in so many different ways. I think if you picked five great Neo Traditional artists, all their work would be noticeably different and I like that. I also like seeing Neo Traditional as a kind of half way point between American traditional and realism. You can mix in or favour elements of those styles to change how your tattoo looks. It also embodies the same fundamentals as Japanese tattooing, so I love to mix some Japanese influence into my work too.
HYS: Was this style always your preference?
Yes, and no. When I began my apprenticeship I wasn’t fully familiar with the style and began drawing my work slightly more traditional. The more I discovered Neo Traditional and other Neo Traditional artists, the more I got into it.
HYS: What originally inspired you to become a tattoo artist?
Being an artist all my life and being exposed to tattoos at a young age made me extremely keen. The more I saw and learnt about tattoos the more I wanted to be a part of it. I’m extremely passionate and driven with what I do, so once I had set my mind to it, it’s all I wanted to do with my life.
HYS: What music do you enjoy working along to most and why?
I really enjoy working along to/listening to early ’90s hip hop, but I enjoy some newer rap as well, along with some heavier music, and some softer singing/RnB stuff. We get a pretty good variety going on in the studio most of the time.
HYS: If you could tattoo any musician, who would it be?
[laughs] I have too many artists I would pick! Gang Starr’s Moment of Truth is one of my favourite albums of all time, so maybe Guru/Dj Premiere, or J. Cole seems like an extremely down to earth guy who would be cool to hang out with and tattoo for a day, or Beyoncé, the queen. Honestly I’m happy tattooing anyone who loves my work enough to wear it forever.
HYS: Where do you want to be in ten years?
Still tattooing! In my career so far, I’ve already accomplished the work goals I set for myself when I began my apprenticeship, so I’m extremely humbled at how far I’ve come. In the next ten years I’d love to travel more and tattoo across the world. There’s still so many places I haven’t visited. and I just want to continue to improve my craft. So, in 10 years I suppose I hope I’m still learning, still loving my job and excited for work every day when I wake up, and maybe a couple kids and dogs and enjoying my life.
See more of Jake’s work and enquire about a session on the Rites of Passage website.
Rites of Passage Tattoo Festival 2016 starts tomorrow Friday October 14 and wraps up on Sunday October 16 at Sydney Olympic Park.
