It’s just another busy Saturday morning at Mischief Moon Tattoo Studio where customers face the pain of the needle, all in the name of art.

By Kate Browne

Name: DiDi

What do you do? I’m a psychology student

What are you getting done today? I’m getting a bat skeleton with a skull and vampire teeth and I’m going to have daises put in its eyes.

Is this your first tattoo? No, I got a panda on my ankle 3 years ago and then I got this tiger on my back. I like getting animals as tattoos; they’re like friends that I carry around with me.

What made you decide to get a tattoo? I like the fact that you can do stuff on your body and it stays there forever.

Is getting tattoos addictive? Definitely, this is number three for me. I’m starting a collection.

What does your mum think? I haven’t told her yet! But I do want to come clean and tell her, but I’m just working myself up to it.

Name: Matt

What do you do? I run a café

What are you getting done today? I’m just here for a touch up. But I have four tattoos in total.

When did you get your first tattoo? I was nineteen. It is a traditional tatt, done the traditional way. My mother is from New Guinea and it was done with a lemon thorn and charcoal, they came down from New Guinea to do it.

What’s the symbolism behind it? It’s from my grandmother’s side of the family, when Dad married into the family he got the same tattoo. My Mum has tattoos too, just small ones, nothing big.

What about your other tatts? They are all designs from my grandmother. She is tattooed from her upper calves, all over her thighs and up to her shoulders, its tradition.

Do you think tattoos are more popular these days? For sure. It’s no longer just sailors and guys that have been in the big house. I know a lot of pacific islanders who are getting traditional work; they are really embracing their heritage.

Do people ask questions about your tatts? A lot of people want to touch, even strangers, which is a little bit freaky! If I tell them I have one on my back they want me to take off my shirt to see even if we’re in the middle of the street, it brings out a lot of reactions.

Will you get more? I want to get my thighs covered with my grandmother’s tattoos. She’s 96 this year and she loves my tattoos, I’ve made the front cover of her photo album so I think I’m the favourite now.

Name: Clarity

What do you do? I’m a tattooist at Mischief Moon Studios

When did you get your first tattoo: I started getting tattoos as soon as I turned 18. I got a little heart on my hip and then I moved onto bigger stuff and didn’t look back.

What made you get into tattooing? It’s great to make a living from your artwork and see it walking around on people.

Who is the most unusual customer you have had? I had a grandmother and her granddaughter come in once. The grandmother was freaking out at first but she got a dolphin tattoo. It was pretty cool.

Is getting tattoos addictive? I think the addiction starts when people get their first tattoo and realize it’s not that bad. It’s a bit of an adrenaline rush, people feel really good afterwards.

Why do people get tattoos? People get tattoos for all different reasons; they might just see a piece of artwork they like but sometimes people get tattoos to help them get over things. My mum had cancer a while ago and I got a big tattoo with her name in it, in a strange way it helped me deal with it.

What does your Mum think about your tatts now? My parents think it’s pretty cool. There are a few members of my family who aren’t really down with it but my parents know that this is my career now and I’m happy.

Name: Luke

What do you do? I’m a removalist

What are getting done today? I live in the country so I’ve come down to get some more work done on my sleeve and then hopefully I’ll be back for some more.

Why did you get your first tatt? I got my first to celebrate the birth of my first daughter.

Is it addictive? Yeah, for sure. I love it.

What kind of reactions do your tatts get from people? I come from a town of 300 people so I do get negative reactions sometimes. The oldies in town hate them; I guess they think I’m rough.  At work I try to keep my tattoos coverable, cause if you go into work sometimes the oldies will say things like “you must have been to jail” and I say “I haven’t been to jail, I’ve just got tattoos.”

Does it hurt? Anyone who says it doesn’t hurt is a liar.

Name: Dan

What do you do: I work as a shipping coordinator

What was your first tattoo: The first I ever got done was a little eagle, I was eighteen.

What made you decide to get a tattoo? It was a real spur of the moment thing. I actually passed out when I was having it done because it was so painful. It was a quite a memorable occasion.

How many tattoos do you have now? I’ve got three tattoos and I’m getting this old one reworked today, it will take about 6 hours.

Why do you like tattoos? I just find them really sexy. A tattoo should be a reflection of you, and a reflection of the life stage that you are going through. It all tells a story, they are very personal.

Seen any tattoos that you hate? I’m sorry but I hate all those tatts with little bluebirds or dolphins, they are so passé.

Have you ever had any negative reactions to your tattoos? Oh yeah, from my grandmother! But attitudes are changing; the taboo around tattoos is gone now. All sorts of people have them and for different reasons.

Name: Mags

What do you do? I’m an apprentice tattooist

Why did you choose to become a tattooist? I’ve always wanted to do it, but I kind of fell into it. Skin is an amazing medium to work with.

When did you get your first tattoo? I actually got it when I started working as an apprentice; my boss gave it to me for free.

How many tattoos do you have now? I have 8 at the moment.

Is it addictive? Yes, very much so.

How do you choose the designs that you have? I choose designs that make me happy and will remind me that I shouldn’t take life too seriously: I have things like a cupcake, a heart, a kewpie doll, a teapot with wings; whimsical things that I draw up myself.

What does your Mum think?  My parents are never impressed when I bring home a new one but they accept it because they know that it makes me happy.

Have you ever had a negative reaction to your tattoos?  Not really, at the most people are a bit bemused. Because I don’t have the usual tattoos and they’re quite whimsical most people just laugh and say “who would get a cupcake on their arm?”

Name: Dom

What do you do? I’m a scientist

What are you getting done today? I’m getting this big one on my arm finished.

How long will you be in here today? I’ll be in here for five to six hours today.

When did you get your first tattoo? I got my first tattoo six years ago

Why did you get it? I always wanted a tattoo. The first one was the one in the middle of the one I’m having done today. I always drew bonsai trees when I was a kid so I always wanted a tattoo of a bonsai.

Is getting tattoos addictive? Oh yeah, that’s why I’m getting another one.

There’s always going to be more. My girlfriend keeps saying no to more tattoos but I keep coming back anyway.

What does your Mum think? Mum and Dad are resigned to the fact I love tattoos. Now they like to see the results when I get a new one.

Do any of your fellow scientists have tatts? There are people with tatts everywhere. But because I teach at a uni I like to keep them below the shirt sleeve length cause there are still people there who think they are something that a criminal would have. Then again, half the students I teach have them so attitudes are changing.

Why do you think people like getting tattoos? Humans have always had a fascination with body modification and its being going on for thousands of years.

Name: Happy

What do you do? I’m a tattooist and owner of Mischief Moon Tattoo Studios

When did you get your first tatt? I got my first tatt when I was 17, it was a small rose. It was just a primal urge for me. I was completely sober and made the long trek in from the suburbs to Kings Cross to get it done.

How do you learn to become a tattooist? There are no official courses or apprenticeships so you learn on the job and do the hard slog. I used to do 7 days a week without pay watching the tattooist work, cleaning up after them, running errands and then I’d go home and practice on my leg.

What kind of people have you tattooed? I’ve had suits walk in, solicitors, teachers, and an ambulance driver. You just can’t pick who is going to come in and want one.

What does your mum think? With my first one I didn’t show her for a couple of years but these days she calls me up and asks me if I’m doing a decent job.

Name: Col

What do you do? I’m a process worker in a chicken factory

When did you get your first tattoo? I got one last year; I chose a jigsaw puzzle to go on my arm.

Is getting tattoos addictive? Yeah, once you get one you just want more. One day I’m going to be covered, I plan to get a full body suit eventually.

Does it hurt? Yeah, but now I’m really used to it, and I know the pain is going to go away.

What is it about tattoos?  You can express yourself and a lot of people will get them to feel happy about themselves. It’s a positive thing.

What does your Mum think? She’s got tattoos herself but when she saw how big this one was she was like whoah! But now she’s okay with it.

Do you ever get negative reactions from people because of your tattoos? No, most people want to talk to me about them and have a look. I get stopped on the street all the time, sometimes I actually get sick of it.

Name: Mick Medusa:

What do you do? I’m a tattooist, I’ve been tattooing for 7 years.

Was it difficult to learn? It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever learnt. To work on someone the first time was nerve wracking.

When did you get your first tattoo? I got one when I was seventeen.

What inspired you to get it? Oh just rebellion, I liked Axl Rose!

What was it? It was a shield on my arm, it isn’t there anymore.

What did you Mum think? I didn’t show her until I’d half removed it using a pin and a print making tool.

What kind of people come to you for tattoos? Heaps of different people. Less stupid people now, I find that customers tend to have more idea about what kind of design they want now. But the stupider the tattoo, the quicker I’ll get you in my chair. I like stupid tattoos.

What’s the stupidest tattoo you’ve seen? I’ve seen a hemorrhoid on the back of someone’s head. That was pretty stupid.

Name: Gareth

What do you do? I’m an apprentice tattooist at Mischief Moon

How did you learn? You pretty much have to start going for it on yourself, you are your first victim. 

When did you get your first tattoo? I did my first tattoo on my leg with a needle when I was about 16. My first professional one was a Welsh dragon when I was 18.

What made you want to get tattoos?  I’ve always been intrigued by imagery on the skin. It’s the oldest primitive art form there is.

What is it about tattoos?  I found it a form of empowerment. Until you mark your skin you don’t know what it’s like but it really changes you. I’ve got a fair bit of work on my legs and my arms now, if I didn’t have it I would feel naked.

What does your Mum think?  My mum just kind of laughs and my Dad is conservative but they are okay.  They don’t really love what I do but they know that I’m doing it for me. I’m not harming anyone.

Do people want to talk to you about your tattoos? Yeah, people are inquisitive, although it’s usually my ears that they want to talk about.[Gareth has massive ear piercings that will be apparent in the pic – KB] If they are taking the piss I don’t give them the time of day but for people who are genuinely intrigued I love to have a chat.

Do you ever get negative reactions to your tattoos? Not really, sometimes I get the feeling some people are a bit wary of me, but I’m not a hard guy. Maybe it just comes down to their insecurities.

Thanks to Mischief Moon Tattoo Studio - Darlinghurst.