CRAVE ARTIST INTERVIEW – Robert Pho
CRAVE: Robert, how, when and where did you start out in art and eventually tattooing?
ROBERT PHO: I’ve been drawing since I was five years old. I think the interest in art has always been in me. I never really had anyone in school or anywhere else try and guide me the right way. It must have been there all along. I never then thought of it being a career or anything. Eventually when I grew up I got into trouble. Not living at home was rough. At the age of 16 I went to prison. I served seven years. Believe it or not, that’s where I started tattooing. If you count prison time I’ve been tattooing since 1989-like 15 to 16 years. I’ve been working professionally in a shop about nine years now. I didn’t really have anyone to look up to or to apprentice me, so it was hard; really hard. I went through a lot of trial and error until I got to where I’m now. I wish I could have done it the other way and had an actual apprenticeship. But, I didn’t, and that’s the way it is!
CRAVE: What was the first professional shop you worked in?
ROBERT PHO: The first was a shop in North Carolina. It was with an old friend of mine. We both ventured out and just started doing it and it took off.
CRAVE: How many places have you worked before you settled in Las Vegas? 14
CRAVE Toding & Body Modification April 2006
ROBERT PHO: This is only my second place here in Vegas. And to me, being here right now is like the beginning of my life and my career. Everything before Las Vegas was trial by error. But here, right now, this was my starting point! This is where my art truly came alive. Most of what I’m doing is custom and that’s exactly what I want to be doing. Las Vegas has enabled me to do that.
CRAVE: Tell me about your shop.
ROBERT PHO: Well, this is my own little shop. It’s kind of away from the strip and the crowd. It allows me to focus more on what I do. I’m the only artist here and everything is by appointment only, and it’s basically custom only. I got away from doing the 12 flash a day and now I do maybe one or two custom tattoos a day. But my one or two tattoos a day are fairly large pieces that require a lot of hours.
CRAVE: I really love your portrait work. Where do you find the inspiration to do that kind of work?
ROBERT PHO: There are so many people that have inspired me and if I was to give you a list right now, I know there would be names I’d forget. When I was doing time though, there was this guy that inspired me named Paul Wrenshaw. He was probably one of the first I noticed who made me look at tattooing in a new way from the portrait side of it. From that moment on, it was pretty much trial and error. I just kept working at it and stayed on the path.
CRAVE: Tell me about the equipment and inks you use.
Robert Pho: Well, everything has been Mickey Sharps. I’m trying to branch out and learn more about the machines, but honestly if there is a real problem and it needs fixing, I’ll just send out. Like, when it comes to tuning my machines, I’ve got no idea. And I truly believe that tuning a machine is definitely one of the most important things a tattooist can understand. I am lucky to understand my machines as much as I do though. If they were a different kind, I probably wouldn’t know what to do with it. As far as the ink, there is no particular ink. I mainly just try different stuff here and there.
CRAVE: A new client comes in your door. They want something you’ve never done before, something custom. How do you prepare for this job?
Robert Pho: My average day one or two tattoos a day, and then I line up the rest of the day just drawing. That is something that I never really did before. Before when people would come in, whatever they wanted, I would just do it right then. I’d do it this way or that way for one basic price. But now I spend a lot more time working on the artwork and giving the client more of a choice. The key is having that certain amount of time each day for just plain drawing. And when it comes to drawing, I have my own approach. I never had any real formal training, so I kind of do my own schooling. My dream is the chance to go back to school and take some art classes and really learn the right way. But for now, I have a big bookcase filled with every kind of book you can think of. So I read and read and read. You can never be too old to go back to school. And right now I really believe I’m at just a starting point. My work has matured to a point but I really want to feed my brain with as much knowledge as I possibly can and shading, anatomy and different forms of art. The main thing is, you kids that are reading this should understand one thing-school is impor- tant! Apprenticeships are very impor- tant. It’s best to learn from someone who knows rather than only yourself. Believe me, the trial and error method takes a whole lot longer to get to where you want to be, if you’re lucky to even get there at all. I can only wish now that I could have finished school and taken art classes instead of being mainly “self taught”. But like I said, you’re never too old to go back to school.
CRAVE: I totally agree with you on school and apprenticeships and their importance. But, I do want to tell you that even though you are self taught, you’re work is very good.
ROBERT PHO: I appreciate that. It means a lot to me when people say that.
CRAVE: Does your drawing lead to a lot of flash work?
ROBERT PHO: As far as flash, what I really want to do is create dif- ferent flash from what is already out there, if that’s possible. I have a collection that hasn’t really gone out to the public yet. I have a set of pit bull flash that I’ve marketed. That’s really my first and I really can’t believe how good it’s doing. And I’m really thankful. It’s really a shock to see people have this big interest in it, and it just moti- vates me to do even more!
CRAVE: So where do you see yourself in five to ten years?
ROBERT PHO: I want to have more time to spend with my family. Right now all my time is spent here at the shop. I’m here early in the morning until late at night. I go home and I’m still drawing at my dining room table. I try not to put my family to the side, but it happens anyway.
CRAVE: Tell me about your family.
ROBERT PHO: Well, I met my wife, 17 or 18 years ago in high school. And she has stuck with me through the whole time I was doing time, through thick and thin. And when I got out, we just clicked! We’ve been married now ten years and we have one boy and one girl. And man, they are my inspiration. My boy is 11 and his name is Justin and my daughter is 2 years old and her name is Reena. My daughter is one of the main things that keep me sane- especially after last year.
CRAVE: Why is that?
Robert Pho: Well, my dad was killed and that was kind of the main reason we moved to Las Vegas.
CRAVE: Where from?
ROBERT PHO: My dad was killed in Brooklyn, NY. in 2004 and at the time I was still in North Carolina. I hadn’t seen my dad since I had gone to prison. It was kind of a long lost kind of thing. I mean, I had been searching for him and hadn’t been able to find him. Then I finally did find him too late after he had already been killed.
CRAVE: I’m sorry to hear that. How did he get killed?
ROBERT PHO: He had come out of a bank, and three dudes were outside the bank waiting for him and followed him home. They jumped him and beat him with a hammer over the head and took a little over a thousand bucks he had on him. He was basically just a hard-working man, just barely making it. He had a family of his own and was just doing what he could to make ends meet. For the first month or two after that happened, I couldn’t take any more. My instinct was to go back to New York and find those people and basically do what I know. But then on the other side, I’m look- ing at my daughter and thinking, I can’t do this! My family needs me. So, I took my family and moved to Vegas where I’m closer to my family on the west coast.
CRAVE: Did they ever catch the killers?
Robert Pho: Well, man. I think they caught one of them, but the case is still pending. I guess they need witnesses. They say they can’t really do anything without witnesses. They’ve been holding this guy for like a year now.
CRAVE: What was your father’s name?
ROBERT PHO: My father’s real name was Chin. And his last name was Pho. And I guess when he got married he changed his name to Gene Hop. And like I said my daughter kind of turned things around for me after that happened. She basically kept me grounded to reali- ty, as far as snapping and going off the deep end. I’m really trying to just be a better person and not screw up my life up anymore. In a way, I think what happened to my dad was kind of like karma to me, because of what I used to be when I was younger. You know? I kind of cleaned myself.
CRAVE: Do you have a lot of family in Brooklyn?
ROBERT PHO: My half family lives in Brooklyn and my other family lives in California. That’s where I kind of grew up is the L.A. county area. Life is definitely better during this part of my life. I am so grateful that people actually appreciate my work. I can live and do the things that I love! Things have really changed for the positive. I also want to take this time to thank the one person who really made the greatest positive change in my life, and that is my wife, Teena.
CRAVE: So is Las Vegas the place where you plan to stay for a while?
ROBERT PHO: Yeah! I’m happy here. I think we’ll be here for a time. Not only for business reasons but also for family. It’s just been a positive place for life in general.
CRAVE: Do you think you’ll ever expand your shop and hire more artists to work for you? Or are you happy just being solo? ROBERT PHO: I’m really happy being solo but if I ever do expand it will have to be in a positive way. As long as I can still focus on my art is all that really matters. And if that can happen with other artists or just staying solo in my own shop then so be it.
CRAVE: Tell me about the next tattoo you’re getting ready to do for a client.
ROBERT PHO: I’m doing a full body suit! He doesn’t have one tattoo but he’s real- ly determined to do this and he’s really in a position where he can. Just to have a client that is allowing me to do my own art and style over a whole body suit is a crazy and wonderful thing. It’s one of my main projects right now. It probably won’t be done until late 2007 or early 2008.
CRAVE: When it comes to your portrait work can you tell me what needles you prefer to work with?
ROBERT PHO: You know, I don’t have a specific set of needles I use for this or that. I’ve found for my black and grey work that long and tapered works better. But as far as color I’m still experiment- ing. I tend to use a lot of 3 liners and a lot of mags. 9 mags are what I use more than anything. Lately I’ve been getting a lot of requests for more old traditional type work. I guess I’m looking forward to doing some traditional work, with a modern spin, twisted in my own style of art or per- haps more collaborating with my own style. Doing a lot of negative spacing and stuff. Just get crazy!
CRAVE: Besides drawing and tattooing, do you do any other forms of art like oil or water color painting?
ROBERT PHO: Not really. I’ve tried a couple times to get into air- brushing but it’s a matter of not having enough time.
CRAVE: How about conventions? Any in your future?
ROBERT PHO: I was introduced to conventions about a year and a half ago, and honestly I haven’t really done too many. I’d like to, but I don’t feel I’m necessarily ready yet. I guess I want to establish myself a bit more before I even think about doing the convention thing.