Issue: May – June 2017
Bikers and roughnecks were a stereotype often associated with people who had tattoos Having body art was often portrayed as a negative stigma, and was considered lowbrow art by many Unfortunately, many of the stereotypes held some truth to them. Getting inked was often a way for some to show where they were from or their affiliation. There was no real narrative or creative representation of the art form. It was as though getting tattooed was a visual badge of honor or street credibility for Robert Pho-founder of Skin Designs Tattoo in Las Vegas, he was looking to disrupt that notion and the dilapidated culture through his needles. Unfortunately, there are just not a lot of options for the formerly incarcerated. Robert just wanted to do what he loved to do, and that was to tattoo while being able to provide for his family. Formerly considered a (Bad Boy) himself, Robert didn’t get into the game looking for fame or money. That notoriety and acclaim came through his mastery of tattoo art.
Robert began tattooing at the age of 16 when he was first locked up in 1989. It was during his tenure in prison where he discovered his passion for tattooing and art. “I started seeing guys with really nice tattoos, right away it sparked an interest.”, says Pho Employing his own body as his canvas, Robert started honing his skill and started tattooing on himself. Later on, he would start to tattoo fellow inmates as a way of commerce and survival. He quickly became a master at his craft
“I FEEL LIKE I AM STILL LEARNING AND GROWING. I AM 45 YEARS OLD, AND I WANT TO BE TATTOOING UNTIL I AM 60 OR AS LONG AS I AM PHYSICALLY ABLE TO DO IT.”
from the time he was sentenced to the time he was released seven years later at the age of 24. Today, Robert Pho is one of the most sought-after black and gray realism artists in the world. He can take a portrait and flawlessly make it look as if it were a photograph, and permanently imprint it on one’s dermis. He’s blasted thousands of impeccable likenesses of celebrities from Scarface to Manny Pacquiao to name a couple. His attention to detail and lifelike drawings lead him to receive numerous awards and accolades for his mastery worldwide.
If you take a look at some of Roberts captivating works, it’s going to invoke one of two things. You’re either going to give up on your dream of being a tattoo artist, or it’s going to make you hustle that much harder. He took his love for art and his unwavering drive to continue challenging himself and forged an amazing empire as a result of his tenacity “is an honor. We are lucky to be where we are today,” says Robert. He never once let his past affect what he would do and become today.
Robert had every reason to fall statistically, but he’s just not cut from that cloth. Robert’s work ethic, perseverance and effortless talent, have made him one of the most sought-after tattoo artists in the globe today and an icon in the tattoo industry. Meet the man whose second chance at redemption has changed the entire tattoo industry forever.
DID YOU ALWAYS HAVE AN INTEREST IN ART?
Yes, ever since I was about 5 years old, I have been into art. I always told my parents that’s what I wanted to do. They never took me seriously, they wanted me to be a doctor or lawyer [laughs]. Every time I would get in trouble, I would sit in my room and draw. In school, I was always drawing in the back of the class.
WAS IT IN PRISON WHERE YOU REALLY STARTED HONING YOUR CRAFT?
Yes, I would say so. I just kept practicing on different people. After that, it just took off Everyone wanted me to do work on them.
WHEN YOU GOT OUT OF PRISON. DID YOU KNOW TATTOOING IS WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO?
No, I didn’t actually The first thing that came to my mind was worry I was like, 1 have no job skills. Where am I going to work? Where am I going to live? I was so used to the prison life that I was actually nervous about getting out. I ended up getting a job typing somewhere, but on the side, I would tattoo. It started with just a couple of people. Then that person would bring another person, and that person would bring five more people. Word got out fast and it took off from there.
LOOKING BACK, DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD EVER BE WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?
No i never would have imagined this feel like we are lucky to be where we are today I still trip out when people look at me as someone big. It’s an honor, but I was never one who liked being in the spotlight. I don’t look for fame.
WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED, WHO WERE SOME OF THE ARTISTS YOU LOOKED UP TO OR ADMIRED?
The guys who really blew my mind when I started tattooing were Jack Rudy and Tom Renshaw. These are guys who used to be in magazines, and the kind of artwork that they did really spoke to me. I was into realism, so when these guys came out I was just like, “Wow. Tattoo art has really changed.” I wanted to get as real as these guys were.
DO YOU THINK SOCIAL MEDIA IS GOOD OR BAD FOR TATTOO ARTISTS? IN WHAT WAYS?
I think it’s both good and bad. It’s good because the opportunity is endless, and it’s free. You don’t have to pay for advertising anymore. You just post, and that’s it. The bad is that it is misleading to a lot of people to think that they are something big when they are not. Because they have a lot of followers, the average person would gauge them by that and what they see on their page. Some of the best artists out there may not have very many followers. It’s very misleading.
HOW DO YOU SEE TATTOO ARTISTS AND THE CULTURE EVOLVING IN THE NEXT FIVE TO TEN YEARS?
Tattooing has been around for a long time, so I don’t see anything that’s going to stop it. The artwork is becoming more developed, and a lot more people are getting involved. I’m just glad to be a part of it.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WON’T TATTOO ON SOMEONE?
I like to tattoo things that interest and challenge me, so anything that is too Simple I won’t do.
PERSEVERANCE, AND EFFORTLESS TALENT HAVE MADE HIM ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER TATTOO ARTISTS IN THE GLOBE AND AN ICON IN THE TATTOO INDUSTRY
HOW LONG DO YOU PLAN ON TATTOOING FOR?
I feel like I am still learning and growing, so hopefully for quite some time. I am 45 years old and I want to be tattooing until I am 60 or as long as I am physically able to do it. lo this day, I still tattoo six days a week. I love it.
ANY LAST WORDS FOR YOUR FANS?
Thank you for the love and support throughout the years. You are the reason I am where I am today.