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CHRIS GUNN
by Geoffrey Stephenson
Photos courtesy of Chris Gunn
From the December 2005 issue of Prick Magazine.
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First off, how long have you been tattooing?
Almost 15 years.
What got you into tattooing?
I was going to art school in North Carolina and got sick of seeing my friends with shitty tattoos. I designed a few tattoos for some friends, and then decided if I was going to be designing tattoos for people I should also know how to do the tattoo. I searched out Diamond Glen at River City tattoo here in Austin who had been tattooing for about 35 years. I received a three year apprenticeship from him. I tattooed at his shop on 6th Street when there were only two shops in Austin. It was a crazy time and super busy and a great place to learn in a high production shop. Now Austin is littered with tattoo shops and it seems as if the quality of work has gone down. I am constantly plagued with people who want their tattoo fixed or covered up after a drunken night on 6th Street. These days we are extremely picky and care deeply about the work that we do.
When did you open your shop [Southside Tattoo]?
After leaving River City tattoo, I opened a purely custom shop in South Austin with another artist named Karen Slafter. The shop was called Incredible Ink. The shop was off the beaten path and was a difficult shop to find, especially compared to our new location. There I slowly developed a solid clientele and quickly outgrew the space. I found a much cooler spot right next to the legendary Continental Club in south Austin. The address is 1313 S. Congress, so I had to have it. It was a recording studio prior to being a tattoo studio. Many of the old Austin greats including Stevie Ray Vaughan used to record there. During the day we would work at the old location, and at night my partner Bart Willis and I built the new studio with help from the locals. We have been going strong in this location for three years now, and have five artists and two body piercers.
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What was it like to open the shop, and how have things changed in Austin over the years?
Opening the shop was a blast and could not have gone smoother. The South Congress area is the hottest location for cool Austin businesses. There is new stuff popping up all around us and Austin continues to grow in population. The Austin Chronicle added "Best Tattoo Artist" in their "Best of Austin" yearly issue for the first time in 2004. I won in 2004, and tied in 2005 with Karen Slafter who is also at Southside Tattoo. It’s nice to see tattooing finally getting some recognition. There is a shitload of shops in Austin, so it was really an honor to win twice.
Who are some of your influences?
My father is an artist and teaches at the Art Institute in Houston. I grew up in the art galleries and museums there, so I like all of the old school Renaissance painters and the Modern Art painters such as Alex Grey. As far as tattoo artists go, I have always loved the work of Guy Aitchison, Marcus Pacheco, Aaron Cain, and especially Filip Leu.
After fifteen years in the tattoo industry, how do you stay creative? How important do you think it is to evolve your style?
I think it's very important to evolve your style in any type of art that you do, whether its painting, tattooing or music. The sooner you forge your own style, the better. I always have wanted people to see my work and know that Chris Gunn did it. Whether it was in the way the color was done or the shading, something about it just shouts my style. I love to use bold lines that are built to last and I am known for my use of bright colors.
I use customers' ideas and pick their brain as much as possible in order to get a good framework for what their tattoo should be. I usually draw them a rough sketch/color study and from there it’s pretty easy to come up with a finished design. As long as people come in the door, I stay creative!
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How do you feel about the emergence of tattooers in the fine arts over the past few years?
I'm glad that tattooers are emerging in the fine arts. Tattooers are fine artists and should receive some credit. I think tattooing is one of the most difficult if not the most difficult art form. There is no other medium like skin, it is unforgiving.
What do you like to do outside of tattooing?
I love to work on my '47 Ford truck and I am building a '37 Dodge coupe. There is always something to fix on these old cars and they tend to occupy any spare time I might have. Also, there is always something going on in Austin, so I never run out of things to do here. My wife and I have two kids 11 and 8, so they keep us busy. We also have the Black Cat Aftercare line, and that is a lot of work. Kristin (my wife) has that part nailed down, and the business pretty much runs itself these days. It's crazy how that has taken off.
What's coming up for you in the next few months?
I'm looking forward to some time off in December for Christmas and some snowboarding in New Mexico. I have also been invited to travel to Costa Rica and Japan to tattoo and I am making plans for that as well. I have started some really killer pieces, and it will be nice to finish those up over the next few months. The Dallas and Austin conventions are coming up, and those are always fun.
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Chris Gunn can be found in Austin at Southside Tattoo located at:
Southside Tattoo
1313 S. Congress Ave.
Austin, Texas 78704
512.444.1313
For more info on Chris Gunn, visit www.chrisgunntattoo.com, or www.southsidetattoos.com.
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