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Hollie Bryant, currently enjoying life in Birmingham, U.K., is not
your typical Brit. When we think of that fabled land across the
Atlantic, we seem only to picture its humor, its music, and its
notoriously bad teeth. But Birmingham is different.The city has been
around since the agricultural boom centuries ago and, in a move to
prove that they can embrace the past, people still refer to the locals
there as "Brummies."
Hollie, at age 22, like most of us here, enjoys the finer things in
life: art, drawing, going to gigs, and being tattooed. But, of course, that's
not all that defines her. Not only is Bryant a SuicideGirl and a vegan,
she’s also apprenticing to become a tattoo artist at Tatomb Tattoo
Studio in Harborne, where her understanding of the craft is being
conditioned, refined, and put on trial.
Hollie has been nice enough to appear for us here, so let's be
sure to return the favor.
What are your thoughts about London Ink?
I think it’s awesome! Unfortunately some of the program seems
to be a bit far-fetched and untrue to the entire process of getting
a tattoo. Other than that, it has helped to bring the tattoo
industry into the public eye and that is really positive. It has also
showcased some fantastic artists such as Phil Kyle and Louis
Malloy, who are both great.
Were you into being pretty before you were into
being tattooed? How have your tattoos changed
the way you see yourself?
I got into tattoos at an early age and had my first one at the age
of 15. Getting tattoos helped me develop my image and made
me feel pretty and sexy. I look at pictures of myself with no tattoos
and definitely think I look better with my ink. I love all my
tattoos and plan to get lots more.
Who did your tattoos? What influenced your particular
designs and what do they mean to you?
Dawnni from Modern Body Art in Birmingham did most of my
tattoos. Some have special meanings and some began only as
ideas that I let Dawnni run with it. She's a good friend and a great
artist; I trust her fully. My most recent tattoo is an egg timer with
a love letter in it. I had it done at the Brighton Tattoo Convention
by Phil Kyle. It symbolizes my relationship and my son.
So you're a SuicideGirl. What led you to them
rather than to a different alt-modeling platform?
I had heard a lot of positive things about SuicideGirls before I
even thought of applying. I took a look around the site and knew
immediately that I wanted to model for them. I liked the way
the girls went against the grain; they were tattooed, independent,
confident, and strong women who were comfortable in
their own skin and I wanted to be a part of it. I loved the whole
attitude and ethos around SG, which made it stand out above
all the other alt-modeling sites.
How has apprenticing to be a tattoo artist changed
your thoughts about the technical aspects of a tattoo?
Before my apprenticeship, I never realized how much planning
and preparation went into the process before even beginning to
think about starting work on the skin. Being on the other side
has made me appreciate the precision and talent that goes into
creating a piece of artwork that someone is going to carry around on them forever. It has also
made me feel very lucky to have the opportunity of learning the trade.
How long have you been vegan? And why?
I have been vegan for nearly three years. Before becoming one, I never ate dairy products and only rarely ate meat. I never really agreed with eating meat but, like a lot of people, chose to ignore the reality of how the meat actually gets onto our plates. Luckily for me I met someone who really
opened my eyes on this issue and, as a result, I decided to become vegan. I don’t think I could
ever eat animal products after some of the shocking things I’ve seen.
Who are your heroes?
I admire so many talented artists—Phil Kyle, Steve Byrne, Angelique Houtkamp, Uncle Allan, and
Jo Harrison are only a few of them. Most importantly, Dawnii from Modern Body Art in
Birmingham; she is amazingly talented and has given me so much support and encouragement
before and during my apprenticeship.
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