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PHIL HOLT
by William Thidemann
Photos courtesy of Phil Holt
From the July 2005 issue of Prick Magazine.
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I am lucky to say that I have known Phil Holt since before he first started tattooing. I met him and his wife at a convention in Tampa about ten years ago or so. Since then, Phil has moved across the country and back, working at a number of shops and cities and has traveled extensively around the world.
During this time, Phil has matured into a well-respected artist and dad. I recently caught Phil as he had just returned to sunny Florida from Europe.
William: Let's start off with the basics, how long have you been tattooing and what got you started?
Phil: About nine years now. I didn't take it real serious until I started working with Durb in Ohio in '98. Well I suppose I took it serious, but Durb was the first person I worked with that was willing to really show me what he knew. He really gave me that first strong push. Come to think of it, Bill, you were the first tattooer that really tried to help me out, but most of that was over phone conversations and the occasional road trip. Not long after we met I started working for Durb.
What about painting?
I have always enjoyed painting but never took it seriously either. I still don't take it too seriously. I also paint, but in the realm of the painters that inspire me, I do not work hard enough or paint as much as I should. That's something I should definitely work on.
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Can you give us a brief job history? You started out in Florida and now you're back. What happened in between?
A lot. Ohio happened. Chicago happened. San Jose happened. I worked with a bunch of incredible guys and witnessed a ton of awesome tattooing. So many people gave me a chance when I really don't think I deserved it. I got lucky and met a bunch of super nice people. I am very lucky to have a wife that will put up with all the traveling bullshit. We moved back to Tampa last year. I was working at Blue Devil in Ybor City. It's a great shop, good people.
I first met Adrian Lee of NewSkool Tattoo when he came to visit us in Colorado five years ago. How did you like it when you worked at NewSkool? And how did working there affect your progress?
The entire NewSkool crew was, and is, great to work with. When I was there I don't think I fully understood how awesome it was. Now that I'm gone I miss it more than I thought I would. NewSkool is a great facility for studying art. Everyone travels a bunch and everyone has their own room. It offers all the freedom you could ever want for pursuing the avenue you wish to travel. Even now I am working on projects with the NewSkool crew. And I still go back and visit, but not as much as I should.
Besides people you've worked with, name some artists that have influenced you.
Most of my influences do come from people I've worked with at some point. Aside from the people I've worked with, I really like Steve Moore, Mike Rubendall, Brad Fink, Mick from Zurich, Mike Roper, Kore Flatmo, Stanislav Szukalski, [H.R.] Giger, Jerome Witkin, Friedrich Kuhn, Doze and too many to think of at once. Too many to list.
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How has being a dad affected your attitude towards work and travel?
Having kids definitely sucks up some serious time, but it is also great fuel to work hard. I constantly have to produce some form of art, even if I would rather be lazy and slack off [because] I gotta feed the crew. My kids are a giant driving force for me, a huge focal point, and my wife is great and really helps me out so that I can travel and work long days when I need to.
Has it changed your concerns relating to your art?
Concerns? I don't think so. I don't notice a definite change in my ideas as much as I think that without them I would probably drift more. I probably wouldn't finish half the crap I start and I probably wouldn't start as many as I do. Not that I am producing some astronomical amount of art, but it would probably be less than it already is. They are a giant anchor. I don't go out as much as most of my friends my age. I am at home a lot and there isn't a whole lot to do but paint or draw when I'm at home. I rarely watch television, I rarely read. I should read more, but I always end up drawing at night and I think I owe that to my children.
What other topics or themes are present in your work?
A lot of my paintings are little more than a study. I'm trying to find my niche and learn so I can be more rounded in the future. I do have a few pieces that have some deeper thought involved, but I keep it all a secret, just for me.
Artistically speaking, in what direction do you see tattooing going?
For the whole community? Who knows? There are so many amazingly hard-driven, hard working, heavily talented tattooers out there that it is hard to fathom where tattooing will be in five years. I hope it gets pushed to a new level.
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I once had an older friend tell me that all the "artists" were ruining tattooing. What role do you think painting has in the tattoo world?
I agree. I think that learning how to paint and draw well is a big step backwards if you want to further tattooing on the whole. To think that it would help out on a personal level is plain ignorant. If you want to save the tattoo world, I think the best thing to do is join an online forum, drink heavily and get plenty of sleep. Might as well throw in some MTV for good measure.
How do you see tattoo culture affecting fine arts, fashion and commercial industry?
Tattooing has an effect on fine art, and fine art has an effect on tattooing. Plenty of tattooers are fine artists as well as tattooers, and plenty of fine artists admire tattooing and get heavily tattooed. Both worlds feed into and off each other. I really see it as a very positive process. As far as fashion and commercialism, well, I guess I don't know. I
see a negative side to it and a positive side. The more commercial tattooing becomes, the bigger the community gets. Which inherently brings more artists into the field, which breeds more fresh ideas into the community. It also brings in more and more people that simply want to cash in, kill it and move on. On one side it is art and on the other it is a paycheck. Obviously as an artist, one needs to feed oneself, but the paycheck should be a side effect not a driving force. Art should remain the core of the process. Making people happy, keeping your self happy and attempting to become better everyday.
Now that we're done with the intellectual stuff, any future plans or projects?
Since I've only been back in Tampa for a year I am still rounding up clientele. The first year was pretty rough but I am starting to get some bigger pieces going now. I am still painting flash when I can and I am trying to do more non-tattoo related paintings. We (NewSkool) are all working on a new project. It is basically a continuation off of a project we did called Suits Made To Fit. It is in the works and will be finished in, if my dates are correct here, September 2006.
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You can visit Phil Holt in his new studio, Redletter1, located in Ybor City, Fla. The Grand Opening Party is on Saturday July 2 at 10p.m.
Redletter1
1510 East 8th Ave.
Ybor City, Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813.241.2435
For more information on Phil Holt, visit www.redletter1.com.
For more information on William Thidemann, visit www.thidemann.com.
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