In our column entitled “Thrive in Debrecen”, we speak to people who live and work among us, many of us may know them personally or at least have heard of them. They talk honestly about themselves, their lives, and how to make a living and prevail in the city of Debrecen. Tattooist Gábor Juhász works in the Fonix Tattoo Debrecen salon. He told us about whether there is still a stereotype about tattooed people, what to look for when you want to get a tattoo and whether it is possible to make a living if someone chooses this profession.
Why did you start tattooing?
At first, I wanted to be a painter, but my art teacher in vocational high school told me that he was a painter too and that you couldn’t make a living out of this job. Art has always attracted me, and when I met a rock and roll band and their tattooist in a pub years ago, that all-night conversation led me to the conclusion that I should pursue this. I’ve been doing it for eight years, at first in my home, but I’ve been strengthening the Fonix Tattoo team for five years now.
You made a good decision, can you make a living from it?
If someone has a talent for it and can create something a little more unique than the average, then you can make a living from it. But you have to be able to bring the expectation to people about what the tattoo really means, and how artistic it is. I love my job because it’s my hobby, and I consider it more like my profession. Any day that I come to work, there’s never a day that I don’t want to be here. And when we have an established clientele, and an appointment of a few months, this is quite enough to live a medium-level lifestyle: to be able to maintain a car, pay bills, go to training sessions, and support a family.
Is it possible that you don’t accept someone?
Before each registered appointment, there is a personal meeting where we discuss what the guest wants. When communication works between the two of us, it’s already a good thing. But if it doesn’t, because you don’t understand the basic rules of tattooing, where it will look good, or the specified pattern is not good, then I can’t accept it. Because we can’t spoil our own reputation by getting a tattoo that goes against all our rules. There can be many reasons why the thing you invented doesn’t work. The paint may wear off, or the UV durability doesn’t hold up as well in the sun, or you want it in an area that I wouldn’t even recommend putting it on.
In the past, there was a noticeable stereotype against tattooed people. Has this view changed recently?
I know from my own experience that such discrimination existed because there was a company where I wanted to work, but they told me that I could have a tattoo, as long as it was not in a visible place. But this was the case years ago, nowadays there is no such big distinction. It is characteristic of our era that everyone is looking for ways to fulfill themselves. Some people turn to training, or worse, start drinking or using other supplements for their well-being, while others, for example, spend their money on tattoos. Because no one can buy something more permanent for themselves. Compared to Western countries, the culture of tattooing in Hungary, or if we go further east, is much more sophisticated and developed.
On the one hand, it is at a more favorable price here than in the West, and on the other hand, this whole genre is more easily accessible, and people get to the level where they can realize their unique ideas sooner. Tattoos are an overpriced luxury item in Switzerland – where I also go to work several times a year – and in Germany. In salons, they are still stuck on bringing a picture of a tattoo because they don’t have a unique vision. On the other hand, at home, they come up with a specific topic and they already know where they want to go on their body.
What preventive steps do you recommend for someone who decides to get tattooed?
When someone imagines a pattern and matures it within himself for weeks or months, the only thing that can interfere is determination. However, we find that people hesitate more than a small pattern, inscription, or small symbol about where it should go. While, for example, a traditional Japanese dragon, rethought a bit, and put on the whole arm, is usually an easier decision. This uncertainty factor is more common among first-time tattooers. That’s okay because it’s a completely foreign and new feeling for people. It has intimacy, and you also need to trust the tattoo artist, since you have to touch someone, even if you do it with rubber gloves.
Is it possible to determine what age people are visiting you?
This is not age dependent, as many people get their first tattoo in their sixties. In the older age group, we also have to pay attention to the fact that the skin structure and water balance are different, and of course, this makes the operation a little more complicated. But if someone pays attention to their health and their skin is not dry, then there is no problem with it.
Are there any defining trends in patterns?
We are already a long way from the dolphin-like, yin-yang patterns typical of the 2000s. There was a time when the rose and compass were the trends. Last year, motifs from Viking folklore were popular, but this was also only for one class.
Do people cling to the persona of the tattoo artist?
I always open four months in the calendar, and if it’s full, you can only sign up for the next tour. There are cases where I can make an appointment with someone only after a few months, but then I offer that they can go to someone else within the salon. My experience is that they prefer to wait until I get to it.
Do you know of a case where someone regretted getting a tattoo?
I have never met such a person, but I have met someone who regretted where he got a tattoo. Unfortunately, this happens quite often. In the last couple of years, the profession has also started to thin out, but those who are demanding of their work then and now remain. Tattooing is now officially a profession that can be learned, but this still does not mean that someone will be talented in it. Drawing skills can be developed with practice, but tattooing cannot. Because even if someone can draw, they will learn tattooing techniques, but they also have to learn how to deal with people. The canvas does not move and does not hurt when touched with the needle. The majority of people tell us about their private life, just like with a psychologist. If someone does not have the ability to handle the guest, apply the given pattern nicely to the skin, to take good care of the clientele, then they will only suffer and cannot make a living. But if they work and are routinely integrated into one’s daily or weekly schedule, then everything will be fine.
Do you also have special training?
More experienced tattoo artists can sign up for seminars on various topics. They always add a little something extra to the profession.
How can you mentally and physically bear tattooing on a stranger’s body every day?
For me, due to the frequency of large samples, this is a little easier, because I usually deal with one guest per day. If I take on more, I get mentally tired. As for my condition, I pay attention to training and eating. I used to go to the gym and do weight training, but I wanted something extra, so combat sports came into my life. I started working with K1, at Ronin Fight Academy, where I feel very comfortable. My partner and I have a common program of going to the gym together. These help me to be balanced in all areas.
What did the tattoo give you?
A way of seeing and an approach to life with which I can get along more easily even when I have to face my everyday problems. Since I have to be creative all the time, the hemisphere of my brain that is responsible for creativity works, so my problem-solving ability is also better, I overcome obstacles much more easily. I can say about myself that I live a happy life at the age of 33, and I can also thank my profession for that.
Translated from Rontó Judyt article at the Debreceni Nap.
