An American Tattooist in Paris would have been a perfect title for this interview with artist Sunny Buick, but I just realized she was born in Canada. I'm watching Sunny tattoo a classic Americana work on a guy. She's wearing a kicky beret and speaking French, the only thing missing is the baguette slung over her shoulder to complete the Parisian stereotype. Yet, most in the tattoo community know Sunny as the California blonde who went through a seven-year tattoo apprenticeship with the legendary Henry Goldfield in San Francisco and lived to talk about it. His old school influence, the bold outlines and colors, is evident in her tattoo work.
Much of this style can also be seen in her fine art work. An accomplished painter and illustrator, Sunny's work has shown in galleries around the world.
Today, Sunny Buick tattoos in Paris bringing that West Coast aesthetic and her own personal style to the French and those all over Europe.
Marisa DiMattia: I read a profile on you in Skin & Ink magazine years ago that your dream was to move to Paris, paint, and speak French without an American accent. And here you are now, painting and tattooing in the City of Light and I'd say your French sounds good, it puts mine to shame. So first, congrats on being a doer and not just a talker. Now, let's fill in the details. When did you move to Paris from California? Was it a big culture shock?
Sunny Buick: I first visited Paris in October 2001 and then I moved there in May 2003. It had always been a dream of mine to speak French fluently and I knew the only way to accomplish that would be to live in France. I had several people I knew from San Francisco move to Paris right before I did, so that was inspirational. When I first visited, I was scared to death that I was going to fall in love with it and want to move here and thats exactly what happened. Ive always been a Francophile, so it wasnt a big culture shock. The shock I think came from uprooting my life and starting over, learning a new language to boot. It was extremely difficult for the first year, but I was so happy to live in Paris that I got through it. I still have a hard time now and then because people believe I can speak French very well and I end up saying something in French, sort of a direct translation of what I want to say in English and it could be taken very badly in French. My accent is still horrible.
MDM: How does the tattoo scene in Paris compare with San Francisco?
SB: Same jealousies, backstabbing, and information withholding that have been tradition in the tattoo scene forever! For me its better than San Francisco where there is a large concentration of the best tattooers in the world and its hard to get noticed. It helps for me to be an American doing tradition style, Im unique. I find it a lot more positive in terms of who gets tattooed. French people seem to understand that it is fashionable now and almost acceptable. However, there are always certain ethnic groups here who assume a tattooed girl is sexually inviting, but I see that as their personal problem of education. Also, my French clients are less likely to open up about their personal life, problems, etc. Its something I really enjoy about my business, the personal conversations.
MDM: Does working in Paris inspire you creatively?
SB: Enormously! The art history is so rich, and the esthetic so decadent! Im always taking pictures of the architecture. I see a real difference in my paintings. Right now in fact, Im working on a series of large watercolors of tattoo designs inspired by the sculptures found on the building The Louvre. At the moment Im really into Marie Antoinette and that epoch.
MDM: Has the political climate, that is, the Iraq War and all the other absurdities of this US administration, made it difficult for you
to live and work as an "expat"?
SB: No, the French administration is pretty cool towards Americans. Its sad because if I was from Algeria or other parts of Africa, I think it would have been harder for me. Any time someone talks to me about the politics of the US and I say Im totally against whats happening now, and that is one of the reasons why Im not there, they are happy and we continue the discussion. Europeans love to talk politics and they love to argue and get passionate. Its something I respect and understand, so Ive never had any problems.
MDM: Ive been seeing you at a lot of the European conventions these past couple of years. Youve been traveling quite a bit. How has your work been received in Europe?
SB: Its nice. People say that I have a unique style and theyre fans of my art as well.
MDM: Your color tattoo work seems largely inspired by the "old school" Western aesthetic. How do you describe it?
SB: Well its pretty classic... If I could figure out what to call it I would probably have the name of my new tattoo shop! I like to do tattoos that are clean and bold, something you could read from two meters away. I think Im pretty versatile; Ive been working in street shops all my career and Im called on to do a wide range of styles and subject matter.
MDM: Your paintings have that vivid graphism as well, mixed with a great deal of symbolism that largely surrounds female characters. Do you have a certain personal philosophy that drives that imagery?
SB: I have a whole manifesto written about that. Basically Im working on instinct and I end up communicating by symbolism all my ideas and struggles about being a woman, on the canvas. I dont really give the intellectual part of a painting thought until after Ive finished it. Heres an example... I just finished a painting of a girl with butterfly wings and completely tattooed with hearts and roses. The rose vines are piercing and growing through the hearts. The girl has a beautiful, but very worried look on her face. I called it Social Butterfly. The rose has always been a symbol for the female sex in tattooing. I started to realize that this painting expressed this girls regret at the pain she suffered for each promiscuity. She also regrets each time she gave her heart because it was nearly always in vain. It has some of my own personal experience involved. A lot of people say my girls look like me, its not my intention, but a lot of my personal stuff comes through in the art.
MDM: Do you think that female tattoo artists have a different artistic approach or aesthetic to their art?
SB: I think each artist has a different approach. Female tattoo artist are filling a real need. Some people just prefer having a woman do their work.
MDM: Is it harder being a female tattooer in France?
SB: There are pros and cons. Mostly I get more attention because Im a woman. The draw backs are that I dont have the valeur in the eyes of some people. Maybe they think its just a hobby with us girls?
MDM: Now that you've realized the dreams you set out years ago,
what's next?
SB: I want to open my own tattoo shop. And Id like to continue to organize large art expositions. I want to travel around Europe and go to Japan. Id like to live to see my art work valued and hanging in museums.
Interview by Marisa_DiMattia of Needled.com.
Much of this style can also be seen in her fine art work. An accomplished painter and illustrator, Sunny's work has shown in galleries around the world.
Today, Sunny Buick tattoos in Paris bringing that West Coast aesthetic and her own personal style to the French and those all over Europe.
Marisa DiMattia: I read a profile on you in Skin & Ink magazine years ago that your dream was to move to Paris, paint, and speak French without an American accent. And here you are now, painting and tattooing in the City of Light and I'd say your French sounds good, it puts mine to shame. So first, congrats on being a doer and not just a talker. Now, let's fill in the details. When did you move to Paris from California? Was it a big culture shock?
Sunny Buick: I first visited Paris in October 2001 and then I moved there in May 2003. It had always been a dream of mine to speak French fluently and I knew the only way to accomplish that would be to live in France. I had several people I knew from San Francisco move to Paris right before I did, so that was inspirational. When I first visited, I was scared to death that I was going to fall in love with it and want to move here and thats exactly what happened. Ive always been a Francophile, so it wasnt a big culture shock. The shock I think came from uprooting my life and starting over, learning a new language to boot. It was extremely difficult for the first year, but I was so happy to live in Paris that I got through it. I still have a hard time now and then because people believe I can speak French very well and I end up saying something in French, sort of a direct translation of what I want to say in English and it could be taken very badly in French. My accent is still horrible.
MDM: How does the tattoo scene in Paris compare with San Francisco?
SB: Same jealousies, backstabbing, and information withholding that have been tradition in the tattoo scene forever! For me its better than San Francisco where there is a large concentration of the best tattooers in the world and its hard to get noticed. It helps for me to be an American doing tradition style, Im unique. I find it a lot more positive in terms of who gets tattooed. French people seem to understand that it is fashionable now and almost acceptable. However, there are always certain ethnic groups here who assume a tattooed girl is sexually inviting, but I see that as their personal problem of education. Also, my French clients are less likely to open up about their personal life, problems, etc. Its something I really enjoy about my business, the personal conversations.
MDM: Does working in Paris inspire you creatively?
SB: Enormously! The art history is so rich, and the esthetic so decadent! Im always taking pictures of the architecture. I see a real difference in my paintings. Right now in fact, Im working on a series of large watercolors of tattoo designs inspired by the sculptures found on the building The Louvre. At the moment Im really into Marie Antoinette and that epoch.
MDM: Has the political climate, that is, the Iraq War and all the other absurdities of this US administration, made it difficult for you
to live and work as an "expat"?
SB: No, the French administration is pretty cool towards Americans. Its sad because if I was from Algeria or other parts of Africa, I think it would have been harder for me. Any time someone talks to me about the politics of the US and I say Im totally against whats happening now, and that is one of the reasons why Im not there, they are happy and we continue the discussion. Europeans love to talk politics and they love to argue and get passionate. Its something I respect and understand, so Ive never had any problems.
MDM: Ive been seeing you at a lot of the European conventions these past couple of years. Youve been traveling quite a bit. How has your work been received in Europe?
SB: Its nice. People say that I have a unique style and theyre fans of my art as well.
MDM: Your color tattoo work seems largely inspired by the "old school" Western aesthetic. How do you describe it?
SB: Well its pretty classic... If I could figure out what to call it I would probably have the name of my new tattoo shop! I like to do tattoos that are clean and bold, something you could read from two meters away. I think Im pretty versatile; Ive been working in street shops all my career and Im called on to do a wide range of styles and subject matter.
MDM: Your paintings have that vivid graphism as well, mixed with a great deal of symbolism that largely surrounds female characters. Do you have a certain personal philosophy that drives that imagery?
SB: I have a whole manifesto written about that. Basically Im working on instinct and I end up communicating by symbolism all my ideas and struggles about being a woman, on the canvas. I dont really give the intellectual part of a painting thought until after Ive finished it. Heres an example... I just finished a painting of a girl with butterfly wings and completely tattooed with hearts and roses. The rose vines are piercing and growing through the hearts. The girl has a beautiful, but very worried look on her face. I called it Social Butterfly. The rose has always been a symbol for the female sex in tattooing. I started to realize that this painting expressed this girls regret at the pain she suffered for each promiscuity. She also regrets each time she gave her heart because it was nearly always in vain. It has some of my own personal experience involved. A lot of people say my girls look like me, its not my intention, but a lot of my personal stuff comes through in the art.
MDM: Do you think that female tattoo artists have a different artistic approach or aesthetic to their art?
SB: I think each artist has a different approach. Female tattoo artist are filling a real need. Some people just prefer having a woman do their work.
MDM: Is it harder being a female tattooer in France?
SB: There are pros and cons. Mostly I get more attention because Im a woman. The draw backs are that I dont have the valeur in the eyes of some people. Maybe they think its just a hobby with us girls?
MDM: Now that you've realized the dreams you set out years ago,
what's next?
SB: I want to open my own tattoo shop. And Id like to continue to organize large art expositions. I want to travel around Europe and go to Japan. Id like to live to see my art work valued and hanging in museums.
Interview by Marisa_DiMattia of Needled.com.
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