Michael is working at Bulldog Tattoo San Francisco
“Michael is a mind/body designer and a soul archaeologist.” – Elliott Eaton
I don’t just love tattoos and tattooing, but i believe they are important, not just to people individually who get them, but also to society. For individuals, tattoos are an expression of love. Love for people, ideas, ideals, art, the sublime, and the absurd. But for society, tattoos are an awakening of the right brain. People who are too caught up in their left brain , (the people destroying this country,) need to have art in their lives for balance and better understanding of the world, but not everyone is artistic. However, everyone can get a tattoo! That will bring art into their lives and inspire them and their right brains to balance themselves, and to balance our society. I believe if everyone got a tattoo , this world would be a better place. This would be a better and stronger country, full of more open-minded people. Call me crazy. Call me crazy wise. – Michael DeMatty
Where are you located?
At Bulldog Tattoo, San Francisco’s premiere queer owned and operated tattoo shop in the heart of the Castro at 16th and Market behind Active Nutrition and Dinosaur Sandwiches. (Across the street from The Lookout.)
How much does it cost and what is the process to get a tattoo from you?
My hourly tattooing rate is $160. The minimum charge, (for tattoos that take half hour or less,) is $80. I can usually make a pretty good guess at how long the tattoo will take, but there are times i’m just not sure. That’s why i charge by the hour so that it’s always fair for everyone. If you are on a limited budget, make sure you let me know the maximum time you can pay for that day, because you pay after the sitting session is done. Drawing time is included, but i generally take an $80 non refundable deposit to draw a custom tattoo design, which goes toward the cost of your tattoo. Some simple designs can be drawn same day with no deposit. You don’t need an appointment for a consultation, but you can make one if your spare time is limited. It’s always best to email me before coming to see me as i don’t work 7 days/wk.
What if someone isn’t sure what they want to get?
If you want to get tattooed, but you have no idea what to get and really need some inspiration, just browse through the work of the artists i’ve listed below. These are artists who’s work truly inspires me, so i would be more than happy to do something similar to what they have done, but i will not copy their work exactly. I will design my own version. Usually the only time i copy a tattoo exactly is if you have a tattoo on one side of your body that you want duplicated on the other side for symmetry. If you do have an idea you want to represent on your skin, but just not sure how to represent that in a picture, send me an email with what the idea or meaning is and i’ll try to think of a way to translate that into a tattoo design.
What is your favorite style of tattooing?
I don’t have a favorite style, I stare in awe at all styles of tattooing! I love tattoos inspired by Tibetan and Indian religious iconography and sacred geometry, soft yet striking black and gray, modern twists on traditional American styles (and anything traditional,) as well as primitive blackwork evocative of tribal markings which ooze an ancient spirituality and connect us to our humanity, like the black (& red) tattoos I have on my left forearm which were my first. I also love to see different styles and elements mixed together to create something truly modern, including Japanese, art nouveau and heraldry, mixed with all of the above. I create designs that are high contrast and look good from a distance, and i love color. I use an ink palette of about 80 colors, because i’m very picky about color, and many colors are too difficult to mix on the fly from a limited palette, which is what most tattoo artists do.
Do you feel tattooing is a spiritual endeaver?
Personally, yes. It can help us express and free ourselves, express love, teach others what we’ve learned through images on our skin, as well as deal with pain and loss. Tattooing can be transformative. I’m not religious at all, unless tattooing can be considered religion. Sometimes tattoos are just good fun!
Which artists inspire you most?
Jondix Mahashakti, Mike The Athens Mahashakti, Thomas Hooper, Rinzing, Tomas Tomas, Xed Lehead, Sarah Schor, Turk, Jeff Croci, Nick Chaboya, Steph D., Philip Spearman, Jaime VI, Gauge Strongarm, Idexa, Flora Syed, Victor Trujillo, Russ Abbott, Guy Aitchison, Joey Ortega, Derek Noble, Jeff Ensminger, Matt Shamah, Adrian Lee, Bob Tyrell, Ichibay and Spider Webb just to name a few.
Join Michael on Facebook and Twitter @FreeLoveTattoo
