Baxter, a tattooist based in Rouen, has chosen to open his shop on the street, going against the current trend for private studios to sprout up like mushrooms. In doing so, he has opted to make himself available to his customers. They are free to push open the door and discuss their Neo Traditional projects with him. A style that Baxter appreciates for its richness, with references to Art Nouveau, realism and occultism.
Hi, let's start with a little introduction?
I'm Franck, a tattooer from Rouen in Normandy, "specialising" in Neo-Tradtional tattooing but I like to do a lot of other stuff too.
Where does your surname come from?
It comes from the film "Baxter" directed in 1989 by the Frenchman Jérôme Boivin. It's a film that had a big impact on me, probably because I was too young to see it. In this feature film, the main character is a dog, a bull terrier, who can be heard thinking like a human and reflecting on people's behaviour. I have trouble understanding the world around me, so the character spoke to me, and Baxter is easy to remember.
How long have you been drawing?
I've been drawing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. As far back as I can remember, I've always loved it, spending hours in my room while the others are out playing. It's fair to say that I didn't listen to much at school and my notebooks were full of drawings.
Did you get into tattooing because you love illustration?
Yes, I did. I started by getting tattoos myself, but also because my great-grandfather had a few. They fascinated me. After my first conventions as a visitor, I realised that this was what I wanted to do.
Can you tell us about your great-grandfather's tattoos?
He had a butterfly on his forearm, which he had to stretch out with his hand because his skin was crumpled (pulls), a thief's thing apparently (in thug slang, it means: "like him, I steal"). I'm not surprised! The other one I remember was a horseshoe with a canine head in the centre. But it was a nice piece of junk, probably made by some mates with needles. I wanted to have the same! Today, I think these tattoos are pretty cool, they really tell a story. Back then they weren't meant to be stylish.
Graphically, are there things that have guided you more than others?
My graphic culture is quite broad in the sense that I like a lot of things: painting, sculpture, photography, everything is a source of inspiration. I observe a lot of what others do, even if I try to detach myself from it so as not to disturb my own inspiration. But it's far from easy…
Have you always done Neo-Trad?
No, when I started I had to do a bit of everything - tribal, tattoos with Polynesian graphics, organic, lettering, etc. A few years later I discovered the work of Eckel, the Neo-Trad designer. Before him it was either traditional or realism. He synthesised the two. I'd never seen anything like it before and it was like a revelation. It was what I'd wanted to do all along without knowing it (laughs).
How do you work on your compositions? Do you have a big database that you draw on according to client requests?
Yes, I have databases and folders where I save all sorts of images that inspire me. I search according to the requests but especially the areas of the body. The most beautiful tattoo in the world, if it's badly placed, will inevitably be a failure, from my point of view, so adapting to each person's morphology seems essential.
Do you prefer to work in colour or black and grey?
I like both. Well, I prefer black and grey now, because the new 'Reach' inks that comply with the new European standards, and whose colours I've tested, don't really appeal to me. It's too liquid, there aren't enough pigments, etc. But, basically, I prefer black and grey. But, basically, I like working in colour too.
There are a lot of portraits of women in your work. Is that a subject you enjoy or is that what people ask you?
It's a subject I enjoy, without really knowing why. I like drawing faces, expressions, female hands and jewellery. I think it comes from Art Nouveau, where they are often represented. These motifs fit in quite well with the Neo-Trad style. And inevitably, the more I do, the more people ask me for them. But I also really enjoy working with male subjects, flowers and animals.
You mentioned Art Nouveau, what influence did it have on you and why?
Art Nouveau lends itself very well to tattooing, with big lines on the outside and very contrasting flat areas of colour. The shapes and volumes used adapt very well to the human body, so it's very easy to apply Art nouveau to any body type. What's more, some tattoo artists who specialise in Neo-Traditional work are evolving, calling this progression "Neo Nouveau" in reference to this artistic movement.
What kind of projects do you particularly like?
I like having space on my skin and being given the freedom to work. I don't want to have carte blanche, but there has to be an exchange with the future tattooer. I like it when it's dynamic and sits well on the body, when the tattoo follows the curves - at the risk of repeating myself. I like it when something stands out in the design, when it strikes the eye and when the motif has character and contrast. Otherwise, I also like anything that has to do with the occult, with an element of shadow or darkness, but in a gentle way.
Which tattoo artists do you particularly like?
The French tattoo references who inspire me in what I do are in Preums: The great @leguyt_tattoo of course; Ariane (@ariane_tattoo), Kabe (@kbn.sensibilitey), Cécile Colomer (@ccyle) and many others I'm going to regret not mentioning, internationally. Like Eckel (@_eckel) who has always been my first choice! He's the one who refocuses me when I get lost with his simplicity and efficiency. But also Jeff Gogue (@gogueart), Justin Hartman (@justinhartmanart), Karlos (@karloslloydtattoo), Fibs (@fibs_), Jacob James Gardner (@jacobjgardner), Lord Lips @lord_lips.
You don't have much of a presence on Instagram, is there a reason for that?
I've been much more present but I have a conflicting relationship with this social network. It's very practical, you can follow lots of people and keep an eye on the world of tattooing at the same time as following its developments. But I have an annoying tendency to be dissatisfied and to compare my work with that of the best. Inevitably, I devalue myself and that tends to depress me. Before, though, it used to give me a boost. Besides, I don't understand this need to show off, to talk about my life in order to win subscribers, to create drama. That's not how I see my job, so I'm keeping my distance.
A lot of tattooers are now complaining about a drop in business. How are things going for you and the other professionals in your Dark Door Tattoo studio?
I'm not feeling it at the moment, but I know it's going to happen. I think we've reached the peak in the number of tattooers. We've exceeded the ratio of tattooer to tattooed and that makes it even harder to share the cake. That and maybe the end of a big world effect, like the piercing world experienced between 2010 and 2015. But my colleagues @dam.bledore and @siaan_ttt and I aren't going to let that happen! (Laughs).
Your shop just opened last October. Why did you choose to open on the street when most tattooers work in private studios?
We wanted to be able to talk to people face to face about their projects. The fact that they can drop in directly, I think that reassures them too. And then, in my opinion, having a little success on social networks only lasts for a while and it's complicated to operate privately over the long term. But maybe I'm wrong.
What do we wish you for this new adventure?
To have time to rediscover the desire to create things, to draw, to paint, to evolve and to propose designs to be adopted as tattoos. I also want to develop my drawing style, learn, progress and continue to love what I do. Thanks to you and Dimitri for the interview. + IG @the.baxter IG SHOP @dark_door-_tattoo
