In Conversation with Uncle Phoebe
Editor in Chief Azra Schorr sits down with Brooklyn based handpoke artist, Uncle Phoebe. Photographed by Felicia DiSalvo.
Phoebe: Do I look, do I look fly in this?
Azra: You look fly. You ready?
Phoebe: Yes.
Azra: Three, two, one. What's your name and where are you from?
Phoebe: I'm Phoebe, I'm from Connecticut, but I live in Williamsburg.
Azra: How many tattoos do you have, if you know?
Phoebe: Ooh, I think I have like, a hundred and fifty tattoos, total. But I think it's complicated, because like, what, it's like one piece, you know? But, around that.
Azra:Where do you tattoo?
Phoebe: I tattoo at a private home studio in Williamsburg.
Azra: How long have you been tattooing?
Phoebe: Um, I've been tattooing full time for about three years, and I started tattooing myself in high school.
Azra: How did you get into tattooing?
Phoebe: I first tattooed myself when I went to boarding school in Utah, and I like, I don't know, I didn't really do it properly, let's just say that. So when I went home finally I went over it again, and then everybody at my like, new school was asking me to tattoo them. So, it just kind of like, started like that, yeah.
Azra: Do you have any that are visible right now that are by you?
Phoebe: Um, yeah, a lot of my like, finger tattoos. Tattoos I did on this hand because I'm a righty, and then like the no rain and the purple guy, and like a lot of my thigh tattoos I did, pretty much all of them except for like these I did, so, a lot.
Azra: Describe your tattoo style.
Phoebe: Mmm, that's a really hard question. I feel like my tattoo style is soft and like, surrealist, I guess. But I also feel like I have a little bit of everything for everybody, you know? So, while I do it in my style, like, you can find like, all sorts of different like, subject matter, you know?
AzraL What's your favorite thing to tattoo?
Phoebe: That's hard. That's a really hard question. I feel like I really like doing stuff that has a lot of shading, a lot of highlights where I can use white and grey. Just stuff that like, looks like it's kind of popping out. Those are like my favorite things to do. But, kind of everything, yeah.
Azra: On the flip side, what is your least favorite thing to tattoo?
Phoebe: Mmm, that's a good question too. I feel like I don't really like doing line work as much. Um, yeah, I just prefer more like, kind of, organic or like shading stuff. But I feel like it also depends on like where on the body. Like some tattoos are harder to do in other places if they're just line work. So, like line work just on the ribs. I'm not really too excited about that. But, I'll do it.
Azra: What inspires you?
Phoebe: I feel like, my community inspires me, like the other people that I know and get to see and work with, and like my clients have so many good ideas that they really inspire a lot of series that I start with flash. So, for example, Still Life Pieces, that was mainly from a custom that I did, and then I realized how much I liked doing them, and so I continued to do them. So I feel like it really depends on what it is, but I'm really inspired by like the people that I surround myself with. Yeah.
Azra: That's great. Who do you want to tattoo?
Phoebe: Mmm, tattoo Remy Wolfe. That's a big one. I love her.
Azra: Okay, what do your tattoos say about you?
Phoebe: Hmm I feel like my tattoos say that I am strong. I feel like my tattoos give a really strong vibe but then are also like very like cute and dainty and I feel like that represents like a lot of my personality.
And I also feel like having a lot of tattoos like this is also very related to queer identity and non binary vibes and shit, you know? So, I feel like me, like, being able to express myself on my skin in this way, like, gets to show my feelings on the inside, which is awesome.
Azra: That's beautiful. Okay, last one. What is your tattoo superpower?
Phoebe: Ooh, that's a good question. That's a really good question. Hmm. I feel like... Hmm. I feel like I'm really good at making people feel... like, comfortable. Like, having a really good tattoo experience. Because aside from being technically able to tattoo, I feel like that is the most important part. Most of my appointments are me just laughing with people, and like, telling funny stories and stuff, talking about astrology, exes, and all this stuff. So, I feel like, that's my superpower; being me. Being friends with my, my clients for the day. Yeah.
Azra: Thank you so much.
Phoebe: Of course!
