Years Tattooing: 10 Years

Current Location:Studio City, California

Name of Studio:F. Kirk Alley Tattoo Studio

Position: Owner/Sole Artist

Contact Information: F. Kirk Alley Website

Favorite Style: Rennaisance, classical, surreal, portrait, art nouveu, religious and others too many to list. I like so many styles of art, but my style is not taken from any one in particular. I really like tattoo art that isn't cloning other artists. There are so many out there that look the same now. I also don't do Japanese or Tradional Americana. It's been done over and over and over. I try and keep my work timeless and un-dated.

From Kirk: "I have been pondering and asking other artists in my field whether they think of tattooing as an art or a craft. Most say craft. I say it depends on the hands and mind behind the tattoo machine. I like to think of tattooing as a very personal venture and a self-expressionary vision that my clients or myself may have had to which I then enhance and bring to reality. My designs are all custom-drawn based on even the most vague of ideas. A client that solely wants to convey a feeling, emotion, statement, or just has a need for ornamtentation is the type of client that I prefer. I have no flash and believe that tattooing has matured beyond picking numbered designs off tattoo store walls. If you feel the same, I'd love to hear from you."

Hey, Kirk! What does the "F" stand for? "Frederick, it's my late grandfather's name an I hated it as a kid. But I put the first initial back in front of my name in his honor."

Where did your signature lady with all the holes come from? "She was an accident. I designed some human figures early on in tattooing for a friend and fellow tattooist named Shannon O'Sullivan. I did one of the pieces on her and for some reason I designed it with holes and twists in the body. It was a bit Picasso inspired, not that it's cubist or anything close but I was trying to avoid being too literal or realistic with the piece. I was more after surrealism in the over all feel. I'd like to think that I came up with something that I hadn't seen before and eventually other clients asked for it more and more. I started using the signature female form in conjunction with the clients ideas and have since done several, most of which are female. I have done a few male versions but I prefer to show the female forms in my portfolios for no reason other than the fact that I just find them more attractive. (How very hetero of me heh? That I am!) So that's it, nothing too ingenious, just an accident."

Kirk's Artwork That Has Been Submitted To This Site