RECENT INTERVIEW WITH A TATTOO MAGAZINE

Interview by Tattoo Artist Chris

Carson,

Thanks for your willingness to do this interview and answer some questions about your own tattooing history as well as your revolutionary new tattooing instrument, the Neuma, a pneumatic approach to tattoo artistry.

Thank you Chris. Whenever I can speak to groups about my machines, it is my pleasure.

Okay, we can bypass all the tedium of how long and where, that stuff is easily accessible on your website at www.carsonhilltattoos.com and your inspiration by Aitchison and Geiger is immediately apparent in your work. Dali and Grey are a bit more of a surprise to me personally as they are uniquely distinct in their separation from traditional art. What is it about this style that appeals to you as a tattoo artist and painter?

Dali is a definite influence in art, and artists. His way of being different is very appealing to me personally, as well as his approach to art and way of thinking about it. He was a hard-working, dedicated artist who also provides me with some motivation to work hard as well. It is my opinion that the artists of the world have a lot of hard work to do, if they want to follow their artistic path(s). Before I started painting, but wanted to learn, and in the time when I thought to myself how would I become a painter?... I read a book by Dali, and one of the passages in the book said "If you want to be a painter, paint five hundred paintings. Now you're a painter. This singular statement has remained in my head for years, and until I have made 500 paintings, its not likely that I will consider myself a painter.

Alex Grey and H.R. Giger are both very similar, and yet polar opposites, in my opinion. While Giger studies and expresses all things otherworldly and alien, and most times evil, with random acts of an obvious good-nature, Grey studies quite the opposite, things worldly, like humanity, and spirituality, the beautiful things in the world, both seen and unseen, while sometimes displaying characteristics of what society might call evil, dark, sick, twisted, things like that.

I learned about certain mind-altering drug studies performed by both Grey and Giger. The interesting part here is the huge difference in the spiritual beliefs/portrayals in artwork from each artist, while essentially these artists are the same. They both convey the same message in their work, but at opposite ends of the spectrum. They both look within to find the questions and answers they have about this place, Earth. It is then that I learned how to find other worldly vivid images within my own brain, with the help of a little smoke.

You've been tattooing for over eight years and went through the traditional apprenticeship. I'm sure you've done your share of traditional, old-school tattoos as well as the armbands and tramp stamps. We all have a favorite style and subject for our artwork. When did you discover/decide that you would pursue the geomorphic and biomechanical genre? Can you tell us about some of your earlier experiences/mistakes we can learn from?

I, like most of us, spent quite a few thousand tattoos discovering myself. It was only after doing hundreds of 'stamps' and hundreds more tribals and kanji, that I began to discover what tattooing can be.

Admittedly, I was well into my second year of tattooing before I ever heard of Aitchison, at which point, I was in no position to even think that I may one day have the courage to even attempt participating in the creation of that type of realm here on Earth, in flesh. Another year goes by, and now I'm taking Guy's seminar, still thinking I could never. I suppose that what got me started was having a customer/friend whotrusted me enough to try a bio-organic style piece I had drawn, on his arm. Embarrassing as that piece might be, it allowed other people to become interested in that genre locally, and before I knew it ( a few years passed) I had done biomechy stuff a few times. Nowadays, at least 90% of what I do can be more or less categorized within the genre of Biomech, biomorph, geomech/morph, etc.

Do you have a favorite brand of pigments for your bright and intense colors or do you pick and chose from one brand to the next based on individual colors rather than brands?

Well, I do have favorites and I do mix it up a bit as well. Eternal Inks are a definite favorite. I use their whole set, and love all the colors they make. They are a good thickness and consistency, very easy to work with and saturate the flesh with. There are a few Unique (aka Permapro) colors that I still use, I actually learned with unique colors and spent the first 4 or 5 years using them. Unique makes a great white also, that I cant seem to replace with any other brand. Thick as Elmers glue, it is a bit of a bitch to get in the skin sometimes, but it is very bright and lasts better than any other white I have experienced. Mario Barth has a brand of ink called Intenze that I also like and will use to compliment my ink palette. I have yet to use all the colors he makes, as there are many, but the ones I have used and still use are excellent colors. Occasionally I will use a bit of this and a bit of that, but for the most part I stay true to these companies, and their inks.

Age old question, do you have a favorite Black?

I do. But it switches around quite a bit. Currently I use Kuro Sumi for my blacks and washes

Your needles, do you make your own, use the standards, textured, carbon?

Mithra, pre-made needles. For a long time, I refused to buy pre-made needles, with good reason. I find that when you use pre-made needles, they are rarely just right, the way you want them. theres always a few that are just unusable,etc. Making your own needles takes care of this problem, if you are pretty good at doing so. But with a schedule than consumes almost all your time, its hard to find time in the day, week, or month, to make hundreds of needles. Mithras needles are fairly consistent, and they will trade out 'bad' needles if you find them, so I have been working with them. I have used the carbon tips many times, in the days of making my own needles, but not so much these days.

So, one of the main reasons I wanted to interview you for this article is because of the Neuma Tattooing instrument, your pneumatic approach to tattooing. When I first saw this, I immediately had a ton of questions; some have been answered by your website www.myspace.com/neumatattooing. Some concerns about venting and adjustability were raised and hopefully we can put some of these questions to rest here.

First and foremost, would you tell us, in your words, what the Neuma is?

Neuma is my interpretation of what the evolution of the tattoo machine should look like. It goes into the direction of a tattoo machine that is designed not to be toyed with, tuned, or adjusted, but designed to be a consistent running machine. One that will run the same exact way for every tattoo done with it, for an extended period of years. The oldest running Neuma is one that I have been using since late 2001, which I still use to this day. My original goal was to use this machine until it died, so that I have an idea of the shelf life of a Neuma. These days, although I am still trying to break it, I use that machine every day because it has been very good to me throughout the years. A machine I have used for nearly 6 years and have never tuned, not once. I'd have to say that I have likely saved myself hours, maybe days, maybe even months in tuning and adjusting time in the past few years. The time for me to be a mechanic is long gone, and I have been only an artist while tattooing.

Neuma is also the first available tattoo machine which is entirely autclavable, and I'll let the individuals of the industry decide if that is beneficial to them or not. I know that it has been beneficial to my clients and I, in terms of a 6 year old tattoo machine, which has tattooed thousands of different people, with different lifestyles, and different elements in their blood, which is spore-free. Things happen, especially in a period of many years, and a simple wipe-down just doesn't do it for me. But an autoclave erases certain mishaps, for example micro spray, cross-contamination, things we are all very familiar with, or should be. Neuma is also a very lightweight machine, one that doesn't require an apprentice to tape 2 'D' batteries onto a pencil and draw with, to get used to. Most stainless steel grips outweigh a Neuma. It's a lot more like drawing with a pencil, or marker, or paintbrush, in comparison. Tattooing seems to be the only artform which uses heavy, carpal-tunnel inducing instruments. Well, the Neuma remedies that with a machine that weighs in at a measly 1.5OZ.

You designed this instrument yourself, what inspired you to make such a huge step away from the mainstream in a cynical industry where we question and often scoffed at the unfamiliar?

It all began with a conversation with a close friend. The conversation was based on human/individual potentials, and soon developed into the art of invention and possibilites therein. The thought of pneumatic tattooing sort of rolled out of my mouth, along with a puff of smoke, and my friend and I began talking about the possibility of realization of this idea. Before long, I was saving my tattoo money, everything I made, and giving it to an engineer that a friend had introduced me to. A couple years, a lot of hard work, an investor with a lot of money, and 12 engineers later, I had a prototype. At this point I had already been using prototypes for a couple years, and was convinced that I would never use electric machines again, so it was easy to take it to the next step in that regard.

As far as getting a company started and keep it going, that was never easy for me. I guess I am more an artist than a salesman, which is a lot of the reason that I decided to remain focused on my artwork, assuming that if the machines produced good work, they would sell themselves. Which leads us to the present time, where I have decided that even Neuma, along with everything else in my life, comes second to making art and tattoos. Sometimes the unfamiliar can be more familiar that the familiar, in a disguised manner.

Can you tell us how the Neuma works? Most of us understand the basic principles of our Machines, how do the two styles compare/contrast mechanically?

Well, although it is a simple design, it is also, in its own right, slightly complicated. The best understanding one can get is not only by seeing and holding one, but by using one as well. But basically, it

breaks down like this: Air comes in through the back of the machine, into a nozzle of sorts. From there, the air is directed at a fan, located within the machine, upon which sits an offset lobe, which is designed to fit into a hole cut into the material the slide, where the armature pin sits, in a way in which the slide is only allowed oscillating movement, and there by causes the slide to oscillate, similar to a camshaft. However, the hole into which the cam fits is slightly enlarged to provide a cushion, so as not to have a direct hit. What happens is when the machine has air pressure in it, the pressure fills that gap and acts as the cam itself, and since air can be condensed, you now have a cushion. Air is vented out through the bottom of the machine. The vice is a collett design, and sort of morphs out of the body of the machine.

Will I still need a Liner, a Shader, and a Color Packer or will the Neuma make us rethink how we tattoo? I guess what I'm really asking is if we will need different set ups for different functions or will the adjustments be so negligible that one Neuma will do it all?

There is only one Neuma. It is used for lining, shading, color packing, large mags, small mags, rounds of all kinds, etc. This may alter what many of you are used to, and I am sure that for this reason many of you may never use a Neuma. This is something that I can understand, but can also debate. I also use many different types of needle configurations, for a wide variety of effects. It has become solely a matter of speed and hand movement, as well as needle grouping, to get the effects I desire. I find this to be quite a bit easier when it comes to the set-up process. I know some people who have and use as many as 15 electric machines (sometimes more). I cannot fathom trying to remember what machine is for what, unless I were to label them accordingly. And what if I wanted to get 15 different effects on one tattoo? Fifteen setups? sounds like a headache to me. But I am used to having five or so of one machine I love, that all run consistent without fuss for years, maybe longer. Leave the effects to the hand. Another thing to consider is that due to the very low weight of the Neuma, the tattooing hand becomes far more familiar with what the needle is doing to the skin at any given time. This means that you can actually feel with your tattooing hand the penetrations of the needles into the flesh, and when enough is enough. Similar to that of the stretching hand, used also as an indicator to the tattooer whether or not the right amount of puncturing is being done.

I've spoken to you about this in a previous E-Mail, but just to go over it again, the air that is "vented" from the machine is vented where?

It is vented out of the bottom of the machine. I know that this seems to concern some of you, with concerns such as whether or not we should worry about air being sprayed at the client, or on the tattoo being applied.

This is a good question, and I have a good answer. First thing to understand is that the Neuma operates on very low air pressure, and that when it exits the machine, it is dispersed, not in a stream, and is only

about as much wind as one might exhale from their nose. If this still doesnt suit you as an explanation why it is ok, I have other solutions. The way I set up my machines when tattooing is with lots of bags and barrier film, much like many, hopefully all, of you. Although the Neuma is autoclavable, I still bag them when tattooing with them, I guess I may be slightly obsessive. But a clipcord sleeve fits all to conveniently ver a whole Neuma set-up to not use it. So I bag the neumas with a cord sleeve, leaving a little extra, so as to direct the venting air, leaving the bottom of the machine, now out the end of the cord sleeve. In this way, if I was really concerned, I could vent the air as many as five feet from the client andI. I'm pretty sure that should remedy the problem. Also, dental-grade air filters can be used at the compressor, so that the air that is pumped through the Neuma is sterile.

So a Neuma, a regulator, and a compressor, no clip cord needed, I assume we'll still need a foot switch and operation is pretty much the same as with a traditional machine?

No clipcord, as there is no cord, but there is still a hose, so now we have a airhose in place of a clipcord. No foot switch needed. Although they can be used, a footswitch is not a must with this machine. I know, sounds crazy, but its true. I do not use a footswitch at all, haven't in years. I cannot find a reason to use one anymore. Its just one more thing, on the floor no less, to get contaminated with ink and/or fluids of all types, which cannot be autoclaved. On the regulator is a ON/OFF valve, as well as a water seperater, gauge, and speed control. The machine is controlled here at the regulator in that regard. So a Neuma, a regulator, and a compressor is all that is needed. All the hoses and fittings needed are provided with the machine and regulator.

Your website mentions some new features in the New Neumas which are still in the works. Adjustable Stroke length, armature bar... What new features will be included and how will they make the Neuma easier to tailor to our individual styles?

These issues are currently still being ironed out, and I am still unsure of all the specifications of the Neuma3. The issues that I am trying to accommodate, strictly for those who have a hard time hearing 'no adjustability of stroke length, etc', as I will likely continue to use the Neuma2. Then again, I may end up liking Neuma3 more, who knows? Mainly it is for those of you who cant live without these sorts of things. The issue of spring tension will also be addressed in the Neuma3. Also, I am working on designing the Neuma3 and redesigning the Neuma2 to consume less air, s as to cut down on compressor requirements.

I see that you'll be doing another Guest spot at "Off the Map Tattoo" in MA this coming February. You plan on releasing your Neuma Website around the same time. That's a long time for some of us to wait. Any last minute tidbits or news to tempt us before then?

Well, Gabe and the people at Tattoonow.com are building the Neuma site, and this is why the release date is to be when I am there. This way we can go over last minute adjustments with the site if need be, and also allows for a bit extra time for me to 'gear up', so to speak. As many of you already know, I have been essentially a one-man operation in terms of the business, Neuma. It has been somewhat diffucult to keep up with the many inquiries I have received along the way. I have also been able to only handle so much, in the way of conventions and traveling, as I am only one person, who also happens to be fully immersed in tattooing. But the good news is that I do have a few people, good people who are here to help me now. My manufacturer is claiming that they will be able to keep up with me from this point, and I hope that means no more selling out. That way when the site is launched, I will be able to fill orders right away.

Any parting words of wisdom?

Wisdom? I'm only twenty-eight, but Ill try...

Every single 'thing' in this infinite, yet expanding, universe imitates mortal life. Starting with the death/rebirth process, follwed by development, pubescence, adolescence, maturity, growing old, and repeating the death/rebirth process. Everything in the physical universe has these qualities. They all go through a process similar to this, only far more complex. All things come to an end. On the other hand, nothing in the physical universe can avoid this process. Nothing can imitate immortality. There is no prepetual motion machine. Nothing is prepetual in the universe.

Thanks for your time and your patience, I know this was a bit lengthy, but even so, I'm sure I've missed some obvious questions and more people will have even more questions. But none the less, we're spreading the word about your Neuma and hopefully educating some of us as well.

The pleasure has been all mine. Thank you for asking such specific questions about the Neuma. Anyone who has more questions can refer to my website, www.carsonhilltattoos.com, and/or email me. All news on the Neuma2 and Neuma3 and the Neuma website will be posted on my site.

Thanks again,

Chris McDonough