What Came First
JACK WATTS
Jack Watts grew up just outside North West London in Hertfordshire, England. Now living and working in Los Angeles. He tattoos at Nathan's Lounge in Echo Park.
Before starting tattooing in 2014, Jack studied photography. He abandoned digital cameras quickly and turned his attention to experimenting with alternative processes. He later had the opportunity to be a guest lecturer at the local university sharing the skillsets he had developed over the years of him studying and working within photography.
In 2012, Jack began working for Martin Clark at Bluebird Tattoo in Watford. After 2 years of shop duties he began tattooing under the moniker Tattoos for your Enemies. The name came from a zine first released in 2012 full of drawings that “were so loose and strange that if they were to be tattoos, they would have to be on someone you didn’t like.”
Jack's artistic influences range from photographers like Weegee, Diane Arbus and Richard Billingham to artists like Man Ray, Rene Magritte and Leonara Carrington. His artistic focus is varied and, therefore, he creates work utilizing various mediums and techniques.
TANNER RAMSEY
Tanner Ramsey grew up in Carlsbad, CA a small beach town in San Diego. He is now living and working in Los Angeles, tattooing at Nathan's Lounge in Echo Park.
Tanner grew up in a large family as the eldest of six kids. His mother filled his home with love, art & music. His family's limited resources never affected the creative drive in the household.
Before starting tattooing, Tanner had a hand in sewing, painting, printmaking, and many other mediums made available through the guidance of family members. As he journeyed into the art world, trying different mediums through trial and error, tattooing became his focus and joy.
After working in corporate fashion, Tanner and his wife decided to move to Ventura to chase their dreams of being full time artists. Tanner was able to find an apprenticeship in Ventura under a handful of amazing tattooers, one of them being his mentor Joe Romero.
Joe Romero passed soon after Tanner finished his apprenticeship, which didn’t lead him to slow down, yet instead pushed him harder to work at his craft and shape a career in tattooing and the arts.
Ventura was Tanner’s home for 11 years and built the foundation of his life as an artist. The community here in Ventura supported him, allowed him the opportunity to reach goals, and always showed up for him, even after moving to Los Angeles 4 years ago.
Tanner has a desire to explore different mediums and continue the trial and error process that he has come to find comfort in.