It’s that time of week again where we are excited to present our “Tattoo Artist of the Week!” This week we are extremely excited to bring you the beautiful art of our homie Mason Hogue of Five and Dime Tattoo!
Joey: When and who gave you your start in tattooing?
Mason: I first started my apprenticeship in the beginning of 2002 at the age of 22. This was at Jay’s Fineline Tattoo, under Jay Nieder in Pacifica, which has been located in San Bruno for the last 8 years. I still to this day cannot thank him enough for the opportunity and education he has given me. And even more nowadays, ethics, morals, integrity, and respect for my craft and this trade. I also, learned a tremendous amount from working for Henry Goldfield, after working for Jay. I broke in with Jay, however, I could not leave out how influential and important it was for me working for Henry right out of my apprenticeship. Being so young and immature, I was truly lucky to have these two gentleman, to bring me up.
Joey: Who or what has influenced your artistic style?
Mason: To try to list everything that influences me, would be damn near impossible. So, I’ll be very brief and vague. American traditional tattooing from the past 100 and some odd years, carnival art, architecture, traditional Japanese painting and tattooing, and alot of other asian cultured artworks(Chinese, Tibetan, Hindu, Indonesian, etc.). And in all honesty, every other tattooer out there. And alot of surrealist stuff too. You don’t really see it in my work too much anymore, but its in there.
Joey: What three celebrities would you invite over for dinner?
Mason: Bob Marley, Johnny Cash, Sinatra. That’s the best 3 I could come up with at the moment. And I’m pretty sure I would have a good time with all of them.
Joey: Three favorite bands?
Mason: This is wrong, I can’t pick just 3. But, this is what I’m on right now: Muddy Waters, Bad Religion, Bob Marley.
Joey: If you weren’t tattooing you would be??
Mason: That’s easy, carpenter. My dad is a carpenter, I was on job sites from the time I could pick up a hammer. Actually, it was probably more like haul debri. HA! So, that’s one of the other things I do well.
LINKS
Mason Hogue Facebook
*This is Mason’s new Facebook Page so make sure you show our brotha some love!
