A conversation with Carlesslino
One autumn afternoon, I had the pleasure of having a video chat with Carelesslino who is the wickedest of tattoo artists. We chat about his time in Amsterdam with the Broken Teeth Club crew, the sickest smallest tattoo shop in Warsaw, Roza and why his instagram has more arses than one would expect.
How careless are you really?
I don’t know, it’s just a name. I basically took it from the first tattoo shop I got the chance to work in. They took me in as an apprentice and it was called Careless so I just kept the name.
So there were no specific incidents which gave you the name Careless Lino, I was going to say as I’ve been tattooed by you, you are rather careful in fact. So, we first met at the Broken Teeth Club opening, how did you get involved with them?
With Dave? Yeah basically, I met him in a party in Berlin and he was a friend of a friend of somebody and we started to hang out. He started guesting in the shop I was working in Berlin. He opened the shop and called me straight away and I went to the opening of course. I started going as much as I could as Amsterdam you know, it’s a nice place to go. There’s a nice group of people. The bike store, there were always people coming in and out, getting tattooed down there. I don’t know, I feel an emotional attachment to the guys in the bike shop. My first time in Amsterdam I tattooed in the bike shop, there was a nice vibe around.
It’s not only tattooers, it’s a mixture of people in different fields
Yeah absolutely, that’s one of the reasons why it worked so well. We could hang out in front of the Hill Street, sit with you in the shop near-by. The parties in the shop, the concerts and shit it was fucking *makes noise and movement to suggest excitement*
I’m guessing tattooing wasn’t the first time you got into art, when was your interest sparked?
I went to art university for half a year because I always drew a lot of shit. I didn’t feel as though I had to become an artist or an art teacher so I thought fuck this, this is boring, I probably should have kept going. But yeah, I did a lot of things like graffiti, drawing was kind of a hobby, something I was constantly doing.
What were your favourite mediums to use?
Mainly graffiti, some watercolor painting, I don’t know really. I was switching a lot of techniques so I wouldn’t get bored. It all depends on what you’ve got in the house.
I guess it’s a good skill to be able to pick up a medium and to experiment in how to incorporate that in to your style
Yeah, it’s like let’s see if I can figure out how to use this.
Was there anything that you felt as though needed more form or practise?
Everything. Basically everything was hard to get into, but once you get into it you figure out how it works, you then understand it and it makes it a lot easier. Sometimes it was be challenging to do lines with a brush you know
When was it that you got into tattoo studios?
It was in Berlin, I always liked tattoos. Even as a kid some friend of my dad who had tattoos and I was always looking and lurking at them. Basically in Berlin I ended up getting some tattoo needles and decided with a friend of mine to do some hand pokes the night before. I kept on going and then I got the chance at working in this shop across the street called Careless. They took me up as some guy left and they decided to take me in and then it slowly started. People are friends from the shop and I was only allowed to tattoo when the shop was closed so it was people hanging out, playing playstation in the back room smoking weed.
What’s your experience with guesting?
Yeah I really enjoy it. When I guest spot I never go to shops where I don’t know anybody. I just got to visit friends. So if I go, even if I don’t get any work I know i’m going to have a great time and that’s what I like about it. It’s always about having a good time not focused on work, it’s nice to switch it up. Those people you don’t see so often, you don’t hang around much with and for a week you can see them, exchange opinions, that’s cool.
Favourite places to tattoo?
This shop in Warsaw called Roza, it’s Glue sniffer, Remi and Dagwra. It’s a fucking sick shop, i’ve been since I met them I think. That was about 3 years ago and I go every 3 months for a week at least. That’s definitely my favourite place to tattoo and to go, they also come over and visit me, it’s nice.
What is it about Roza that you like so much?
It always feels special to me because it’s kind of a really small shop and there’s always nice stuff going on which makes it feel special when you’re inside.
Anywhere you thought was shit?
I don’t think so, if so I haven’t been there yet.
Can you tattoo now? Has the crisis impacted your work?
It has impacted my work, I couldn’t work for a couple of months luckily I had some savings but they’re gone now. Yeah, it sucked, I also moved away from Berlin at that point to add another stress.
If someone does want to be tattooed by you, are you back up and running?
Yeah, drop me an email or message me via my instagram. The email is better. I would love to do more back pieces. I’m finishing a back piece at the moment and I am stoked that we are actually going to finish it because I was starting to lose hope as it was over one year ago but it’s coming. I don’t get the chance to do that scale of work often, this is the second back piece I have done. I am looking to do some more of course if there is some skin out there.
I’ve seen a load of photos of arses on your instagram, do you tattoo these arses or just like standing next to them?
It’s just something that happened, a friend of mine asked me to tattoo his arse and then another friend as well, it’s basically just the arses on Jan and Lenny, they got them covered up. It started as a joke and now, yeah, I’m tattooing their arses quite often. It’s fun.
It’s a good space
It’s a great space
