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Meet Johnny Jinx

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Johnny Jinx.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I am an artist who tattoos and oil paints at the Broken Clover Social Club, in beautiful Tucson, Arizona. I wasn’t born here, but after 18 years, Tucson is my home now and I love it.

Please tell us about your art.
There’s been a lot of development in Tucson recently. I like it but you hear a lot of people crying “gentrification” and that got me thinking about what Tucson is. What is it people are afraid of losing? What are we trying to preserve? I can’ really answer those questions, but I did think it was important to start painting scenes of Tucson. Not the skies, or the desert, or the usual southwestern tropes- but the places in the city I live by. Sometimes in the right light, when the streets are wet, the city lights make the place look electric and modern. Most outsiders never get to see Tucson in the rain but it’s definitely something the locals here enjoy and I hoped to celebrate in some of my paintings.

Now, with my tattoos, it’s a little different. Over the years I’ve done a lot of different styles for a bunch of different types of clients to pay the bills but lately I’ve been taking on bigger projects and only if I can sleep on it and wake up still feeling like the design is a good idea. A tattoo is a life changing event and a kind of personal, customized trophy but at the same time it’s important to make something fashionable that can age well with the client. I’ve seen conversations online between some of my clients talking about getting work at other shops but saving up “for a Jinx piece” and I think that’s pretty rad.

What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
The quality of life of artists is something I feel *very* strongly about. Aside from my art projects, my work at Broken Clover has always been to provide a place for talented artists to make a living and enjoy a higher quality of life by keeping the lion’s share of their earnings. When I first got into the business, the typical tattoo shop business model was predatory, and in many places, it still is. Owners often take 50% of every tattoo and demand mandatory hours, sometimes more than 40 hours a week. I saw a lot of artists struggle and get burnt out and bitter but what’s a heavily tattooed kid to do? It’s not like we’re the most employable looking group.

The Clover is a booth rental shop that works by appointment. Some folks complain about the lack of regular hours, but the higher end clients, the ones who do their homework and want serious work, they get it. It took some time to bring this philosophy into the local industry but after 6 years in business, its proven to be a better formula for clients and artists alike…. I just remembered the last interview I did with a magazine from Phoenix. The interviewer told me “You can’t run a business like that” and I lost my shit. It wasn’t the first time I heard a nay-sayer tell me I can’t do what I’ve been doing, but I didn’t expect it coming from someone who said we were getting a 5-page spread. lol yeah, that didn’t happen,

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
People can see my work at Broken Clover, but I’m not ready to sell my work just yet. I get a lot of social anxiety when meeting strangers, so, you know… like call first.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
All photos of artwork and tattoos were taken by me. My profile picture was taken by the amazing Justin Haugen of http://www.justinhaugen.com/.

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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