More than skin deep

Arts | October 26th, 2016

By Ben Haugmo

Unlike other creators, tattoo artists don’t have the ability to erase their mistakes. They don’t have the advantage of erasers or the ability to undo mistakes with a keystroke. Luckily, most tattoo artists are in their field for a good reason. They understand that, when your canvas is a human body, you have to commit to each line. They’ve taken the time to hone their skills and build the confidence needed to be certain that the final product looks great.

Athena Funk has had a long time to perfect her skills at tattoo artistry and make sure each stroke of the pen goes exactly as planned. Funk has been involved in the tattoo industry since 1999, and has finally embarked on her first solo venture by opening Amarok Tattoo in Fargo last week.

It’s been a long road leading up to the founding of Amarok. After attending art school at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and New York City’s Parsons School of Design in Paris, Funk toured with her rock band before taking up marketing in Las Vegas. She began apprenticing at Absolute Ink in Vegas before finishing her apprenticeship at Addictions in Fargo. She also continues to travel to tattoo conventions to bring new techniques back to Fargo.

All of Funk’s experience has culminated in truly understanding what it takes to be a tattoo artist. Part of that is knowing the limitations and challenges that a human canvas provides.

“You’re working on a person--what you’re doing is painful,” said Funk, “so what you have to do, first and foremost, is be mindful of that and make sure people are comfortable. And bodies are 3D. If somebody comes in and they want a tattoo of a snake that wraps around their arm, you can’t just draw that on a piece of paper. You have to be really flexible.”

Besides the technical and artistic skills required, a tattoo artist has to be able to take good care of their customers. Sometimes the design a client has set their hopes on doesn’t translate well from the page onto skin.

“Things that are super-duper detailed don’t really transfer successfully into tattoos,” said Funk. “You have to simplify things down, and clients have to be flexible because we’re the ones that are the professionals. We’ll be honest with you when things will work or when they won’t work.”

Amarok’s name is inspired by two different sources. The monstrous wolf Amarok is from Inuit mythology, and is said to hunt alone rather than in a pack. Being of Native American descent, as well as the only member of the group from the cold northern part of the United States, Funk felt an affinity for Amarok.

When on tour to tattoo conventions, Funk would compete in a group alongside artists from many other shops. Collectively, they chose the name Wolf Knife to represent them.

“I kind of wanted to pay homage to my friends,” said Funk, “and everything that they’re taught me from traveling and working with them, so I decided to go with something wolf-related.”

Whether you’re a current tattoo enthusiast or just beginning to think about expressing yourself in a new way, consider Amarok Tattoo in Fargo.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Amarok Tattoo

10 8th St N, Fargo

Tuesday-Saturday, noon to 8pm

facebook.com/amaroktattoo/about