Face to Face with... Ryan Hope

When Ryan Hope, a director at London's Stamp Films, took on a film which explores the weird and wonderful world of tattooing and tattoo culture, he wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The commerical and music video director hadn't done anything like it before, but as the film, called Skin - financed by art auctioneers, Christie's - is about to be released he talks to us about how he got involved and why he hasn't got any tattoos himself. Yet.

How did the idea for Skin come about?

The idea came from Dasha Zhukova, owner of Garage Magazine, (for whom I shot the film). The concept was based on a short story by Roald Dahl. If you haven’t read it, it’s worth a read. It's a dark prophecy for this project if it's anything to go by! Becky Pootschi, the editor of Garage, asked me to shoot the film for them.

What sparked your interest in tattoos and tattooing? Is it something you have first-hand experience of?

I don’t have any tattoos myself. I've come very close to getting them on many occasions and have two of the best tattooists in the game on standby but for some reason I'm still refraining. I think it's because they are just so popular now. It's actually ridiculous! When I was in Brooklyn shooting the film it was difficult to find someone without one. I would say my interest in this project stems more from the humanistic issues addressed in the project - what life now means for the kids who have these tattoos.

How did you get Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and the other artists get involved in the project?

I didn't - Dasha and Becky at Garage Magazine took care of all of that. 

How did you find the five different people you follow through the film?

We found the people through different means: from posters on college walls to emailing tattoo conventions. I then cast them depending on the answers they gave me when I met them.

Have you ever taken on a project like this before?

No. Not even close. This project was a law unto itself. Christie’s gave us 60k, which was the whole production budget, and let us totally get on with it. It was so exciting. Working like this simply does not happen anymore. It's quite revolutionary in that sense. Every single creative decision was mine to make, which was a total dream. Even choosing the bands who scored the film, which again, was brilliant fun.

What was the hardest part of the project as a whole?

There were some really testing times. Managing to make the project work within the budget was ridiculously tough. I have my producer Laura Jones to thank for making it happen. Keeping the people who worked on the post production sane was also incredibly difficult. They too, are really special talents...

Do you think tattooing is now perceived as a legitimate art form akin to painting/sculpture and the like?

Not right now, but after people watch the film, maybe. Who knows?

What are you working on next?

Absolutely nothing. Come and get me.