Take a look at that, man.
I'm gonna do a little burst behind it, everything.
Some shading?
Yeah, yeah, definitely, yep.
A little bit there is fine.
- Cool. - Awesome.
(Buzzing)
- Ready? - Yeah, man.
(Buzzing)
There's a proper way to tattoo, you know.
Like there's a foundation to it.
A good tattoo should have a strong line,
some good shading, some strong field of color, you know.
But past that, then you gotta start adding your own to it.
(Buzzing)
I think what people recognize in my work and possibly what I'm
most known for is doing these kind of spiritual deity tattoos.
♪
A friend of mine, Daniel Higgs actually turned me onto this
group of painters called the Kalighat painters.
They're the guys who were painting outside of
the Kali Temple in Calcutta, and this style of painting was done
very fast, and it really had a look of tattoo flash.
Simple lines, bolder, you know, more iconic,
not a lot of background and stuff like that.
This was the turning point because these were the perfect
mesh of the thing I loved about traditional American tattoos,
but in the Eastern culture.
He was the first person to talk to me about Krishna, yeah.
I don't think Robert's a devotee,
but he's definitely devoted, if that makes any sense, you know?
I was 17, I quit school.
We were hanging out at the boardwalk,
and this guy comes up to me.
Didn't look like a Hare Krishna at all,
and he's like, "You're under arrest."
And like my blood went cold.
I always guilty of doing something.
And he said, "For smiling."
And he handed me a sticker of the Lord Jagannath
that said, "Smile."
It was the ultimate sell.
So we went on the beach, and he gave me a set of japa beads,
and he taught me the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra.
It resonated with me.
♪
Robert's journey is super unique, I would say.
You know, like his travelling to and from India has been like
a huge inspiration to him.
You know, over the years, his spirituality's become
more dominant.
He meditates, he will chant,
he'll play music in that spiritual form.
(Buzzing)
Before I start every tattoo, I look at my spiritual master.
I have a small picture of him.
Please let me do the best job I can do for this person.
In the eyes of God, let me be a good servant.
(Buzzing)
(Humming)
(Buzzing)
Today's a very special day.
I'm gonna start Pat Barnickel's back piece,
and he's been our assistant for four years.
He's getting a Christ head on his back.
My belief is that Christ spent a lot of time in India,
so he has the markings of a Vishnu saint.
There's a story about sailors on ships getting Christ tattooed
on their back so the captain wouldn't be as aggressive
when he was whipping them.
It was a way for protection.
Not even philosophically, but just like them seeing it
and just be like, "I can't... I can't do that to Jesus."
(Buzzing)
Alright, buddy, let's go on a voyage together.
(Laughing)
(Buzzing)
I feel as though when people get a tattoo from Robert,
it is some sort of amulet of protection in some way or form.
I don't even know that they even fully understand
exactly what they're getting.
(Buzzing)
People do come to you for some sort of weird healing
through a tattoo sometimes, you know.
Some sort of emotional healing, some sort of mental healing,
just to feel better about your life.
(Buzzing)
You don't just come into a tattoo shop and get a tattoo
because it feels good, 'cause it doesn't feel good.
It's expensive, it's annoying, it takes a while to heal.
There's all these like negative things that go along with it,
but the outcome is it brings you some sort of peace or happiness.
I just awakened your kundalini chakra.
(Laughing)
Alright, here we go.
(Buzzing)
Some people, they come in and they want that tattoo that
they've always wanted, and then that's their one tattoo shop
experience, and they'll leave, and that's it.
And then there's the other person who is on this
spiritual quest, and a tattooer like Robert,
they're getting that powerful image,
giving them more than a tattoo.
It's an experience and it's a life-long
happy feeling, you know.
Looks great.
You did so good.
Yeah, I did it in red.
(Laughing)
No, no, you're... you're seeing a miracle right now.