When you hear the term ‘art,’ what comes to mind? Is it painting and drawing or music and theatre? Many people seem to forget that art is all around us every day. It’s in the cars we drive and the buildings that house us. It’s in the clothes we wear and newspapers we read. For some individual, they themselves may be a walking talking art gallery.
Whitney Caskey is one of a handful of artists in our parish who have chosen to pursue tattooing as their preferred form of art. A native of Quitman, Louisiana, Caskey attended Louisiana Tech and received her BFA in studio art and photography. She says that while she has used various mediums throughout the years, she landed on tattooing in 2015 and has co-owned a studio since 2020.
Caskey says that art has been an interest of hers for her entire life. She explains that she has always loved creating things and consistently trying to improve in whatever medium she is working in at any given time. She goes on to say, “When it comes to tattoos, I love sharing my work with people in such a permanent way and it’s an honor to be trusted with that.”
Caskey says that she loves seeing someone’s self-confidence improve with each tattoo. She says that she has seen many people go from worrying so much about how the world views them, to becoming their truest self through the addition of art on their skin.
Many of Caskey’s pieces reflect her own interest and style, incorporating wildlife such as plants and various “critters” that are often overlooked. She says that a bug on the sidewalk or a bird eating a French fry in the parking lot can provide the perfect material for her work.
She also loves to collect unexpected objects such as animal skulls, specimens, and books with scientific illustrations of plants and animals. She uses these materials as references for her work.
Caskey says she likes to draw in the morning when her brain is still working. She likes to keep a list of ideas when she sees something inspiring. “I’ll then consult the list and kind of sketch out those ideas to be added to my flash drops,” explains Whitney.
Caskey says that though it looks nothing like her own, she is inspired by the creations of Suflanda, whose work is positive, creative, and unique. “I think it helped me to see her work early in my career as it shows that tattoos don’t have to portray a “tough guy” image, but rather can be delicate and wholesome,” explains Caskey.
She says that self-expression is important and that’s why she loves covering people in designs that make them happy and confident. “I hope my work inspires people to get that tattoo or piercing they’ve been wanting,” she explains, “It’s similar to hanging artwork on the walls of your house to make it feel like a home.”
When asked what message she wanted to share with others, Whitney admits hers doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with tattoos. “I feel like you should be cool with creating ‘bad’ art,” she starts, “create something once in a while just for the fun of it and the therapeutic benefits.” She says that she feels like too much pressure is put on people to monetize creative hobbies, create work just to go viral, or even the idea that you must be good to do it at all. Whitney feels that anyone can have a creative hobby that they enjoy for that purpose alone.
To follow Whitney Caskey and see her work, you can find her on Instagram and Facebook at whitneycaskeytattoos.
