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An Interview with Lucky Diamond Rich by Thom Green of Mantra20th March 2004 
What are your first memories of tattoos?Travelling in a traditional circus back in Australia. I do remember reading about the most tattooed man and women though who appeared in a circus. I remember as a young boy, travelling, having a reoccurring thought about the most tattooed man but at that point it never went any further. Then of course there was my first tattoo I was travelling and it happened in Kings Cross, London . It was in the red light district, and believe it or not the same night I lost my virginity to a prostitute! So I literally was stewed, screwed and tattooed! Can you remember the studio.... the artist?Kind of, he was a big hairy biker guy I think the studio was called Sleevemasters. It was a small juggling club and I had it done on my hip. So far what’s your most painful body modification?My mind. The most painful body modification has been being able to live with myself, daily, to the best of my ability. What is your take on the whole current un-politically-correct–ness of freak shows and the voyeuristic tendencies of mankind in general?That exists, their reality, I just reinforce what exists for me and it’s not part of my reality. In other words I believe that you don’t buy into comparing my beliefs with other peoples. If you weren’t such a natural street performer, would you have been happy to appear to a paying audience as a purely visible spectacle?!I already do. Every day. Everyone pays in their own way just not always monetarily – it’s not worth paying for in that context. I don’t rip people off. Generally I just try and treat people the way I would like to be treated. The previous Guinness book of world record holder for the most tattooed man was the apparently reclusive Leopard man of the Isle of Sky. Do you understand his apparent reclusive ness? If so have you ever wished for or plan to take some kind of time away from being judged?Impossible. Were you always prepared mentally for the stresses and strain’s of social aesthetic non-conformity?I don’t really agree with the question only because the stresses and strains are created by us as individuals, society is not responsible for the emotions and feelings I choose. As for preparation, I have always been the sort of person who has acted on intuition and my inner-self. I have just done what I thought was the right thing at any given moment without any thought of consequence. This is the choice I made and it hasn’t failed me yet and I believe it never will. I live a life beyond my wildest dreams and for that I am grateful. Did that manifest itself in the physical order that you became tattooed? YesWell it doesn’t make any sense to me. I have read reports of people lucky enough to see you complete the record, was that an emotional time for you?Yes the 8 th Milan Tattoo convention, but I think every moment of life is an emotional time. I am an emotional being, and take things too seriously. I remember when I was in my hotel room moments after I became the worlds most tattooed man, and I looked in the mirror and said to myself “How do I feel?” and I realised I was unhappy because even though tattoos have helped me short-term to change myself I realised that the journey is on the inside, and that I would have to metaphorically start tattooing my insides more rather than the outside. I also wished that I could have stopped and slowed down and enjoyed becoming the world’s most tattooed man, rather putting so much importance on the destination. Brings me back to a proverb “it’s not about the destination, but the journey that is made up of loads of destinations. It brings me to what Loretta Leu tattooed on my stomach; a quote from Buddha; “There is no road to happiness, happiness is the road”. Its funny, about my life, half of my life was spent placing so much importance on it to now spend the rest of my life trying not to place so much importance on it. We are all aware, to some extent of how ignorant and prejudice people can be concerning any deviation from the “norm”. How do you respond to people with a negative attitude towards you?
Did you ever read “Black like me”? By John Howard Griffin?No I haven’t read it although you have mentioned it too me before. I think that was the reason I haven’t read it….because you told me too! Whatever it is about I would rather live it than read it! I don’t deem it necessary to intellectualise it. I am trying more and more to keep life as simple as possible. What was the name of it again? Black like me.The only thing I can think is that to me there is no such colour as black; it is a shade of many colours. Give me a book that says blue like me! I got to’ write it first!Some sheer fact based questions now, how much time and money did your current body modification take?Time wise I think I have undergone between, roughly speaking 500-550 hours. To me money wise it has cost me nothing. The money I have received has come purely through my artistic expression and then it is just recycled, given back to another artist for his/her expression. So for me I have not spent a thing! I have just given back what has been given to me. “You can’t keep what you have unless you give it away”. Is your work the work of one artist or if not, how many artists undertook your tattooing?Hundreds! Do you know any other people with the levels of commitment to their body art that you have?Commitment? For me I don’t really agree with that question, there’s no gauge to measure levels of apparent commitment to body art, for me it is hard to define what art really is, let alone levels of commitment to it. Every tattooed person I have ever met has been asked, at one stage in their life, been asked, “What do your parents think?” so on their behalf and just for the record?I don’t know what my parents think today as I have not spoken to them! My mother and father have chosen as parents to love me, their son, regardless of anything that I could say or do. Parents have an ability to do this and for that I am eternally grateful. My mother has always said since I was born “I never cease to amaze her” and I will for the rest of her life, bless her cotton socks! I am not the easiest son to have, but my parents aren’t the easiest parents to have either! It’s a two-way street. Would you describe yourself as famous or infamous?As a choice I don’t choose to describe myself as anything, but as a person that believes in belief itself. The rest that attaches itself to my story is up to everybody else, so if you are reading this interview remember “all in life is not as it seems”. Were you ever a lover of tattoo flash and any particular artists work and do you ever wish you could get any other work?To answer that question I will say that because of the belief of many other artists in the world of tattoo, I am able as a representation of their belief in me, have anything that is reflective of our moment together. This is an artistic expression and what comes out of that is art itself. You interpret whatever that is for you; for me it is just art. Did the last piece of skin tattooed have, for you, any particular positional significance?Yes it did and that was down to two people; myself and Xed Le Head from Into You, London. And that’s just how it ended up! Has anyone else expressed to you a common interest/desire to 100% tattoo body coverage?No, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened and also wouldn’t be surprised if I am the only blue person on this planet. I can’t believe I read a negative comment on some sideshow web-site, I know this probably points more at sometimes prurient and fecial content of the web, but do you think some people are just plain jealous?I don’t know what people think unless they tell me, know told me they were jealous yet, and if they are I feel sorry for them and I pray that they allow themselves to stop wasting energy and get on with their own lives! Finally, Lucky, what we can expect from you at Mantra 2004?A lot. My all and my heart and my spirit and a lot of noise; in more ways then one! |
it is not for me to understand. I admire Tom for his ability to walk the chosen journey. Each most tattooed person on this planet in history has contributed to the role that has chosen them, and I admire and am grateful for the fact that these people have walked before me; making my path easier!
At first when I got tattooed it was important that it carried balance, symmetry, depth of meaning, culture and was a world-class tattoo. Now I feel completely the opposite; I don’t care what I get, how it looks, don’t care who does it. When I say I don’t care I do actually care, but I just don’t place so much importance on it. This has allowed me to feel more free, not take myself so seriously; and others, and to appreciate the true depth of what’s really happening which is that the tattoo is an excuse to just connect and feel comfortable with that connection. I don’t judge anyone else for their journey or what stage they are at i.e. I used to think old school tattoos were crap, I just loved tribal tattoos and now I don’t really like tribal so for me, it has allowed me to realise that it is better for me to say that what he believes in is belief itself as your beliefs change. I am more open to the possibilities of change. Does that make sense?
I am not responsible for how people feel, but will say in my defence that because I represent freedom of choice and because when people are presented by my physical presence, if someone doesn’t like themselves and is carrying that baggage and hasn’t got the tools to get rid of that baggage for whatever reason those people seem to think that it’s their right to make my life difficult and others around them. For me I have compassion for these people and I pray for them to rid themselves of what hold’s them back from their true potential as human beings on this planet. I have chosen, because of the mental illness I came from that is traced throughout my family tree to find the tools to break the cycle and the chain of my past, and what I came from. Rather than look at it as a negative thing, I have chosen to celebrate it and advertise it for every second and moment for the rest of my life. Hopefully when I die, people will see my story and be inspired to do the same, for lifetimes ahead, just like I have been inspired by my predecessors and I want to thank all the tattooists that have believed in me and helped me achieve this statement and all the people outside of that, that have allowed me to live a life beyond my wildest dreams. For that I am grateful to tattoo.