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POV: I want to make art that isn't about fish

  • Writer: Molly Gee
    Molly Gee
  • Oct 19
  • 5 min read

Words by tattoo artist Molly Gee.


At least once a month, I see my artist peers in London receive a cool opportunity. Whether it be collaborations with clothing brands, art galleries, cafes, pop up events at store openings, or producing their own lines of products- my social media feed is a constant barrage of my peers being given opportunities for growth. That’s not to say that these artists don’t deserve it, or that I should have it more than them. But sometimes, I wish I could have them too. But I’m up north. 


My first big break was tattooing at The Other Art Fair hosted by Saatchi Art. It was the biggest thing I’d ever done so far in my career, and I could not have been more honoured to tattoo at the event. The fair happens down Brick Lane in London, and I really felt like I’d made it. I can’t fault the event at all- it was the most fantastic weekend and I felt so lucky to be a part of it. But the whole weekend, and in the lead up to it- I practiced talking to people with a less harsh accent. I felt worried that people thought I sounded uneducated and would respect me less if I spoke in my normal thick Grimsby accent, as I knew the event would be attended by art collectors of London- not the usual clients I’m used to. One lady asked where I was from and when I responded “Grimsby, its in the north” she replied, “oh north London, is it near Wembley?”.



Another man told me he owned a car park in Grimsby, said it was a dump and a waste of money, then continued telling me that he would be going on a skiing holiday in the French Alps tomorrow. 


Overall, the event was a fantastic opportunity for me, and I couldn’t be more grateful, but it really brought home to me the differences in what its like to be an artist in the north versus the south of the UK. I’m going to generalise the north and the south a bit as we delve into this issue- but please understand that there are places in the north where opportunity is more common. Manchester has been developing a thriving artistic community, closely followed by Liverpool, Newcastle, and Sheffield. They may still be miles behind London regarding opportunity for work, but things are slowly improving in the larger cities of the north. 


On the whole, there are fewer high-paying institutional or commercial art projects in the north compared to London and the south. There are limited networks and fewer large-scale projects and organisations, which means fewer paid opportunities for artists. Between 2010-2020, council spending on arts and culture in England were dropped by 20%, a huge proportional wound to the North as they already received less funding than the south.  (Wikipedia).


In the most recent Arts Council England funding round (2023-2025) the North received around £28 per person, compared to £57 per person in London- a shortfall of roughly 450 million. (Insider Media) Whilst funding gaps are narrowing, the problem persists. Between 2022-2025, The North received £383.5m in core funding versus London’s £458.6m (Museums Association). This huge disparity in funding limits northern artists ability to pursue projects, access support and get paid for opportunities. 


In Grimsby, a huge proportion of paid projects are pigeonholed into heritage-themed work, such as local history projects, and artwork relating to Grimsby’s industrial fishing past.

[In Grimsby] There is little room for innovative or contemporary practice.

All of us at some point of another have made artwork based on fish.  More young people from Grimsby are choosing to move away to university and not return due to the lack of opportunities they face in Grimsby, which worsens the problem of the town being stuck with minimal modernisation. 


My main practice as an artist is tattooing- but I’ve taken a slightly different approach than your traditional tattoo artist. I am also a content creator on Instagram and have built up my client base and following online over the span of my career. I would say that 75% of the people I tattoo on a daily basis have travelled to me from elsewhere, to my studio in Grimsby. This is a pretty new method of being a tattoo artist; traditionally there would be a handful of tattooists in each town and they would receive their customers through word of mouth. With the rise of unique styles of tattooing, different styles have emerged and there is truly something for everyone. I specialise in fine-line handpoke tattooing (tattooing without a machine), which has given me a cutting edge in Grimsby and the surrounding areas.


But I have had to work damn hard to make it work.

I offer a travel discount to clients, I keep my prices as low as possible (often too low) and I do regular guest spots around the country to be accessible to my client base which is expensive. I visit London for a few days of every month to tattoo, and to be closer to opportunities. As far as local clientele goes, whilst I have my handful of amazing people I tattoo, most of the population of Grimsby do not understand what I do in the slightest.


They do not understand that I only tattoo my own niche art style, and that I won’t do the copy of the tattoo they found on Pinterest or their clock and rose realism sleeve. They don’t understand handpoke, and they definitely don’t understand why people travel so far to get tattooed by me. There is a culture of traditionalism in Grimsby and the North, and it contributes to the suppression of experimentation and niche tattoo styles that thrive in more progressive places. 


We’ve all known forever that the North does not receive the same investment and diversity as the South in many different industries, but the bias never gets easier. Many funding bodies delegate finances from their central offices in London, meaning regional nuances get missed (Cultural Northeast.). Even when regional organisations are able to exist, they are usually under-resourced relative to institutions based in the South.


The North needs more local decision-making, and investment into contemporary, experimental artists- not just heritage-led programming. The creative landscape of the north is vibrant, full of grit and holds some groundbreaking talent, who contribute to the artistic landscape of the UK and deserve equal recognition. And we have great accents. 


I suppose in summary, we can make it work. And we do make it work. But boy, it would be amazing to get paid for a project locally that isn’t about fish.


Words by Molly Gee.


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