Josh Archer of Cooloola Tattoo has been voted Gympie’s best tattooist

In a close fought competition among a tight field of six competitors, one tattooist has emerged as Gympie’s favourite. Find out why.

Josh Archer of Cooloola Tattoo has been named Gympie's favourite tattoo artist of 2023. Picture: Christine Schindler

In a close competition with fellow inkers Matt Sullivan and Luke Bishop, Josh Archer of Cooloola Tattoo has been voted by subscribers as Gympie’s best tattooist of 2023.

The trio emerged as the favourites in the city with Mr Archer winning by a single vote ahead of Mr Sullivan and three ahead of Mr Bishop.

Humbled by the accolade, Mr Archer acknowledged getting tattooed is a very personal experience.

“I think everyone is very good at their own craft, and when you trust someone to tattoo you and you’re comfortable with them and their work, you just keep going back,” Mr Archer said.

However it is without wonder the accolades poured in for Mr Archer whose demeanour puts people at ease, as if he is an old friend.

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Josh Archer of Cooloola Tattoo has been named Gympie's favourite tattoo artist of 2023. Picture: Christine Schindler

Cooloola Tattoo is tucked into a shop arcade on Gympie’s main thoroughfare.

Mr Archer now owns the shop, where he first started as a body piercer more than 10 years ago.

Both a tattooist and a tattoo artist Mr Archer said he works with his own designs, collaborates with customers on designs, or simply inks on what customers bring to him.

He described his personal designs as “full colour surrealism” or “full colour, bold, abstract without being weird” and gets a buzz from “creating art” on skin with the added bonus of people wanting to wear it.

One of Josh Archer's artworks on his partner’s thigh. Picture: (supplied)

A father of two, he said his inspirations come from all kinds of places, the latest being the new Spider-Man animation, Across The Spider Verse.

“Visually it’s gorgeous. I was looking at the light sources of a scene and want to put it into my work,” he said.

The choice of a tattoo is just as diverse as the process of getting the tattoo, Mr Archer said.

The longest session he did was for nine hours.

He also has a customer who comes in each month for a couple of hours.

“It’s different for a lot of people, when I get tattooed I like to put headphones in and not talk, because I’m in pain and I don’t handle it very well,” he said.

The other side of being a tattooist is building trust with your customers as they go through the pain and vulnerability of having needles pushing ink into their skin.

Mr Archer joked his tattoo sessions sometimes feel like therapy as people have told him “heavy” things.

“If you are spending hours and hours with someone you want to feel comfortable with them and enjoy their company,” he said.

“There’s other people that will tell you their darkest secrets when you don’t ask, we get told wild things just out of the blue.”

The poll picked up 140 votes, with Mr Archer receiving 37.

Mr Sullivan landed shy of him at 36, followed very closely by Mr Bishop with 34.

Originally published as Josh Archer of Cooloola Tattoo has been voted Gympie’s best tattooist