Style + Beauty - Page 358
"The Art of the Tattoo" is going across the globe to talk to Italy-based artist Lupo Horiokami of Mushin Tattoo. Now tattooing for over 14 years, Lupo opens up about his passion for the unique Japenese "irezumi" style and why the industry means so much to him.
Plus, be sure to check out some of his most eye-catching work below!
How did you get your start?I have always been passionate about drawing and painting, and I did a lot of graffiti back when I was younger, so it came naturally to me that the next step would be tattooing.
What's your tattoo style of choice?My style of choice is the Japanese style. I love the traditional "irezumi." I think of it as a complete form of tattooing where you put your spirit and mind into your art and creative process. You learn something new every day, and that's important to me. I'm also very into Japanese culture and Zen philosophy, so it fits me well.
What do you think makes tattoos special?Sometimes to an "untrained eye," tattoos can look similar. But when you take a closer look, you'll see that they are not, because every artist puts their mind and personality into every drawing they make. When you draw a dragon a million times, every time it's going to look different because of how you're feeling or working in that particular moment, and that's what makes it unique and special.
Tattoos seem so mainstream now. Is that good or bad?I think it's neither good nor bad, but it depends on whether you do it to be "cool" — then I don't think it's OK. but if you feel like you have something to transmit and express to the world and you put your heart in what you do, then it's something positive for the tattoo culture.
Do you see a current trend in the industry? I believe there are trends in all fields of work, but I don't care that much about "the new cool style" at the moment, or if one color is more trendy than another. I know what I like and stick to it.
Do you have any funny tattoo stories? What about horror stories?I have many horror stories and funny ones too, not so much about tattoos but about customers. I try to forget about them, but it's not that easy. I love my job, but sometimes people can be a bit strange. For privacy reasons, I'd better not list them here.
Which piece of work has been your favorite?Every tattoo is special to me if I have the right feeling with the customer, but of course I love to tattoo very close friends of mine and important people in my life. Then, it's not important what kind of tattoo it is or how big it is.
What inspires you? A lot of things inspire me. It could be things around me in my everyday life, or friends and artists that I know, and, of course, other artists that I admire like Hokusai, Kuniyoshi, Yoshitoshi, Kunisada, Hiroshige, Kyosai and Horiyoshi III.
Do you have a message for aspiring artists?Keep studying the art of tattoo, because the soul of tattooing is in the drawing; it's not the actual making of the tattoo. The tattooing is just one part of the world of tattooing.
See some of Lupo's incredible work below.
We’re headed to Texas to talk to 20-year tattooing veteran Karen Slafter. From how she broke into the industry to where she gets her inspiration, our exclusive interview covers it all.
Also, make sure to check out our slideshow of her best artwork below!
How did you get your start? I have always been fascinated with tattoo and body art. While attending UT Austin for art, I started getting tattooed and thought it would be a wonderful career. I started tattooing in Atlanta, then got an apprenticeship with Steve Borrego at Native Images.
What's your tattoo style of choice and why?I like to do tattoos that inspire — spiritual or artsy work, but I'm capable of doing any kind of tattoo style that comes my way.
What do you think makes tattoos special? I like doing spiritual tattoos because I feel that getting tattooed can be a shamanic experience to transform open-minded people to a higher level.
Tattoos seem so mainstream now. Is that good or bad?Tattoos being mainstream has a few effects: a more general acceptance in every part of society, a dramatic increase in the skill of some tattooers, and the dilution of what a tattoo really means — a transformation and a marking of that time in your life, forever.
Do you see a current trend in the industry? I see more creative art and new techniques for applying and creating tattoos, as well as a reworking of traditional images to a more modern look. People seem more open to getting work that defines them as a person rather than [selecting a design] off the wall.
What's your most memorable tattoo experience? I have a client that got a mandala with chrome and fire on his back. He was, unfortunately, in a fire when a plane hit the building he was working in. He was burned so badly on many parts of his body, but the tattoo on his back? Virtually untouched. Amazing!
Which piece of work has been your favorite? I once helped the survivors of a tragic traffic accident that took four of their family members. They used tattoos to help them through the grief process. It was an honor to be included and to be of service.
What inspires you? LIVING inspires my art. I can do no other.
Do you have a message for aspiring artists? Respect the tattoo traditions, get well trained, [and] don't take on a tattoo you don't have full confidence to pull off successfully. Tattooing is for people and not for galleries! DRAW, DRAW, DRAW!
Check out some of Karen's designs below:
Jessie Lou Ashby is a tattoo artist and the owner of White Rabbit Tattoo Studio in New York, where she's been inking her eye-catching custom tattoos for over seven years.
Check out Jes’ tell-all interview, where she explains her special style and take-aways from the tattoo industry. Then, check out some of her favorite work below.
How did you get your start? I never thought of myself as the tattoo artist "type." I am a painter by trade and education. I love the fluidity and freedom of modern art. I thought of tattoos as being too ridged and theme-specific for me. I was living in France when I discovered the art brut/avant guard styles of European tattoo artists. If they could do what they were doing, then surely someone could create something I would like. Suddenly, tattooing became very interesting. The next thing I knew, it's years later and I was opening my own shop in NYC. It all seems very fast; I hardly notice the time passing me by, but here I am.
What's your tattoo style of choice? I like to tattoo designs that I would be tempted to have for myself. Fluid, free-form and everything but ridged or traditional. I like shapes that flow and blend into each other like watercolor paints or sketches that are alive with movement and mistakes. It's the little parts that seem "off" that give each design character and balance. The art of making "random strokes" look both random and balanced at the same time is harder to master than I had hoped. It's so much easier on paper. It must look and feel spontaneous, When it does, then I know it's right.
What do you think makes tattoos special?Nothing and everything at the same time, actually. I don't think of tattoos as a part of anything special. Either I like them or I don't; either I would wear it or I won't. Whatever the reason people have for their tattoo on day one, that reason fades away eventually. Years later, the only thing left is whether you still like it or not, and even then it's mostly superficial. In the end, all you have is a piece of art and a little nostalgic marker of days past.
Tattoos seem so mainstream now. Is that good or bad?It's good for me, at least. Tattoo acceptance has its ups and downs. Historically, [tattoos] have gone in and out of fashion since forever. After 5000-plus years of known existence, I guess all I can say that I feel lucky that I get to be part of this generations "up."
Do you see a current trend in the industry? Yes, two actually. There is a resurgence of the old traditional designs and techniques, which I am not particularly a fan of. And the other is the bold and riskier attempts to create color "oil painting-like" realist imagery, which I admire a lot. I can't wait to see what that leads to — we might even get to trade in our centuries-old tattoo machines for new tech!
Which piece of work has been your favorite?I have a client by the name of Sinead. Something about her inspires me, and as a result, she has two of my favorite pieces. "The Lion and Warrior" and the "abstract poppies" — two different styles entirely. She is an absolute joy to work with.
What inspires you?As a tattoo artist, I try to express and translate someone else's inspiration into an image that makes sense to me. I do my best to make my clients happy, thus the diversity in my portfolio. But I do have a distinct way of seeing things and that never seems to change. As for my own art and paintings, that is a whole different story. Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?I have a quote on the wall of my shop: "Create like a God, command like a King, work like a slave." Professional integrity, honesty, and the passion to work hard both physically and mentally are just as important as artistic skill, if not more. Get yourself a passion for learning and sharing; the most important things you will ever learn will be later on, and those things will come from other artists.
Check out Jessie's designs below:
