Tommy Montoya has seen firsthand both the underground and the mainstream of the tattoo scene. Recognized for his 20-year commitment to West Coast black-and-gray tattooing, Montoya, a California-based artist, rose to international prominence after appearing on the television show “NY Ink” (2011–2013). Tommy Montoya and Ryan Ashley Malarkey headlined the 2019 “Feather Falls Tattoo Expo” […]
Tag: American
Chris Garver Interview: Tattooing from the Gutter to the Top
In a summarized historical explanation, the “Tattoo Renaissance” began in the late 1950s with tattooers like Lyle Tuttle, Don Nolan, Zeke Owens, Ed Hardy, and others pioneering the way. “Between the hippie movement of the late ‘60s and the feminist campaigns and rights movements, the tattoo industry saw itself in the midst of a rebirth […]
From Berlin with Love: Tattoo Flash by Brian Kelly
Prolific tattooists Ben Corday and Sailor Jerry have continued to inspire new generations—think: sailing ships, pin-up girls, skulls and hearts—all of those symbols defined the “American Old-School Tattoos.” The same icons that US-native Brian Kelly has revived on skins and in tattoo flash. “Sometimes I use liquid acrylic for the white parts of the paintings. […]
Old-School Charm at the Santa Rosa Tattoo Studio
After seeing the efficiently managed, 28th Santa Rosa Tattoo & Blues, the longest running tattoo convention in California, Scene360 was curious to meet up with co-organizer Daat Kraus who also owns and runs a studio by similar name, “Santa Rosa Tattoo” (originally established in 1978 by Bert Rodriguez). The shop is situated in a renovated […]
Interview with Tattoo Goddess Ryan Ashley Malarkey
In just a few years Ryan Ashley Malarkey has soared to international fame by winning the 2016 “Ink Master” and starring on the 2017 reality show, “Ink Master: Angels.” In 2018 she was the most sought-after tattooist—headlining conventions in many countries including the United States, Mexico, England, Spain—and on the cover of top magazines Tattoo […]
Bright and Shining Realistic Tattoos by Shannon Perry
Inspired by the way light travels through prisms, tattooer Shannon Perry started to experiment. “The first time I did a reflective piece, I had no intention of it being so realistic. I just didn’t feel the need to stylize it.” She achieves the luminous effect through “a process of breaking the image down into a million […]
Dynamic Character Sketches in Ink: Interview with Cutty Bage
Portraits come to life in the tattoos of Cutty Bage, an artist working from Speakeasy Tattoo Co. in Boone, North Carolina. Inspired by horror and mystery, she uses her skill to add new dimensions to peculiar characters from comics, film, and literature, such as Wednesday Addams, Agent Cooper, and Edgar Allen Poe. Cutty Bage began […]
Color, Shape & Movement: An interview with Arielle Bobb-Willis
New York-based photographer Arielle Bobb-Willis initially turned to photography to help manage her depression and it has been her art form of choice ever since. Using bold, monochromatic clothing and atypical poses, her work has a distinct painterly influence. In fact, she views her models more as shapes than anything else, showing the deep influence […]
Mallozzi Examines the Intricacies of Personal Relationships in Series “Familiars”
In Jean-Paul Mallozzi’s “Familiars,” his latest series of paintings and drawings, he broadens his fascination with the human condition and the inherent, nuanced complexities of personal relationships, specifically intimate male relationships, which are often hyper-sexualized, stigmatized and pigeon-holed for queer/lgbt eyes only in the visual art world. These images challenge society’s rigid and conflicting constructs […]
Origami and Mathematics Go Hand and Hand: The Paper Sculptures of Robby Kraft
Origami grandmaster Akira Yoshizawa has led the way for paper artists by turning this craft into a solid art form. Many newcomers have been inspired by his pioneering creations, such as American artist and engineer Robby Kraft who uses the wet-folding technique (invented by Yoshizawa) to give a more realistic, sculptural feel to his animal […]