soul to seoul

My biggest and most exciting interview of my life for  NAKID magazine.

Special thanks for Henri Maddocks for such a deep and profound questions.It’s a real Journalism.

 Full version of magazine you can find here:

http://nakidmagazine.com/2015/07/21/nakid-magazine-issue-ii-springsummer-2015-quarterly-issue-release/

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 One of the happier coincidences an interviewer can hope for is to be assigned an emerging artist, discover their works, have a conversation with the creator, and fall in love. This is what i got with the ever complex a otherworldly JAMIE LUNA, a ukrainian-born illustrator and sacred tattoo artist fast becoming a force within the industry. I spoke with Jamie about his contrarian approach to life, magic mushrooms, stroking cats, reincarnation, and the most “honest” art of the 21st century.

 Can you speak on how and why you began tattooing? What attracted you to the tattoo world?

 LUNA: Before I start tattooing I have been working on T.V. for four years and I realized one thing: no matter what job you are working, if it’s for someone else then you’re a slave to the system, a pawn helping others become richer and richer. I wasn’t satisfied with such way of life and decided to change it dramatically. I realized I could work for myself, help people feel more attractive in their skin. And at the same time earn money. It’s fair exchange. Experienced tattoo artists were of high value in the ancient times. Nothing changed since then.

 Did you apprentice first under another artist or develop your skills in a more trial and error fashion? How long have you been tattooing?

 LUNA: I’ve been tattooing only for eight months, but I’d like to stress that I didn’t have any mentors, I didn’t take any lessons. I believe it’s impossible to be taught this profession. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. It’s my inspiration! When I take tattoo-machine into my hands I listen to only my inner self. Honestly, to become a skillful tattooist you need to “spoil” a couple of friends.

 You are based in Kiev, Ukraine. Have you always lived there? How does your environment in Kiev influence the nature of your artwork and style?

 LUNA: I was born & grown up in Belaya Tserkov, quite near Kyiv, got a higher degree in Kyiv University and now I’m living here. Kyiv is a kind of mystical city, but I can’t say that it influenced the nature of my artwork or  style. I have always been in my own thoughts and images than in Kyiv’s reality, where people live and die for the sake of flats, cars and money. If anything what has influenced me is a piracy in Ukraine and what we can become exposed to. We can watch any film, download any soft here without paying! It’s not right, but it’s Ukrainian reality.

 Your style is quite otherworldly, perhaps from another time even. Precise lines and a lot of black and grey dot work. There is a traditional or classical aesthetic to it. At the same time, your art seems to live in a place where Kafka’s Metamorphosis, Alice in Wonderland and an M.C. Escher piece meet. Are you a time-traveler from the Victorian or Edwardian era trying to pass as a 21st century tattoo artist?

 LUNA: different centuries: someone was a king, the other was a carpenter. Every morning we wake up and forget everything we dreamed the night before. The same happens after death. We forget our former life. It’s a kind of a game, where the difficulty level is your choice and the rest is decoration. The main goal of my art is to awaken people and show them that everything around is illusion. It seems to me I didn’t go anywhere. I was Kafka’s atoms, a paint on the pages of Alice in Wonderland & Escher’s pencil.

 There is a dark whimsy in your work with undertones of eroticism, the grotesque and anarchy. What am I leaving out? How would you describe your style?

 LUNA: I think the word “style" itself makes me feel restricted. Although I confess to having similar traits in my work. You noticed them perfectly. I want people to be free from all the stereotypes and rules. We live in the world where marijuana and magic mushrooms are illegal, but alcohol and cigarettes are everywhere, stroke the cats and at the same time eat burgers with beef, where a woman is second-rate creature and religion still controls people’s consciousness. It’s a “sick” society. I just want people to start thinking.

 I read that you’ve learned the Zen of tattoo. Can you speak more about that?

 LUNA: Well, well, well, I have two friends: Alexandra and Lisa. It was Alex’s third session of tattooing her “Dali” chest peace. The process was about to the end when Lisa asked me to do tattoo of the word “showoff” of her little finger and I did it! It was funny because the first case with the Dali piece lasted three days. And the second lasted only one minute. The result was the same: everybody was pleased. This is the example of Zen-tattoo, where small word can mean a lot as a big image.

 What are some of your artistic influences we might see in your work?

 LUNA: I’m like a sponge that absorbs all beautiful things from the ancient rock paintings throught modern art. I have been trying to wipe away the border between ugliness and beauty for a long time. I’m  inspired by both classical paintings as well as the sight of dirty potatoes. Every creature in the Universe is unique. To start with: Leonardo, Durer, Escher, Finley, Haring. It’s just the names. I think there is only one genius and he has already created everything, and we just copy his creation.

 Is there any other artistic genre you would  love to explore and conquer?

 LUNA: Oh, yes! I’ve recently fallen in love with street art, particularly mural. I think it’s the most honest art in the 21-th century. It doesn’t divide people on classes. Everybody can enjoy it in contrast to so called “gallery art” where money ruined the very idea of Art. Everything turned back to it’s roots. We started with stone-carving and ended up with graffiti. What about tattoo? There is a great deal of possibility there as it’s a very young art, and the approaches and styles are limitless. The problem is in the consumer himself because he doesn’t want anything new. His brain is afraid of it.

 Do you make any other kind of art? Where can we find more of your work?

 LUNA:I illustrate some stories, draw pictures. Some works have already appeared across social networks. I’ve got one funny story, though - the pride of my life:

I was a real (class) skipper in my third year at university studying cinematography. I hardly noticed the term was ending and soon I had to present my degree work. My dean called me threatening that I had only 24 hours to complete my exam, otherwise I would be discharged. Guess what?

My friend Vova and I had been drinking the hole night before and suddenly I  blurted out, “let’s film the pigs in the barn and then I’ll film you half-naked grinding meat!”. I worked the whole night, but we did it. My equipment where too primitive to make something perfect.

The result of my creation you can see here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoKQk4cFHg0 .

In the morning I went to my exam where there were four jury members, all honored ukrainian artists. After watching my film there were 30 seconds of dead silence and I thought I probably wouldn’t be a student much longer. Then one of the jurors took the floor and said: “Hey, guy, you’re genius! Your work is the best!”. We’ll remember that day for all our life.

 You have a portrait of yourself, standing opposite your own image with the Aubrey Beardsley piece The Climax hung in between. Aubrey Beardsley is possibly my favorite illustrator of all-time. I’m guessing you’re also a fan of his art and legacy. What draws you to in Beardsley’s artwork? What is the significance behind this portrait?

 LUNA: Oh my God! Your questions are so deep! I’m really a fan of Aubrey. His symbolism is as simple as abc. In my hand is my first work with the marker. It’s like reverting back to the womb. It all started with  this and I hope it  will never die.

Laurell K. Hamilton (via coughed)

2:59am (via dxrk-cigxrettes)

Nicola Yoon, Everything, Everything  (via thewastedgeneration)

(via chvlie)

Jessica Auer - Meadow (2010-12)

“After learning that my name roughly translates as ‘from the meadow’, I embarked on a European journey to investigate the landscape that my name is derived from. ”

Excerpt from a book I’ll never write #5 (via secretlittles)