1. What inspired you to specialize in abstract and geometric tattoos?
First of all want to say Hello to all readers, I hope this can distract a little from what's happening around.
Liquid forms in this form came to my mind back in early 2019 when I first posted sketches with this style. You can check it out on Instagram. I'll never forget the feeling that I did something interesting. Now it's quite a popular gimmick and used by many, but back then, it was understood by few. I had to make quite an effort to start implementing these ideas on people. First of all, other tattoo artists appreciated the style and wanted it for themselves. Among them were guys with quite a large audience, and that's how it slowly started to flow. I vividly remember when this idea came to me. I saw someone's Japanese full body project, which consisted only of one element - Japanese air. That is, essentially, everything "superfluous" is removed, and the background becomes an independent element - brilliant! It was then that I realized for myself that the object could be the absence of an object, air, abstraction. I started to give this form to simple familiar objects - triangles, spheres, etc. Then the form gradually became more complex, plus other tattoo artists started to apply this gimmick in their own way, which further expanded the possibilities of these forms.
2. Do you create other styles?
Yes, I also like the Neo-traditional style. Even before starting to do geometry, let alone abstraction, I leaned towards Neo-traditional. Not the classical style, but still. For the past couple of years, I've been periodically returning to it either at the request of a client or if I see it as a great opportunity to mix it with what I'm doing now, making the design noticeably more delicious. In general, I try not to stick to a specific style, not to limit myself, and to do what seems cool right now. And it doesn't matter what it's called or which "clan" of tattoo culture it belongs to, so to speak. The main thing is that both the client and I like it, and you can call it whatever you want. Here you can draw a fairly close parallel with music in the modern world. Everything has become so mixed up that it seems not so important anymore which genre it belongs to; the main thing is that it's enjoyable to listen to.
3. How were your beginnings in the world of tattooing?
In 2013, in a small town in the north of Russia called Arkhangelsk, I worked in a bank, issuing loans. The essence of the work was to make people's already difficult lives even harder by giving them a loan to buy a microwave, for example. Add some expensive insurance, and so on. After about six months, I morally couldn't handle it properly anymore, and there were no destructive inclinations, so every day after work, I sat down and drew. Drawing has been with me since childhood; it's one of the few processes where time truly disappears along with the whole world and its problems, no matter how banal that may sound. It worked for me as therapy and worked excellently! Over time, I accumulated a decent number of interesting pictures and created a group on social networks where I regularly posted them with interesting captions and audio recordings to set the mood. After a while, friends started sending me photos of people with tattoos based on my drawings, and I thought, "What the hell!" I consulted with some tattoo artist acquaintances and bought my first setup. Artificial skin. The first on skin - on myself. Then on friends, friends of friends, and so on, following an established pattern.
4. Do you have any specific training in art or design that influenced your style?
It's hard to say what specifically influenced something. I've been drawing since I started to understand myself, since childhood. And even in unconscious childhood, I probably drew, haha. Primary school also had an artistic bias. As I see it, it's more accurate to say that everything that happened to me before this moment influenced me. All the artists I met, all the exhibitions, films about art and more. In recent years, an incredible amount of high-quality and truly impressive content has been created by talented artists around the world, and we have instant access to it. You can even ask an artist how they did this or that. This is an endless and powerful influence exerted on all of us as creators in the world of art. Influence is everywhere.
5. Apart from being a tattoo artist, do you have any other activity or hobby?
By the way, yes. I love music very much. It has always been around, and at one point in my life, it was everything. Like many artists, something plays in the background while I'm drawing, creating the right mood and greatly helping me progress. Silence also sometimes helps, but much less often. There was a period in my life when music was the main activity. I played drums, first in a metal rock band, but not for long, and then my friend and I had a project where he played guitar and vocals, and I played drums and backup vocals. It lasted for several years; we even managed to travel a bit to neighboring cities and participate in local major festivals. Looking back, I cherish that period of life; it was fun! I still practice at home on a practice pad – I love it. Having a guitar at home is also a must. I'm not a guitarist, but I enjoy playing. It relaxes me and helps me focus.
6. What is your creative process when designing an abstract or geometric tattoo for a client?
If we're talking about the creative process, solitude is very important to me. I'm not good at drawing in a studio; I constantly get distracted, and the process drags on. So, 90% of the time, I draw at home. There I have my own atmosphere - my own music, incense, snacks, and no one distracts me, haha. Drawing has always been something intimate for me, and I still treat this process with reverence – it helped me out in difficult times, for which I am immensely grateful. Before starting, I usually warm up my inspiration by browsing various resources for artists and designers. This helps kickstart the inspiration process and gets me in the mood to work. Another important point is breaks. I used to sit at the desk for 6 hours straight, completely immersed in the process, but this state tends to accumulate and can turn into fatigue. So now I realize the importance of rest and can even take a walk in the middle of the workday. Such breaks allow me to work longer without losing quality.
7. What aspects do you consider most important when working on a design?
Maintaining a balance between what I want to do and what the client wants is really important. Clients often come with examples of other artists' work and ask to do something they saw online, so blindly following their wishes can lead to losing my individuality, my style. It's important to trust myself, my taste, and my experience. Not to be afraid to suggest bold ideas and solutions. After all, the client is also interested in getting a cool tattoo.
8. Do you have any projects or goals that you have set for this year?
Of course. Right now, my friend and colleague and I are in the process of creating a powerful art collaboration. We're working on a large format project on the theme of our perception of the interaction of energies and the subtle mechanisms of everything happening around us. This is our way of explaining through drawing what is difficult to explain in words. I'm doing my part of the collaboration with a tattoo machine, needle, and tattoo ink directly on paper. You can see some details of the process on my Instagram. It's very fascinating, even though it looks strange, haha. I'm sure you'll like it. Also, I'm currently in the final stages of creating branded t-shirts and shoppers. Yes, on one hand, this won't surprise anyone, but I approached this process completely differently. I didn't just take blank t-shirts and stick one of my sketches on them – I found top-quality fabric, developed a cut, had it tailored by hand using complex seams, etc. I won't go into all the details, but in the end, I got a limited collection of unique t-shirts, 20 pieces, with the perfect balance of simplicity, quality, and details. The whole process from fabric to photoshoot took over half a year, which was a surprise for me, of course, haha... but in the end, I'm proud of this project and excited to present it to you very soon! And of course, there are even more collaborations, projects, trips, and other things planned.
9. If someone wants to contact you, how can they do it?
At the moment, there are two ways – Instagram and email. Personally, Instagram is most convenient for me, but if you prefer to communicate via email, I'm happy to do so. Also, the process of creating a website is underway, and in addition to all the necessary information, there will also be an opportunity to sign up for a consultation or session. Instagram – @back.ttt. Email – batttck@gmail.com. Follow updates on the website in Instagram!
10. Who would you like to thank?
I want to thank everyone I've met along the way who has influenced me in one way or another. To my parents for who I am. To my surroundings for what I am. To every client for their trust, openness to experimentation, and patience. Without you, none of this would have been possible! To everyone who has read this – I hope it distracted you from your hustle and inspired you in some way. And of course, a big thank you to DGN magazine for the opportunity!
