Lane Turowski
July 2003
 How did you first come by meeting Mark, Paul and the Mantra crew, and getting involved with the convention?
Well I first hooked up with Mark, Paul and the rest of the Mantra crew through a young lady named Sarah Street . I was doing a guest spot at her shop (Tribal Body Art) in Edinburgh , Scotland for a few months. She's one of the nicest people, and we just put in some hours working together. And Sarah, being the sweetheart she is, though it would be a good idea if she phoned up some artists to meet for dinner, just so I could meet some other artist in the area. Well, she phoned the Mantra crew about the dinner, and although the couldn't make it on such short notice, that's how it all started. To my surprise they had some of my flash up in the shop and told Sarah to ask me if I could make the first of the Mantra conventions. They sent me a packet and after a few phone calls, and a bit of time everything came together. So I didn't technically meet any of them until convention time, other than speaking with them via phone or e-mail.
What first made you pick up a tattoo gun?
 I'm not really sure what made me pick up a tattoo gun. I guess that was simply the path I walked. I spent most of my teenage years listening to a lot of hardcore, punkrock, and indie music....going to shows and basically spent every waking moment on a skateboard. Tattoos we're just part of the culture. A few good friends of mine, who we're a bit older than I at the time, had gotten some and eventually tattoos just hit home. And well when it came my time, a friend was living in Florida and we made a trip to see him. He had been hanging out with a guy named Lance who sang for a band called Mayday a while back, and owned a shop named Devotion Tattoo (I think he still does, but perhaps not in Florida anymore?) and well he ended up doing my first.
 After Florida I started asking around at tattoo parlors about how to learn. And truthfully I couldn't tell you why. Then I started hitting a lot of dead ends, and although there were a few opportunities, one discouraging event led to another and I decided to go to art school. But with the intent of tattooing once I was finished. I decided majoring in Illustration would be the best choice, due to the fact that it's basically the same thing as tattooing in process - as far a talk to a client, come up with ideas, present ideas = a nice (Illustration) custom tattoo and satisfied client. Plus in the school I was attending (Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design) the courses required, for an Illustration major, we're the most suited to a well rounded education. Everything from Sculpture to Graphic Design, and from there you could work in the media of your choice. Mine was colored pencils, working with what I had learned was the same basic principles of tattooing. Outline with marker cause you can't erase it, and color in little circles with the colored pencils starting with dark colors working towards the light. And doing mostly designs that if applied to skin would utilize the body as part of the impact...integration. Basically teaching myself to tattoo through illustration. And pretty soon it crossed over and I taught myself to tattoo. Then when tattooing became legal in Milwaukee, a bunch of shops opened and I was hired. By the end of school I was getting credit (and out of school) to go tattoo at a shop near my house. It kind of took off from there.
How did you first meet Adam?
 I first met Adam briefly in art school before he had his shop, then once again when he had a grand opening party for The Adambomb Gallerie. We talked a bit, but nothing too much. At that time I was working for the shop where I originally had gotten my start, this was all less than a year after I started tattooing professionally, and so I only got to know Adam by name and face at that time. Then towards the end of that year, the shop I was working for had gotten shaken up a bit, and basically everyone at the location I worked at ended up quitting. And I had a vacation scheduled briefly before this all happened and the boss had some problem with me taking off, so I decided the ship was going down (knowing that everyone was leaving the shop, and for obvious reasons) and I wasn't going down with it. So I went to speak with Adam. He was as far, as I was concerned, the only good artist in the city. I showed him my book, and he agreed to let me work there when I got back from San Francisco.
I've been working with him ever since. And it was the best thing I could have ever done for my artistic growth. We make a good team. We're both simply out to do the best work we can possibly do, we're both very critical of our own work and each other's. We just try to push each other and it really keeps a lot of good creative energy circulating around. A good atmosphere for work.
Lane, was Mantra 2002 your first convention experience?
Yes, Mantra in the 02 was my first experience working a convention. I had been to a few before but never felt an interest in working any. There's something a bit more appealing to me about the vibe of Mantra. Hard to describe, but much more positive energy. It's not just people showing off, serving each other up attitudes and competition, or at least from what I noticed. I guess to put it plain - It's a good time. All the artist just seemed sincerely interested in seeing the other artists work and it all seemed very inspiring. Very light-hearted, and relaxed.
I recall you working like an absolute hound at Mantra 2002 what were your personal highlights? Have you any low-lights?
Personal convention highlights? Tough call, really I don't remember that much.....I remember tattooing a whole lot and then looking up and seeing people watching and cameras, and I quickly looked back down and kept working. Pretty crazy. I guess the highlights would have to be the first tattoo that both Adam and myself had worked on....this punker who wanted some stars on each side of his chest (perhaps you know him.......Ha!). And so Adam and I, all worked up to have some fun, decided to each take one and do them at the same time. It was a good experience. We had always joked around about tattooing the same person at the same time back at the shop, but it never happened until then. Otherwise it was great to work next to Sarah Street and the Tribal piercer also named Sarah who was assisting her with her space. And getting to know Jason Saga, Mo'o, and the guys from Checker Demon Tattoo: Luke Atkinson, and Alex "Horikitsune" Reinke, who were working on the other side of us. From what I can tell they're both great guys and definitely amazing artists. Low-lights? hm..........not taking the time out to really get out of the booth and enjoy the convention a bit more. That's about it though, at least I took time to eat though. Overall it was just nice meeting everyone there, and seeing all the good work. It was inspiring to see people just all gathered together and all vibing off of each others art work. Oh! and how could I forget meeting the Mantra crew - they're the best of people.
I have got a photo of you getting some work done at Mantra 2002, who tattooed you, what was the inspiration behind the piece and describe it, please!?
Yes, I got a piece done by Alex Reinke "Horikitsune". A nice traditional Japanese piece, something I've been wanting to get done for quite sometime. I've just been waiting for the right person to do it. And Alex had a lot of positive energy towards the piece and nice solid work. So I knew the time was right. The tattoo it's self is simply a severed off head, with autumn leaves around it. A nice bit of Japanese symbolism that some how satisfies my strange pictorial obsession with severed off body parts. Yes, I know that sounds messed up and morbid but it's not like I sit around and satisfy myself to pictures of chopped up bodies. It's more just because symbolically, on an artistic level, they carry a lot of weight, and somehow or another I've just noticed myself gravitating to such imagery more and more. It started with a business card (a picture of my arm severed off with green smoke coming out of my wrist - where I have a tattoo currently) and now a severed off hand has made it to my new card, and I think I'm going to work one up for the new t-shirt design. Don't really know if I can sum up the whole fascination though. "Knowing death to know life" in a distant sense? It's all some kind of strange undertone, and has somehow just crept into our shop. Both Adam and I just really enjoy drawing hands in general (which always tend to get cut off, or attached to some kind of device or another) and the same goes for other body parts. And it's all very weird because neither Adam nor myself are morbid people, we just sit and clown around in the shop all day for our own amusement, and people look at us like we're crazy. For the most part we just try to remain serious about remembering to have fun. Making work less like "work". I think the fun we have comes across in our art work. All of which adds to the oddity of our fascination with dismembered body parts. But yes so somehow or another it all relates back to why I have a severed off head on my shoulder, I plan on getting another one on my other shoulder and tie them together with a skull on my chest. Then two severed off hands, one on each rib cage. And the chest piece and the rib pieces will both have banners with little reminders in them.
From your perspective, how does British tattoo culture differ from American tattoo culture?
British tattoo culture vs American tattoo culture? Hm.........that's kind of a hard question with my limited exposure to British "tattoo culture"...hell I don't even know if I could define "tattoo culture" in America. I mean so many people are getting tattooed that I think it all depends on what end of the spectrum within that tattoo culture the opinion is coming from. Each artist will have a different view of what's happening within the culture based on what they see through they're experience. Personally I don't know if I have experienced enough of the spectrum to say. Those times in UK when I have done walkin' it seems like people are pretty crazy over tribal designs.......which I do know people in America are fond of also, however perhaps in America people may be getting them bigger? Hard to say, and all and all I know it's a heavily based location within the location question.....
I don't know it's all making my head spin thinking about it.....
Too many angles. As long as I tattoo, and can keep it from becoming "work" too much.......that's all that's really important to me. I just want to do good tattoos, that's all. Some people, no matter where they are in the world, will like them and others won't, and for many different reasons. It's all so subjective and that's why there is no reason, as far as I'm concerned, to get that concerned about decerning trends, etc.... whatever, as if I ever know what I'm talking about.
Currently what is the average Milwaukee tattoo collector like? And have you noticed any current tattooing trends?
Ahhhhhhh! Another one of those questions........the average Milwaukee tattoo collector. I'm not sure what the average would be. I can tell you MY average client base would be people that are somehow into hardcore, punkrock, indie rock music scene and looking to get a somewhat substantial piece of work. As for what they end up getting tattooed......the trend I guess you could say....hm.....lots of straight edge tattoos, angle/demon tattoos, and Japanese inspired work, and lately a bit of bio-mechanical things are popping up. That's all just based upon what the current requests have been. What do I know after all? I just draw what people tell me to and then tattoo (laughing).
This going to sound like a weird question, but I saw the sleeve you did on Mantra's very own Paul Scarrott and wondered if it is any different tattooing a fellow tattoo artist?
Is it different tattooing a fellow tattoo artist? Yes and No. I guess it depends who it is and how both of us relate to each other. I mean I'll be a lot more comfortable tattooing someone I know that is in full realization that everyone may have slightly different work habits, but when I know people are stressing on me because I may not tattoo exactly with the same methods they use it does tend to make me feel a bit frustrated. Or if perhaps they're watching me too intently. I don't know really (all these good "I don't know" answers), all depends on the "who" involved. Basically I just try to find that nice little work mode to slip into, put on some music and concentrate.
The thing that motivated me to grab you guys at Mantra 2002 was the stunning examples of flash that had decorated the Mantra studio walls before the convention. What's the story behind you and Adam publishing your flash, where can people view and buy your flash, and what was your inspiration when coming up with original artwork?
All of the flash that both Adam and I have kind of came on request I guess...
I'm a little uncertain about the whole thing, I think I was in Poland at the time, and when I got back Adam told me he was making a set of flash for a company called Inkubus Flash. So we spoke with them again and next thing you know I was making a set also. Inkubus eventually quit doing the flash thing so they're no longer available through them, strictly via either Adam or myself. That's all. We'll probably have them up on our website when that gets taken care of (we're bouncing back and forth between having one at www.smoothtattoos.com and then a new one built at www.adambombgallerie.com). Or any other way that you can think of to contact also. And of course conventions. As for inspirations for flash, my main inspiration was the first set of flash I had ever drawn. Before I went to art school I drew a set for a shop, and although everything kind of fell through, I still had a set made. Thankfully not many of them have seen the light of day. Basically I thought I had a bunch of interesting ideas on that sheet, although the initial drawings sucked, so I figured I'd redraw a bunch of them. And the rest of the designs I either kind of worked in some continuity with the designs I was grouping on sheets or simply tried creating types of flash that would sell to customers and hence sell to shops that do a steady flash clientel. Trying to find the proper balance between just having fun on them and yet keep in mind what people desire on a flash sheet. As for "original ideas" I just kind for draw things that I find interesting enough to take the time to draw, whatever my artistic whims are at the time, I try to think up things that you may not see that often but I would find interesting enough to get tattooed.....or at least that's my approach now. I actually have a list of subject matter but haven't found the time to start drawing another set. Currently I only have one full color set of ten sheets out, and a fairly unique set of eight pages of tribal designs. With luck I'll get to making another set soon.
To finish, Lane, are you looking forward to Mantra 2003, who will be representing the Adam Bomb studio this year? And what's the best advice you can give for someone wanting to get tattooed by Adam Bomb this summer?
Of course I'm looking forward to this year's (03) Mantra....I've been so busy between working here in Milwaukee and working on my house that I haven't been able to get away for a bit. Naturally I'll still be working, but it's always a bit more refreshing to work in a new place with new people. It should be a good time. And both Adam and I will be working the convention this year again. We usually try to stick together as a team. The only catch is I will be working the convention and then staying at Mantra until about mid Sept., where as Adam is only able to stay an extra week or two. But we'll both be there for sure. As for the best way to be tattooed by me? Advance notice is the most important thing for me... I guess drop me an e-mail at: rightlaneonly@hotmail.com , or at the e-mail address linked from our website. And if you don't have e-mail either call us, or get in touch with the crew at Mantra and let them know what you have in mind and they can relay us a message or book off sometime. Basically that allows me to get a little headstart drawing time so I'm prepared enough to make everything run smoothly. Other than that if they're are further questions anyone should feel free to drop us a line and ask. Thanks for the interest.
Thanks for your time Lane and people, for more info on the studio Lane works for visit www.smoothtattoos.com
|
