only possible (in my eyes) when you don’t have the border between
a customer and a tattooer. I understood pretty quickly that there is no
other way to learn tattooing than to really dedicate yourself to it, so
I really chose to completely destroy the border between my clients
and I, making it as intimate and effective as possible. I never tattoo
the same design, I don’t tattoo when I don’t feel a positive connection with the customer, I don’t create the designs beforehand, I do
everything with my clients, and I make them an active part of the
tattooing process. I found out that it is the most honest way to do this
process. I guess it was like that everywhere for many years, but I
think that this is something that we lost in the Western world when it
comes to tattooing. There is nothing wrong with going to a shop and
choosing a book or flash design, there is just another spiritual way to
do it which is longer, more abstract, takes more energy and trust, but
rewards you much more with an individual custom design that fits to
your own body.
Are there any positive sides of being an artist?
I am always open for collaborations with other artists, not just
tattooers, as I think that this is a major thing when talking about the
development of art. Instead of repeating the same designs, I want
to make more interesting projects with artists around the world. For
me, art is all about sharing and creating new stimulations to people’s
senses. As for tattooing, that is the biggest challenge. Your creation
at the end of the day is so permanent and immortal and it is not
even yours. When that person walks out of your studio, you might
never see him again. You are at one moment, everything, and the
other nothing. You have just one chance for a couple of hours to put
your design on him that every time that he looks at himself, he will
see.
What do you think a client should expect from you as a tattoo
artist and what do you expect from a client to create a successful tattoo and a good collaboration?
I get a lot of requests from people that have never been tattooed
before and always wanted one as well as from people who never
wanted a tattoo and was afraid of it. Most of these groups of people
saw my work in virtual media and liked it. In their eyes, it is not the
same pattern as tattooing. They see it more as an art form rather
than the conventional way of seeing tattoos. This is what makes me
love tattooing more and more, when I successfully open up more
and more people to tattooing.
www.DotsToLines.com
www.Facebook.com/DotsToLines
www.Facebook.com/Chaim.Machlev
Instagram: @dotstolines
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