the toilet. After a short time, she suddenly
shouted for help. When we came to the
rescue, her boyfriend was in her arms and
unconscious.
and know my style. The best match is
probably when they have planned the tattoo.
They can expect from me my tattoo art
interwoven with their story.
What is the most interesting tattoo you have
been asked to do?
I’m constantly coming up with new and
interesting ideas which inspire me anew. I will
always continue to develop myself. I never
want to be boring.
Are there any positive sides of being an
artist?
Only positive sides! If you can make a living
as an artist, you have reached paradise. But
to run a shop is not always just tattooing art,
more the art of diplomacy.
What is the most shocking tattoo you have
done?
Shocking for me? I would never do a tattoo
that is offensive in a way that hurts the
feelings of others, be it in a religious, political,
cultural, or personal way. Sometimes the
story behind a certain tattoo is shocking, like
when you cover up a scar from an accident
your customer nearly died of a year ago. Or
when you tattoo a mother with the portrait
of her child run over by a car at the age of
three right before her eyes. All the tattoos I
do are custom, so they are usually somehow
personal. Shocking in my mind is when
people do not think about what they do when
they get a tattoo, adding something to their
body and personality that cannot be washed
off tomorrow without having any relation to it.
Can I ask if there are any negative parts of
your job?
I think it is all the usual. Sometimes
customers do not show up, colleagues suck,
back is hurting, light is too weak, surrounding
is busy and too loud, they play the wrong
music on the internet radio…
What do you think a client should expect
from you as a tattoo artist and what do you,
on the other hand, expect from a client
to make a successful tattoo and a good
collaboration?
I expect that they have looked at my portfolio
What criteria do you think that a tattoo
convention should have to be really
successful, both for you as a tattoo artist,
but also for the visitors? Can you give some
examples of conventions that meet these
criteria really well?
I think a good tattoo convention is visionary,
free-spirited, and made with love. I personally
prefer familiar meetings at original places,
where you can see great art, instead of
the huge gatherings in fair halls of capital
cities where you see all kinds of commerce.
I appreciate when there is more exchange
between artists and visitors than just money
as a motive. Our own Ink&Ride convention is
one of these events, as well as the Vianden
Tattoo Convention in Luxembourg.
How would you describe the current status of
tattoos by the general public in Germany?
It gets more and more mainstream. It will last
some more years until you will see a bank
clerk with tattoos in real life, but they already
have tattooed people in their advertisings.
Have you noticed any changes in the tattoo
industry since you started?
Many. But that is basically due to influences
from the outside. The craft itself did not
change. There were no innovations like the
tattoo at home printer, which would change
the industry, like how 3D printing changed
the product design industry.
How has the tattooing industry changed, in
your opinion, since shows like LA, NY, MIAMI
and LONDON INK have been broadcasted to
the nation?
That is part of becoming mainstream. It has
nothing to do with the industry, just a certain
image of it that is exploited in public.
Is there anything else you wish to say?
Think before you ink.
www.BerndMuss.net
www.Facebook.com/TattooFreestyle
Instagram: @berndmuss
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