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DENO

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DENO

Interview : @pascalbagot

A multi-talented artist, the Spanish tattooist Deno talks to us about his references and his universe, which he uses with an overflowing imagination on skins among other canvas.

When did you get in touch with tattooing and how did you start ?

I paint graffiti since 1989 and I’ve always been into drawing and painting. A friend of mine was doing tattoos, I ask him to get one and I immediately loved it as I saw the possibilities to create my own stuff with an amazing and powerful technic ! I tried to learn as much as possible and travel to get tattoo with my favourite artists... Even though I studied philosophy and aesthetics at the university in Madrid, I started tattooing about 13 years ago. Life change sometimes in 5 minutes for always.

Why did you chose the name Circus Tattoo for your studio?

There is a big connexion between circus and tattoos. Many artist used to live in the circus and travel with them as attractions in the last century.  Also I love the circus iconography, it is such a powerfull and intense world that has been done many times by old school masters into traditional style.

Is traditionnal tattooing a big inspiration for you?

I work with bold lines and lot of black and solid colours, this is the traditional way. Then after this I like to create my personal imagery and work around my own ideas.

You're able to create infinite variations of the same designs, how do you proceed?

People often ask me about it. I work and work around the same idea creating those variations. It’s hard sometimes, but it also helps to get closer to perfection. It’s mainly a hard work thing!!

The skull is a recurrent motif in your work, is there a specific reason for it?

The skull is such a powerful symbol. All of us have one! It’s a memento mori and reminds us of our own fragility and mortality! We all die and our skull is a presence that allows us to remember it.

Animals have a central place in your creations too, could you tell us about it?

I love animals since I’ m a kid, since then they are the main subject of my imagination. I love to see them, play with them and draw them. It is true that I do a lot of whales, to me they’re a kind of a dog who come back to the ocean and become and amazing huge monster!

Do you have specific memories related to animals that make them so important in your imaginary?

I always loved them. I always had all different kind of animals around since I was a kid. Always. Once I found some amazing tritons and took them home where I took care of them for a long time. I have also very good memories with frogs, insects, birds…

There is something naive in your designs and echoing to childhood, where does it come from?

I think that having a feeling of innocence fusing into the drawings is important. The intensity of some of the drawing done by a kid can be 1000 times more powerful than many master pieces in museums. I like to draw with my kids and I try not to forget this kid that we all have inside of us.

What are your inspirations and how do you use them to nourish your style without changing it?

I always keep my eyes open, I can basically take ideas from everywhere : it can be in an advertising or in a song, being a human membrane opened to let things to happen is enough to find inspiration and start from that. I like a bunch of different artist as Miro, Dubuffet, Saura, Gary Baseman, Guston, Pollock.... In tattooing, Dan higgs And Ed Hardy were and still are my favourites.

In which way  Ed Hardy influenced you?

If you are into tattooing Ed probably influenced you. He tried to do almost every style and incorporated tattooing to the art world. It really inspires me particularly when it comes to finding new worlds and ideas... Even when everything seems to be done, there is a new thing to do!!

You are travelling a lot besides producing a lot, where can we find you?

I’m mainly working in London at Seven Doors tattoo studio and also in Madrid at my shop, Circus tattoo. I travel also in Europe and attend the main conventions as Paris, London…

Tattooing is not the only medium you're using to express your style, can you tell us about it?

I paint also on walls, canvas, paper and all different kinds of surface. I love to use a bunch of different technics and experiment with them, I do also some engravings. I love to try new things because new ideas come also from the technic itself sometimes!! Mostly the patience you need to do something with no steps back... Also start to do smaller things that I never did before, due tp the fact that I was doing graffiti and big paintings and all was really big stuff.

Can you tell me about the Alfabetico Magico project? Do you have other projects appart from it?

Its a intense collection of 101 drawing I did with my friend Sinsentido with "exquisit corps " publish in an amazing book!! I always have new projects, and I’m now working in new series of paintings for The Tokyo Art Fair and some books invitations, among other things.

Q&A Express:

- Favourite animal? DOG - Most tattooed tattoo design? Whale - One circus memory? Torrebruno - One thing you like to do with your kids? Drawing and smile - Work is... ? Passion And life. Contact : Circus Tattoo- Calle Soria, 2, 28921 Alcorcón, Madrid, Espagne https://www.facebook.com/CircoTattoo/ Instagram : @circustattoomadrid