Between illustration and engraving, the black work of the Mexican Mishla has an expressive force that does not leave one indifferent. Hypnotic even if you let yourself be carried away by the strange shapes of the drawings tattooed on the bodies as well as by the melancholy or the troubled feelings that emerge from them. Recently settled in England, the 35 year old tattooist talks to us about his highly creative universe.
Hello Mishla, where are you from?
My name is Ignacio Lassalle, but in the tattoo world I am known as "Mishla". I was born in Mexico, in Mérida, but I grew up in Málaga in the south of Spain. I grew up in the countryside, in an environment surrounded by animals and plants, enjoying a lot of freedom too. I have always drawn, almost since I learned to hold a pencil. My mother and sisters have always had a highly developed artistic sensibility, a factor that has greatly contributed to my creative development. My father was a carpenter, so I was brought up with the values of craftsmanship and handiwork.
How does your own artistic awakening come about?
I left school when I was quite young, I was 16/17 years old. At that time I was attracted to the punk scene, squats and raves, where I spent the following years. I was deeply marked by this period of my life. Although I had almost completely given up drawing, it influenced the aesthetics of my later work. It also defined the way I wanted to approach them: to seek provocation, to create reactions with strident, high-contrast, black-laden images. Naturally, I started to learn about the world of self-publishing, fanzines, silk-screening and other means of artistic expression, outside the mainstream. Finding ways to create one's own work has always attracted me.
What happens next?
After all these years of activity, rich in experiences, and after having worked in many different jobs, I felt the need to go back to drawing. So at the age of 26, I started to study illustration at Escola Joso in Barcelona - a private drawing school focused on illustration and comic creation. In the end, I only stayed there for a year and a half but the experience was very useful. I enjoyed being surrounded by people who shared the same passion for drawing, having talented and involved teachers. It helped me to broaden my visual culture, to discover a lot of illustrators and designers, to open myself to new possibilities.
How does tattooing come into this journey?
A year later, a friend gave me a tattoo machine. We had quite a few friends who were tattoo artists and she knew that this could be an opportunity for me to use my interest in drawing. That's how I started, without knowing anything about how the machines work or anything else. It was a bit of a blind search. To be honest, I had never felt the slightest attraction to that environment. But I started to scratch, to tattoo my friends, at home, in a rather dilettante way. It was only with time that I began to understand and appreciate the tattoo culture better. I had no idea what I was doing or how to do it properly. So I didn't dare get too involved.
When did your approach become more serious?
The following year, a friend of mine started working at the "Seny Tattoos" studio that had just opened in Barcelona. He asked me to join him and I accepted. I spent my first year doing walk-ins because no one knew me, then I became more confident and developed my style, while becoming more familiar with the skin medium. As I became more involved, I was also busier and started doing guests ; an experience that has had a big impact on my career. I became more confident in my own style, and this allowed me to meet new people, make new friends and create new professional opportunities.
What happened next?
After two very happy years in Barcelona, I was offered a position as a resident artist in London at Parliament Tattoo. I accepted and moved there at the end of 2017. During these years I have noticed a more noticeable evolution in my work, in terms of drawing and technique. Today, I work at Red Point Tattoo studio where I have just started, since last April. And frankly, I couldn't be happier. The atmosphere in the studio is very encouraging, everyone is committed to each other's work. And being surrounded by artists and people you admire is very inspiring. So the future is an exciting prospect for me.
Can you tell us a little about your artistic influences?
I found a lot of inspiration in the world of comics, fanzines and illustration. I could name a lot of names but, to sum up, I am a huge fan of Jean Giraud "Moebius" (French cartoonist and notably of "L'Incal"). Since the first day I discovered him when I was a kid. I am still amazed by his work today. It's a bit the same thing with Mike Mignola (American cartoonist, author of the "Hellboy" series). I find a lot of resources in his work, in terms of contrast and graphics. Frankly, the guy is a genius. The world of engraving is also an important source of inspiration, and more specifically Mexican woodcuts from the beginning of the 20th century (José Guadalupe Posada, Angel Zamarripa etc.) ; but also classical European engraving (Gustave Doré) and of course Japanese engraving. It is not only the process of engraving that attracts me but the fact of representing an image, shading and volumes with the line. It is a medium I have never practiced but it is part of my next objectives.
Your work is exclusively monochrome. What is the purpose of this choice?
I try to obtain the clearest separation between the skin and the tattoo. I concentrate my work on three main axes : dynamism and movement ; contrast and volumes worked on the line. As a result, some subjects are more suitable for adaptation on the skin, as well as for their legibility once tattooed.
In your favourite themes we find nature, animals…
Yes, I have a lot of fun drawing everything that is organic, plants, animals, and in the end everything that comes directly from nature. Because there are always lots of textures, shapes with very different personalities; each animal has its own way of moving or particular expressions. Moving bodies are also easier to translate onto the skin and place on the body.
Do you have more affinity with certain animals in particular?
I'm particularly attracted to those that are not too "nice", I find they have more personality and expression. I like to depict wild and uncivilised beings, but also nasty ones. I find it disturbing and provocative. At the same time, it's also a search for the idea of beauty, away from the banality of the classical concept. I like the dualism of a beauty located in the primitive, raw and black side.
Does this explain the recurrence of the rat motif?
Yes, I think it is a figure that represents very well the decadence of modern society, particularly in cities, where nature is associated with a built environment, in which it survives between cement and waste.
Do you have other territories of artistic expression outside of tattooing?
I always have something to do when I'm not tattooing. I try to keep busy with collaborations and so on. This allows me to experiment with new techniques, new forms of treatment for my designs. I love screen printing and printmaking and would like to get back into it. At the moment I'm focused on an exhibition project I'm working on with my friend Iñaki (@inakiworks), a tattoo artist and illustrator based in Barcelona. We've been at it for a little over two years and we're very happy with the process and how it's coming along.
Can you tell us about your tattoos?
They are all tattoos exchanged with other tattooists I had the opportunity to work with during all these years... Iñaki Beascoa, Happypets, Tayri Rodriguez, Damien J. Thorn, Mateo Aldenti, Lluis f tattoo, Dan Moreno, Emilio Cerezo, Bryan Randolph, among others... They are not only images but also memories and experiences shared with these people. That's the main reason why I like to get tattoos in this context. On that note, I'm excited to start my gouache sleeve soon with Yutaro (@warriorism, Red Point Tattoo studio owner) who I have the pleasure to work with at the moment. I'm still keeping enough space in the rest of my body for the people I still have to meet. + Instagram : @mishlatattooillustration Red Point Tattoo 9 Penton St, London N1 9PT, Royaume-Uni www.redpointtattoo.com
