Timer has two passions in life: tattooing and graffiti. It's hard to know which discipline influenced the other when you look at the Montreal Canadian's style, but one thing is for sure, he is the meeting point between two artistic expressions that are more complementary than you might think.
Hi Timer, let's start with a quick introduction for those who don't know you: where are you from and how old are you?
I was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and I am 51 years old.
Where does your nickname 'Timer' come from?
I'm always last minute but always on time. At least as often as possible!
You come from a graffiti background, what was this culture like when you started? Were you part of a crew?
After a trip in 1990 to New York with the school I said to myself that graffiti was exactly what I wanted to do. I got my feet wet and in 1992 I did my first night graffiti in downtown Montreal. There weren't many graffiti artists at that time (4-5 max). My crew was called 'Bam' for 'Bombing all Montreal'.
What words would you use to talk about your style and what are the points you pay particular attention to when you are graffitiing?
I really look at everything. The composition, the style of lettering, the colours, the background and especially the execution (average, clean or super clean).
How did you get into the tattoo business? Has it always been part of your landscape?
I met Pierre Chapelan (owner of the Tattoomania studio) through graffiti and I worked there from the end of 1999 to 2015, i.e. about fifteen years. I opened my shop Deville tattoo with Rémi, originally from Nantes, seven years ago now. Phil and Cat Bijou joined us soon after.
Flow and dynamics are important in graffiti, two aspects that translate well into tattooing with the consideration of body lines. Does this make the two disciplines compatible?
Yes, in a way it's very similar, you just have to match the body shapes to the graffiti movement.
Is the tattoo a transposition of graffiti on the body for you or is it something else?
Yes, when the client asks for this style of tattoo (graff or new-school). Otherwise I try to work with the client as much as possible in this direction.
Does everything that works on a wall also work on the skin?
Not everything, but almost!
How does graffiti inspire your tattoo pieces?
Movement, mega contrast and big lines. I love translating this style into tattoos.
Conversely, what did you take from the tattoo culture and transpose into graffiti?
The negative spaces, the more organic movement and putting a lot of black to bring out the pale colours.
Do you get the same pleasure from doing a spray line and a tattoo line?
It’s totally different but the same feeling of satisfaction when done right.
How did you evolve your lettering over time?
Mostly by taking inspiration from other artists and creating as much as possible. The advent of the Ipad pro has changed things too. There are many more possibilities with the same lettering.
How do you divide your time between tattooing and the other artistic disciplines you do? You paint on wood, with relief, among other things. Can you tell us about that?
I would say about 50/50. I paint a lot on canvas, wood and vinyl at the moment. Since last year I've been trying to graffiti a lot more than before. I love the feeling, the speed at which you can do a mega piece (6-7hrs). It's just so trippy.
You shared your studio with Jean Labourdette, known for his realistic work. What did you learn from this experience?
I learned a lot from Jean, especially about undercoating (colour transparency). Meticulousness and rigour too. I really had some great years in the studio with him.
What does graffiti on canvas mean to you?
I'm 100% for it. I love painting on canvas/wood. In my opinion, you can't have one without the other.
Graffiti culture is now in the art galleries. Is that a good or bad thing in your opinion?
It's a great idea. The more people know about it, the more likely it is that there will be legal places in the cities or suburbs. I honestly think that we lack places to graffiti.
Do you think tattoos will follow the same path?
I think so. For the last 10-15 years, it has become more and more important in society.
The transversality between disciplines, is that what characterizes the tattoo culture today?
Yes, I think that tattooing is evolving rapidly, it is influenced more and more by all kinds of artistic movements: graffiti, street art, contemporary, realist, cartoon, comic, sculpture, etc. + IG : @tattootimer Deville Tattoo 6515 Papineau, Montréal, Canada Contact : devilletattoo.ca
