Originally from Marseille and now living in Aix en Provence, Lionel is at 41 years old an accomplished tattoo artist. After more than 20 years in the business, he has even become one of the references in the Japanese style in France. An approach strongly influenced by the work of Swiss artist Filip Leu, as he explains to us for Inkers.
You've been a tattooist for over twenty years but how did tattooing start for you Lionel?
When I was 11 or 12 years old with hard rock and motorbike magazines. Then around 14, with three fine sewing needles, thread and some Indian ink - Pelican to be precise - on me, and some friends. In high school I always had tattoo magazines in my bag. People would come up to me at the back of the courtyard to look at them, so that I could sketch, or freehand, with a felt-tip pen, so that I would have an idea to submit to the local tattooist. Then in 1998, I met V-lasco, the current boss of BSA (studio in Aix-en-Provence, editor's note), and Didier Ra who did my first tattoo. I was 18 years old. A few years later, in 2003, he offered me an apprenticeship. I realise every day how lucky I was to have such a red carpet.
When did you come to the Japanese style?
Didier's style is really his own, very inspired by japanimation. At the beginning I followed in his footsteps and he very quickly encouraged me to find my own style. How can you make a choice when you have little experience and the desire to try everything? I bought all the magazines I could find, I carefully consulted websites, I created databases. It was the "occizumi", this free Western interpretation of traditional Japanese that spoke to me the most. My meeting with Easysacha (tattooist in Paris at the Mystery Tattoo Club, editor's note) was decisive in this respect.
As a stranger to this culture, how did you go about understanding it?
Very badly, in fact! I groped my way through it, not really understanding much. I was clearly fascinated by the visual impact of traditional tattooing but I had no access to it. Western adaptations were more within my grasp. I loved the work of Filip, Tin-tin, Easysacha, Vincent Bizzaroïd, Guicho, Keuns, Boss and above all, Shige! Not being Japanese, I had - and still don't have - any pretension to do it right.
How did you deepen this interpretation?With the years of practice, meetings, and the many pieces of advice, I have tried to simplify my work, to be less demonstrative and overloaded, to "traditionalise" my approach. I am still in this search, between respect for the codes to which I have access and modernity. In any case, my work will always be an interpretation, my own vision, to the extent of my abilities.
Among the Japanese masters, whether they are artists, painters or tattoo artists, are there any you return to regularly?
I mainly consult the works of Kuniyoshi, Kyosai, Yoshitoshi and Ohara Koson, as well as Chinese and Korean painting. Recently Kanō Hōgai and Jakuchu. As far as tattooing is concerned, I am interested in many artists and finally, the proportion of Japanese is relatively low. I will mention in priority Filip Leu, Horiyoshi III, Ivan Szazi, Ichibay, Luke Atkinson and Joël Ang.
Speaking of Filip Leu, what impact has his work had on you?
One could define "occizumi" as the propensity of Westerners to appropriate Japanese codes and to propose a free interpretation. It seems to me that Filip has opened the way in this sense. His influence on me is therefore enormous.
Gradually, over the last few years, the idea of doing body suits, or at least more complex compositions, with backgrounds, has been gaining ground. Is making body-suits a goal for you?
The fashion for tattoos has led to their trivialisation, for better or for worse. Wearing a large visible piece is not really a problem anymore. Many clients take the plunge and enjoy themselves, at any age. You quickly get a taste for it, and I find it very satisfying to wear a piece of work that covers and is coherent and harmonious. I don't have many clients who want body suits, things are slow in coming. But we are making progress!
In two words, what does Japan represent for you?
A paradoxical world, an unlikely combination of future and tradition. Madness and wisdom.
Eroticism is an area you like to explore, especially by taking up the theme of the snake associated with peonies, can you tell us about that?
Indeed, I like shunga (Japanese erotic prints, editor's note). The idea that a clearly pornographic image can be elegant, that an explicit act can not seem vulgar, it is rather positive for the image of sexuality! There are also more suggestive approaches, the composition hebi to botan (snake and peony, editor's note) is an example. Peonies are, among other things, a symbol of marital bliss, of love, and the snake, of vigour for boys. In China, it was believed that a snake was capable of taking on human form, especially a beautiful woman. But it was considered too strong and passionate. The (Japanese) story of Dojoji (about a woman's consuming desire for a monk) is an example. The link with our Western view of sin is easy!
Your graphic universe does not stop at Japanese culture, there is for example Art Nouveau or engraving. Can you tell us about your artistic culture and how it was built?
I have been drawing since I was a child, thanks to my father who gave me a taste for it. Graphic arts have always interested me. I was lucky enough to visit a few museums in my childhood and I've always listened to a lot of music. The 1970's artwork is very inspired by Art Nouveau, it made me want to dig a little. It's a style that fits very well with the constraints of Tattooing. I also like medieval and Christian art, the engravings of Dürer in particular. I discovered the work of Thomas Hooper about fifteen years ago and his adaptations of engravings spoke to me enormously. In concrete terms, I always try to adapt my clients' expectations in an elegant and timeless way. Art Nouveau and engraving are good ways of doing this, but I also keep an eye on other trends, such as naturalist illustration and everything that has to do with the observation of nature and the world. I am curious!
Apart from tattooing you also paint a lot. What place do you give to this discipline?
It took me a long time to get into it (as with many things in my life!) and too sporadically. The pandemic was a good thing, I devoted myself to it seriously, and since then I've kept the machine running. I always have fifteen ideas at the same time, I don't realise the tenth one, but I explore quietly. It allows me to work on subjects that people don't necessarily ask me about, to have things to propose, even if I notice that you need a well-defined flash, ready to consume with a photomontage on the body so that people can project themselves! I think I'll continue in this direction, in parallel with tattooing, according to my desires and my free time.
To come back to Japanese, you went to get a back tattoo by Filip Leu. Can you tell us a little about this experience?
I had been dreaming about it since I started tattooing and it took me a while to make it happen. I met Filip ten or eleven years ago at the London convention. Despite the crowd of people around him all the time, I was still able to tell him my idea. He was incredibly kind and simple and gave me a lot of time, simply. This proved to be true a few years later, when I had time to laser and dare to draw the bases of my project. I then contacted him again and each of my visits was a real lesson.
What did you learn from it?
He has never placed himself "above" me. He sees it as a joint project and shares his knowledge and experience. He is not stingy with advice and also asks a lot of questions, we tell jokes. It's a temple where you feel welcome, a real lesson in humility. I am still digesting all this information, both technical (on optimisation, legibility, composition, placement) and human. I've certainly forgotten some, but some advices comes back to me spontaneously, and with my friend Sylvain Calavera (tattooist in Rennes at Calavera Tattoo, editor's note) who shares the same experience, we do some updates! The most important thing - if I have anything to pass on - is that this man, who is a living legend, who has paved the way for tens of thousands of tattoo artists, most of whom are not even aware of it, has managed to remain humble and small. His workplace is a temple, not a factory. He is not in it for the business, to crush others. He has kept the passion, the Magic intact. That's what I think is missing the most these days. + IG : @lionelmonsieurbiz
