interview with alex bruz | creative | style | venezuela | 28/05/2019
Hello Alex Bruz! Thanks for taking some time to answer
some questions for our readers. I'm so glad to share some of my
thoughts with you and hopefully our audience will learn from our
conversation or just get inspired by your journey.
Q: How long have you been tattooing? What inspired you to
start tattooing?
A: I started on February 7th, 2012. My inspiration was my father, he
was a great sculptor and oil painting artist. I grew up watching him
paint daily, and one day I decided to start tattooing.
Q: Did you find difficult getting into the business? What
was the main goal you've had back when you were starting?
A: First of all, I don’t look at it as a business, even though it is
my income source, I’ve never looked at it that way. If you tattoo
for money, you won’t have art nor money. The main goal when I
started always was to do things the right way and be better
everyday.
Q: Did you have any artistic background in other field
outside tattoo art?
A: Yes, in fact I'm a guitar player, even before I started
tattooing, that was what I used to do.
Q: How did you learn to tattoo? Did you have any mentor?
What's the best approach in order to get better a knowledge of this
type of art? Do you agree that getting apprentice is the best way to
start or an "average" creative person can be self taught?
A: I started as a client of the best tattoo artists back then in the
country. I learnt a lot from watching, asking and taking advice from
them. I attended a lot of seminars imparted by national and
international artists. No, I didn’t had a mentor. The best way to
learn this art is by practice and constancy, and not making the same
mistakes on each tattoo. Any person can learn in both ways, being an
expert’s apprentice or by being self taught.
Q: You do almost all kinds of stuff. I really like the color
tattoos, such a nice, detailed work, especially when playing with
contrasts. Do you consider color work a bit more challenging from a
technical aspect and even more painful for the client?
A: Normally, I try to be an integral artist, however there are
certain styles that although I admire them, I don’t do them. For
example, oriental and neotraditional. Yes, color tattoos take more
work as to technique, solidity and contrast, obviously it is more
painful for the client, usually takes more time than a black and
grey work.
Q: No matter how nicely a tattoo can be done, it's very
important how the client takes a good care in the healing time. What
are some of your recommendations when it comes to aftercare, what we
should avoid?
A: My aftercare advice goes like this: on the next 3 days after
getting tattooed, wash the area from 3 to 4 times a day and let it
dry. Don’t apply any ointment. After the 3rd day, start hydrating
the tattoo with an ointment, with this technique I’ve achieved an
optimal healing, since it avoids humidity and the final result is
more solid. You should avoid sweating, drinking alcoholic brewages
before, while and after; applying a non recommended ointment, and
sun exposition for the following 2 weeks.
Q: How is the tattoo scene in Venezuela? Do you see
progress? Would you change something about the global tattoo scene?
I think we should all appreciate the big progress in the last decade
that produced so many exciting young and talented artists as well as
new products. What's your opinion?
A: In Venezuela exists a strong development, on the tattoo scene
globally, the progress is noticeable, since there are new
generations popping all the time. If I could change anything on the
tattoo scene, it would be to get more respect as artists or as any
other profession, like doctors, actors, musicians, architects, etc.
Yes, of course there are so many talented young artists, but the
guild should be more humble and close, leaving aside egos.
Q: Do you have any artists you look up to?
A: Yeah, my Venezuelan colleague,
Darwin
Enriquez. I think he’s an artist who never stops evolving, he’s
always innovating with new things.
Q: What's the best part of being a professional tattoo
artist?
A: The best part of being a professional tattoo artist is to
understand that there can’t be an error margin on the art piece you
do on a client. It is gratifying to know they trust you enough to
let you create something that will last forever.
Q: If you can tell something to your younger version back
when you were just starting, what would it be?
A: I wouldn’t tell myself anything, since I’ve had an unbreakable
motivation, always focused, evolving and not looking around.
You can find Alex Bruz on Instagram as alexbruz
Mr,Alex Bruz Thank you so much for the interview.
Kind regards,
The team