Archive for June, 2009
« Older Entries |THE VALUE OF WORK
Monday, June 29th, 2009
There is a certain nostalgia between a work of art and the artist that exists on a personal level. The creator works and struggles, they zone in and zone out, the process is indeed a love/hate balance. On this occasion, one of Jose’s paintings several years old, a little over 5 feet in height, displayed in art shows, hung on the main wall of the studio, has been offered to be purchased on numerous occasions. However, Jose could never agree to letting the painting go…selling it or giving it up didn’t look like it was going to happen…
…Until our good friend had payed us a visit after the Ink n’ Iron convention, freshly tattooed paint brushes on his hand, he opted at the chance to claim ownership…Jose must have seen something in him that he hadn’t in any other person, he picked up the painting and signed it himself…At that point he had given up something that he could have gotten so much more for. But the way it was given…for that reason, that same nostalgia from the beginning will continue to exist.
Tags: Art, chicano culture, Fine Line, jose lopez, lowrider Family, lowrider tattoos, lowridertattoostudios, Studio Life, tattoo collectors, Travel, world media
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ALAMO CITY
Friday, June 26th, 2009
A game plan in mind, bags packed, and ready to go…The Alamo City Tattoo Show is this weekend. Jose Lopez, Loko T, Mark Osuna, lead the Lowrider Family to Texas to compete, tattoo, and hang with some of the Tattoo world’s finest…
Check out the website for more info!!! and come back for some more!!
Tags: Alamo City Tattoo Show, Fine Line, jose lopez, LOKO T, lowrider Family, lowrider tattoos, lowridertattoostudios, mark osuna, tattoo collectors, tattoo conventions
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RENDERING THE EYE
Saturday, June 20th, 2009
An obvious struggle that every artist will confront is the task of working with material that is not easy to translate. To better explain, our friend and client Thomas came in with a family photo several decades old that he wanted to get tattooed by Jose. The problem at hand was not just the age of the reference, but the actual picture’s width was too big for the canvas of the upper arm…With this in mind, a trained artist knows to work with what they have. Cut, cropping, re-rendering of the subjects, and rebuilding the composition to make it fit…
As seen in the photo above, the reference picture was cut and cropped, some objects were re-positioned, the background was revamped. Beyond making the tattoo look its best, the photo must also become a believable reference for the artist and client…In other words, making the reference look like it was the ACTUAL photo taken…
In the end, the importance of having a foundation, knowing how to approach it, what “looks” correct to the eye, KNOWING how to draw rather than assuming, are some of the many attributes of being a true artist. A perfect example and in Jose’s own words: “There is never “one” way to make something look/become successful. Do what works best for you, and if the end result looks good, and the customer is happy, your job has been done…”
Tags: Art, Fine Line, jose lopez, lowrider Family, lowrider tattoos, lowridertattoostudios, Studio Life, tattoo collectors, world media
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THE TEACHER.
Sunday, June 14th, 2009
“Blame it on luck, ” is what Jose always said when it comes to his success. Being grateful always comes naturally when people first see the work and respond in shock, but beneath the tattooer, the painter, the designer, the most important of them all is the man.
A choice was given, failure or survival-physically, psychologically, and emotionally, and what makes the man true to his nature is his ability to transcend the given options. Instead of making it about his failure or his success, the road of a 17 year long tattooing career is really about giving and teaching.
Any tattoo artist today who has been in the industry for just as long and even today for the new generation, can say that getting help and trying to learn the art is battle of hardships, humiliation, and sacrifices. Whether it’s a crowded arena of a convention, the studio, home, or on another continent, Jose always takes the time to help guide the students to an understanding of how important a real art foundation is.
Over the 17 years of work, the last three have excelled to a point where influence has reached tattooing all over this world, where a crowd of kids from Italy would literally stand with note pads jotting down statements, and movements to note and study Jose’s method and approach, not to mention the kids here in the US. In one conversation Jose said it’s crucial to not get distracted. Tattooing itself has changed and is going to continue to with each generation of artists that step up to the plate and decide it’s movement.
From the perspective of an outsider, or even client, tattooing’s sacredness, it’s process of development, and meaning can rarely be seen. Tattoos seem marketable, tangible, and sellable to a point of being recycled to the average consumer.
Only in the early morning hours of the studio, or hours into a long session can the sharp ones understand that tattooing is in every single shape and form still an art.
And the work, sweat, and sacrifice of a foundation such as drawing, composition, structure is what holds tattooing to it’s form of art. Check out Joseph and Tony, a long time students of Jose’s always in constant struggle in study of the most basic ideas of drawing.
But what separates the students of Jose is the will. The will to sacrifice the time to study and be in a constant state of development and engagement, a quality that all up-and-coming young people who are in hopes to become a tattoo artist should understand.
A task is set for us youngsters for today, and thanks to all of the men and women who have spent their lives shaping the industry like Jose, Jack Rudy, Brian Everett, Tony Olivas, Cartoon, Baby Ray, Bob Roberts, Bob Tyrell, and many more, it’s time we raise the bar and pay it back. Kids keep on pushing.
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“VIVA SIEMPRE” ART SHOW IN OC WEEKLY
Saturday, June 13th, 2009
Recently, Lowrider Tattoo participated in a group art show titled “Viva Siempre” in Costa Mesa, CA. The show featured some of California’s finest tattoo artists such as Jack Rudy, Franco Vescovi, Chuey, Lindsay Carmicheal, Corey Miller, Nikko Hurtado, and Lowrider’s Jose Lopez…
“…Jose Lopez supplies two magnificent untitled pieces: a giant painting of a statue of the Aztec god Xochipili—so visually astute you can feel the grain of the stone with your eyes—and an Aztec warrior, serenely closed-lidded, the top of his headdress a plume of red fire…”
Read up on the success of the show by clicking the image below and reading the entire article!!!
…This marks the second time within three months that Lowrider Tattoo and Jose Lopez have been mentioned in the OC Weekly, thanks again to Trina and the Light Gallery!
Tags: Art, chicano culture, Fine Line, jose lopez, lowrider Family, lowrider tattoos, Studio Life, tattoo collectors, tattoo magazines, world media
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ATLANTA TATTOO CONVENTION
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
This weekend marks the annual Atlanta Tattoo Convention, put on by none other than our good friend Tony Olivias. Jose Lopez and the Lowrider Family including Klown and Abbey, will be in attendance doing what we do best…Check out the flyer below and click the image for more info…
Tags: Art, atlanta tattoo convention, jose lopez, lowrider Family, lowrider tattoos, lowridertattoostudios
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STRONGER THAN EVER
Monday, June 8th, 2009
Its Friday, the 5th Ink and Iron Show is in full effect and Im still at the shop working my ass off….But its no worry, my boys Jun, Klown, Abbey, Manny, Ernie, and Mark aka Danger, are at the show doing what we do best. I can’t wait for the next day to come so I can be with my boys.
The first thing i did was pay my respects to one of my best friends and mentor, my Big Homie Brian Everett. He invited me to go see his low low, and let me tell you, it is out this world. No wonder he got the Elegance Award! We chilled out for a minute contemplating the beautiful car he had created while talking about old times and future plans. Then it was time to go check on the boys.
As I made my way down to the booth I was amazed with the big crowd the family had going on. Everybody had a big smiles on their faces when I showed up…..They were happy to see me and I was more than delighted to see them…
Crowd after crowd took turns checking out the amazing portfolios the boys had on display. Beautiful girls stopped by the booth to take pictures…It was one good thing after the other. We were having the time of our lives and making sure our clients were too.
When I stepped outside, it was my pleasure to be greeted by my boy OG Abel and the homies Estevan Oriol and Willie T. That really made my day, all of us set back a few beers and talked about all the things to come before heading back to the show…
After going for a walk around the convention, we came back to the booth to kick it for a while and chill with our friends from Japan. But the time had finally arrived, what the first competition we were waiting had finally come… Best Black and Grey…We made our way to the boiler room where the contest was taking place…
There were so many contestants waiting to display their awesome work. The look on the competitors faces all seemed intimidated by one another. I could not believe the level of tattoo quality on everybody. Collector after collector took stage, modeling their work, posing for minutes at a time for the cameras and judges. Our boys boys entered the stage with confidence and smiles…
After about an hour the verdict was finally announced……..Lowrider Tattoo, 1st Place for black and grey!
One goal down, we made our way back to the booth, preparing for anything else that was to come…
It was a pleasure to have the youngbloods holding it down for the shop, helping out with whatever they could, and representing to their finest. Artist Miguel Ochoa, the apprentices Adam V and Daniel, and our good friend Cory Mook... Hoping and helping to bring something new to the table…
… It’s Sunday night so we do our last walk around the floor. I got to see my good friend Corey Miller…. We took a picture for the magazines. Don’t we look good? haha
Its always a big pleasure to see my big homie Bob Tyrrell. One of my top inspirations of this industry. The Usual Bob Tyrrell picture pose was a must for photo. A big shout out goes out to you.
The show is finally over, we were ready for a group picture to sum up everything up that went on. I must say none of this could ever be possible without the help from all these beautiful people. I feel very privileged to have such an incredible family…
Right before we left the building, My boy Mark gave a shot to compete for Best of Show. I would have never thought we would get it considering the quality of work all the first place contestants had…..But incredibly… And to my surprise…
We did.
THAT was the icing on the cake. I want to thank EVERYBODY who made this possible, it really humbles me to know that so many people have my back, that they are willing to go hell and back with me, all to keep this strong family and tradition alive!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your friend and artist,
Jose lopez
Tags: Add new tag, Best black and grey tattoos, best of show, INK N IRON tattoo convention, jose lopez, lowrider Family, lowridertattoostudios
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