In the mind of the artist: Brian Taylor

Brian Taylor working on a tattoo. Instagram @lupewonderdog

Walking into San Clemente Tattoo, the sound of buzzing tattoo machines are audible throughout the buildings. Pictures of tattoos cover the walls and ceiling, displaying the work done by artists that have come through and worked at San Clemente Tattoo, along with pieces of inspiration. 

While sitting in the waiting room, the feeling of looking at your phone disappears as you look around the room, admiring the art and reading the sarcastic and blunt signs posted on the walls which read “If you are drunk, know it all, broke, an asshole, come back when you aren’t.” There is no shortage of eye candy as you wait to see your tattoo artist.

Brain Taylor, one of the artists at the shop, has dedicated his life to the art of tattooing. Specializing in American traditional and Japanese traditional style tattoos, he has developed a portfolio of work dating back 15 years. 

“I was super into punk rock when I was younger and so that was kinda the gateway into tattooing. I just never wanted to work in like a office, ya know,” Taylor says “Like wearing a suit, that was never a work environment for me.” 

Tattoo magazines at the bookstore exposed Taylor to the world of tattoos and he was captivated by the history and the artwork of tattooing at a young age and eventually got his first tattoo at the age of 18. Now fully covered from neck to ankles, Taylor has spent the past 20 years collecting art on his body. And within those past 20 years, the world of tattooing has changed.

“The shows, for one thing, fucked everything up because now everyone in town wants to be a tattooer,” Taylor says. “So a lot of people, who don’t know anything about tattoos, don’t have tattoos, want to be tattooers. They don’t have any business cause you don’t know nothing about it.” 

Shows like “Ink Master”, “NY Ink” and “Bad Ink”, Taylor feels have deformed the art of tattooing because of the people who watch these shows at home and come in thinking that they now know everything that there is with tattooing.

“These are all people that don’t have tattoos. They come in here and ask ‘You guys do apprenticeships, I want to be a tattoo artist,’” Taylor says. “It’s like, no, tattooing is sacred and that sacredness has been removed from tattooing. Unfortunately, people think it’s about being cool or being a rockstar or making a bunch of money. It’s lost its sacredness.”

Artists, like Taylor, practice their art for years and over those years he has spent so many hours around clients. Taylor has been able to create friendships with clients over the years with people he would have never met in his life, but the appreciation of tattooing brings them together. 

“You spend a lot of time with people. I’m a part-time tattoo artist, part-time therapist,” Taylor says jokingly. “I spend a lot of time with people and when you spend a lot of time with people you really get to know them, especially in an intimate way.”

Both Taylor and the client sit for hours creating a piece that both of them can be proud of. Tattoo artists tend to have the career defining tattoo they did where it truly showed them the progress they’ve made as an artist and delivered a product that they are truly proud of. Referencing a leg sleeve he did five years ago, Taylor recalls that special tattoo. 

“It took awhile to get through, but when it was finished, it came out really nice,” Taylor says. “I looked at that leg sleeve and looked at some of my older tattoos, and I felt, ‘wow I have progressed,’ which is a good feeling, you know.”

The leg sleeve took about eight months with a session every two weeks. But with the trust and connection between the artist and client, they were able to create something that he was proud to make and she was proud to wear. Unfortunately, some people aren’t lucky enough to get tattoos they are happy about. They have to wonder to themselves if they should get a cover up.

“I tell people if you can not get it covered up, don’t get it cover up, go get it lasered off,” Taylor says. “We live in 2021 where you can get tattoos fucking removed with a light. Go do that.”

For the people who want to get tattoos in their future, Brain Taylor has one form of advice to give.

“Everything you think of when you think of a professional, that is who you want to be your tattoo artist. It is based on their work, not their price,” Taylor says. “Good tattoos aren’t cheap and cheap tattoos aren’t good.”

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