An interview with the Düsseldorf tattoo artist Till Pulpanek

Tattoo artist Till Pulpanek studied at the art academy with Dutch artist Jan Dibbets and worked as a freelance artist for six years before turning his full attention to tattooing. Unlike other tattoo artists, you won't find him in a store, but hidden away in a backyard in Bilk in his private studio. His tattoo art is based on traditional styles, which he reinterprets and implements. How did he get from fine art to tattooing and what does he particularly like about Düsseldorf? We talked to him about this.

Tattoos have basically been around since time immemorial. For a long time, tattoos were stigmatized, but now they have, as they say, arrived in the middle of society. What significance do tattoos have for you?
My interest in tattoos is due to my socialization. I come from punk and skate culture. I wanted to set myself apart. Tattoos were an expression of this demarcation. I got my first tattoo when I was 18. When you socialize through a subculture, you consciously position yourself against the mainstream or against a prevailing social opinion. That's also how I perceived tattooing, which I later translated into my art.

You studied at the Düsseldorf Art Academy under Jan Dibbets and then initially worked as a freelance artist. Some of your work can still be seen here in your studio. What was your time at the academy like and how did it shape you?
I started my studies quite naively and with a very romantic concept of free art. That changed over time when I realized how closely connected the art world and the art market are, and that my work is not the only focus. During my studies, I was of course influenced by Professor Dibbets. I studied architecture for a long time, especially the sociological structures behind it. I was interested in modern urbanism and how we live in our cities. That was the intellectual superstructure, so to speak, that I tried to capture in my paintings. The work is subject to a dynamic process that somehow continues all the time. You are never finished. After the academy, I worked as a freelance artist and continued the theme. At that time, I started to build things that were combined with painting.

Can you tell us about your career from visual artist to tattoo artist?
Well, it was a gradual process. I kept getting tattooed and my interest in tattoos grew. Olaf Lobe, a friend of mine who I still work with, introduced me to it. He had already been involved with tattoo art and the traditions associated with it for some time. We also went on trips to San Francisco, for example, and got to know the tattoo scene there. I quickly realized that there was more to it than just getting a picture tattooed. I also regularly met up with Olaf and another tattoo artist to draw, as I was still a freelance artist at the time. I noticed many parallels in our approaches, which ultimately led me to tattooing.

There are classic tattoo motifs, such as the anchor or similar symbols, which indicate that tattoos were common in certain circles, such as among sailors, and have their own visual language. You have some templates here in your studio that correspond to this. What kind of motifs are they? Can you explain them to us?
Yes, sure. I can do that. However, there are things hanging here that I personally like and have to do with my tattoo art. I have some traditional flash sheets like the ones that used to hang in tattoo studios back in the 1930s. Some of these sheets hung from top to bottom on the tattoo artist's walls. Customers could choose the image they wanted from them. The motifs have a special design language that is geared towards functionality (editor's note: longevity on the skin). At first glance, the pictures seem naïve, but they are very reduced and designed for legibility. In contrast to other art forms, a tattoo is subject to constant change because it is on the skin. The skin, i.e. the carrier material of the image, changes over time. The exciting thing for me is the parallel to my paintings, in which I have dealt with architecture and also developed a formal language that enables easy legibility.

What exactly do you mean by legibility?
Quite simply, legibility in terms of recognition. At a certain distance, you can recognize a rectangle or triangle better than a filigree, organic structure. In terms of tattoo motifs, it means that you reduce an image to the essentials. This in turn opens up space for associations.

That sounds like less is more. Do you have an example?
The rose motif is a good example, also because it's common. I have studied the iconography of tattoos a lot. Especially in the context of the last century. Tattoo artists from the 1920s reduced the rose to its essential features, leaving only what really makes a rose. As I said, it's about the legibility of the motif and the fact that it survives decades in the skin.

The range of different styles in tattoo art has become very wide. It feels like there's a tattoo studio on every corner. Where do you locate yourself and how do you work?
I think that tattoos also sell emotional values. So you have to put yourself in the person's shoes to a certain extent. For me, that's why communication with customers doesn't work well over a store counter. A store with walk-in customers is out of the question for me, which is why I deliberately opted for a private studio. My clientele is made up of friends of friends, so it's mainly word of mouth. They know my work and know what they're getting into. I don't send out any drawings in advance. I talk to the customers in advance, of course. On the day of the tattoo, the drawing is finished and I get started. Small changes are possible. But it is also clear to everyone that they are getting a unique piece from me.

What do you enjoy most about your work as a tattoo artist?
The nice thing about tattooing is that it feels a bit like teamwork. Working as a painter was very lonely. You sit alone in the studio and it takes time to get feedback. With tattooing it's more like making music, there's a kind of direct applause.

You are originally from Münster, but have lived in Düsseldorf since 1997. What do you particularly appreciate about your adopted home?
Münster is also a very beautiful city. But the Rhine gives Düsseldorf something special. I had a studio right on the Rhine in Reisholz for many years and realized that when I look at the Rhine, I have a similar feeling to when I look at the sea. You can look into the distance. You can see ships passing by. It doesn't matter which side of the Rhine you're on, in the nature reserve or in the old town. The Rhine has a very strong influence on the cityscape.

Is there a Düsseldorf specialty that you particularly like?
Yes, Düsseldorf mustard, it's remarkably good.

You can find more information and samples here.

Interview: Cynthia Blasberg
Photos: Markus Luigs