Posts tagged with creators of NYC
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The Creators of NYC: Artist and Actor Julio Cotto
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to the final chapter of Creators of NYC.
Julio Cotto
After a long stay in the south honing his craft, Bronx-born artist and actor Julio Cotto recently returned to New York to make a go of it in the art world. Cotto is self-taught; he has illustrated comic books and greeting cards, painted carousel horses, played an Iraqi sniper in Army Wives, and worked as a graphic artist in Greenville, SC. He’s now working on a series of illustrations inspired by encyclopedia pages.I’ve known his work for a decade, but I didn’t meet Cotto until recently, when we spent a day walking around Williamsburg.
You’ve been in NYC for a year now. How has the transition been?
Moving here from clean, friendly, laid-back Charleston would have been much more of a culture shock had I not spent the first several years of my life in the South Bronx. Insane things happened to me this first year back in New York. Roommates, rats, pit bulls, cops and robbers, oh, my! I’ve got stories.View post 252 notes -
The Creators of NYC: CollegeHumor’s Vincent Peone
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to Creators of NYC.
Vincent Peone
For the last seven years, director and cinematographer Vincent Peone has been making comedy shorts and feature films. He also works for CollegeHumor. I met with Vincent in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to talk about his work and experiences.
How’d you get involved with the CollegeHumor crew?
I was a student at the School of Visual Arts studying cinematography when my old sketch group, DutchWest, got recognized by CollegeHumor. We had been producing these shorts (some not so short) and putting them up on our website before YouTube became a thing. CollegeHumor was making the jump from strictly aggregated content to original content. They first hired Sam Reich to head up the department, and soon after, myself and my cohort, Josh Ruben, to shoot/direct the originals. Those roles have evolved slightly, but the biggest change has been that we have all developed a good amount of smile wrinkles.
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The Creators of NYC: Polaroid Photographer Mikael Kennedy
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to Creators of NYC.
Mikael Kennedy
Mikael Kennedy is a travel-adventure photographer who specializes in Polaroids. He has documented his life and travels — from the jungles of Puerto Rico to the woods of Maine — for more than a decade, all housed on a travel blog called Passport to Trespass. I met with Mikael in his Greenpoint apartment to turn the lens on him.
What drew you to Polaroids?
The initial interest was purely aesthetic and functional; nothing else looked like a Polaroid, and as I was travelling and broke I didn’t have access to a darkroom. Polaroid being a self-contained process was a huge draw. There is also something inherently magical about a Polaroid; it’s a tactile experience. You are holding a photograph in your hand while it develops.
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The Creators of NYC: Geometric Artist Aakash Nihalani
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to Creators of NYC.
Aakash Nihalani
Aakash Nihalani is at the forefront of the next generation of modern artists working in New York. His work in spray paint and tape can be found not only on the walls of private collectors but in and around the streets of New York. I met up with Aakash in his Williamsburg studio, where he was preparing for a solo show.
How do you describe your art?
It’s hard … I usually direct people to look up an image on their phone. But I think at the barest, the work is about perspective, playing with our idea of three-dimensional space within a two-dimensional plane using tape as my primary medium, often in urban environments.
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![The Creators of NYC: Tattoo Artist Virginia Elwood
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to Creators of NYC.
Virginia Elwood
Tattoo artist Virginia Elwood has been plying her craft for the last 12 years and has made a name for herself at New York Adorned as one of the top talents in the industry. I first saw her work several years ago, and I bumped into her on the G train in Brooklyn shortly after I arrived in New York. After almost a year of exchanging emails, we finally sat down in her Carrol Gardens home.
When did you figure out that tattoo art could be an actual career?
When I was a little kid, I remember wanting to be either a scientist, a ballerina, or a garbage man. I don’t think I had a definition or reference for “art as a career.” I set out on my own at a really young age and drifted from one random job to the next … a career in fine arts was not a realistic or practical goal at that time. The idea that a person could actually get paid to draw didn’t occur to me until I fell head over heals for tattoos as a teenager in the 90s.
Which came first, drawing or tattooing?
I was always drawing and making shit as a kid, but I have very little formal training in art. It might be more fair to say that I have none! Everything I’ve learned about drawing, composition, color theory, et cetera comes from working with really talented and generous tattoo artists over the years.
Stylistically, is there a big difference in mediums for you?
I think of tattooing mostly (but not exclusively) as a craft. An incredibly creative, sustaining and inspiring — but extremely strict — craft. And by that I mean it’s possible and necessary to apply your own creative sensibility to your tattoo work, but you should never sacrifice the fundamentals of good tattooing to accomplish your own, or your clients’, weird artsy goals. Someone has to wear your experiment for the rest of their life.
Has living in New York affected your work as an artist?
I don’t think you could live in New York City and not have your work be affected. On one end of the spectrum, you may be overwhelmingly crippled by the fact that you’ll never ever be as [insert adjective of your choice] as [insert person of your choice]. On the other end, you might be equally as crippled by the heart-wrenching beauty of all that creativity. Most days I aim to wake up somewhere in the middle so that I can actually function.
The tattoo world has come into the limelight in recent years. Is that a double edged sword?
I got into tattooing on the tail end of the pre-internet days, and even though it wasn’t that long ago, it was really different. Tattooing was, is, and always will be fucking awesome regardless of what the current mainstream trends are. It feels a bit wrong for me to talk about tattooing’s past (even it’s most recent past) and future because I’m still dumbstruck that I get to have this job. I just have too much respect for the tattooers who came before me to pretend as if I’m qualified to speak of days past. I feel lucky they even let me in the club.
What’s a normal day for you entail?
Coffee, dog, draw, draw, draw, more coffee, draw, email, emails, bike ride, tattoo, tattoo tattoo, food, more dog, maybe more coffee, draw, paint, write, read … with some eatin’ and lovin’ thrown in the mix.
— Photos and text by Josh Wool](http://25.media.tumblr.com/21fecb015026f20fb89f71e22b6bcb0f/tumblr_mfcnd4rgOp1rrpm57o6_1280.jpg)
![The Creators of NYC: Tattoo Artist Virginia Elwood
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to Creators of NYC.
Virginia Elwood
Tattoo artist Virginia Elwood has been plying her craft for the last 12 years and has made a name for herself at New York Adorned as one of the top talents in the industry. I first saw her work several years ago, and I bumped into her on the G train in Brooklyn shortly after I arrived in New York. After almost a year of exchanging emails, we finally sat down in her Carrol Gardens home.
When did you figure out that tattoo art could be an actual career?
When I was a little kid, I remember wanting to be either a scientist, a ballerina, or a garbage man. I don’t think I had a definition or reference for “art as a career.” I set out on my own at a really young age and drifted from one random job to the next … a career in fine arts was not a realistic or practical goal at that time. The idea that a person could actually get paid to draw didn’t occur to me until I fell head over heals for tattoos as a teenager in the 90s.
Which came first, drawing or tattooing?
I was always drawing and making shit as a kid, but I have very little formal training in art. It might be more fair to say that I have none! Everything I’ve learned about drawing, composition, color theory, et cetera comes from working with really talented and generous tattoo artists over the years.
Stylistically, is there a big difference in mediums for you?
I think of tattooing mostly (but not exclusively) as a craft. An incredibly creative, sustaining and inspiring — but extremely strict — craft. And by that I mean it’s possible and necessary to apply your own creative sensibility to your tattoo work, but you should never sacrifice the fundamentals of good tattooing to accomplish your own, or your clients’, weird artsy goals. Someone has to wear your experiment for the rest of their life.
Has living in New York affected your work as an artist?
I don’t think you could live in New York City and not have your work be affected. On one end of the spectrum, you may be overwhelmingly crippled by the fact that you’ll never ever be as [insert adjective of your choice] as [insert person of your choice]. On the other end, you might be equally as crippled by the heart-wrenching beauty of all that creativity. Most days I aim to wake up somewhere in the middle so that I can actually function.
The tattoo world has come into the limelight in recent years. Is that a double edged sword?
I got into tattooing on the tail end of the pre-internet days, and even though it wasn’t that long ago, it was really different. Tattooing was, is, and always will be fucking awesome regardless of what the current mainstream trends are. It feels a bit wrong for me to talk about tattooing’s past (even it’s most recent past) and future because I’m still dumbstruck that I get to have this job. I just have too much respect for the tattooers who came before me to pretend as if I’m qualified to speak of days past. I feel lucky they even let me in the club.
What’s a normal day for you entail?
Coffee, dog, draw, draw, draw, more coffee, draw, email, emails, bike ride, tattoo, tattoo tattoo, food, more dog, maybe more coffee, draw, paint, write, read … with some eatin’ and lovin’ thrown in the mix.
— Photos and text by Josh Wool](http://24.media.tumblr.com/317df6d977c2b5b19cbddb0f04654e19/tumblr_mfcnd4rgOp1rrpm57o8_1280.jpg)
![The Creators of NYC: Tattoo Artist Virginia Elwood
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to Creators of NYC.
Virginia Elwood
Tattoo artist Virginia Elwood has been plying her craft for the last 12 years and has made a name for herself at New York Adorned as one of the top talents in the industry. I first saw her work several years ago, and I bumped into her on the G train in Brooklyn shortly after I arrived in New York. After almost a year of exchanging emails, we finally sat down in her Carrol Gardens home.
When did you figure out that tattoo art could be an actual career?
When I was a little kid, I remember wanting to be either a scientist, a ballerina, or a garbage man. I don’t think I had a definition or reference for “art as a career.” I set out on my own at a really young age and drifted from one random job to the next … a career in fine arts was not a realistic or practical goal at that time. The idea that a person could actually get paid to draw didn’t occur to me until I fell head over heals for tattoos as a teenager in the 90s.
Which came first, drawing or tattooing?
I was always drawing and making shit as a kid, but I have very little formal training in art. It might be more fair to say that I have none! Everything I’ve learned about drawing, composition, color theory, et cetera comes from working with really talented and generous tattoo artists over the years.
Stylistically, is there a big difference in mediums for you?
I think of tattooing mostly (but not exclusively) as a craft. An incredibly creative, sustaining and inspiring — but extremely strict — craft. And by that I mean it’s possible and necessary to apply your own creative sensibility to your tattoo work, but you should never sacrifice the fundamentals of good tattooing to accomplish your own, or your clients’, weird artsy goals. Someone has to wear your experiment for the rest of their life.
Has living in New York affected your work as an artist?
I don’t think you could live in New York City and not have your work be affected. On one end of the spectrum, you may be overwhelmingly crippled by the fact that you’ll never ever be as [insert adjective of your choice] as [insert person of your choice]. On the other end, you might be equally as crippled by the heart-wrenching beauty of all that creativity. Most days I aim to wake up somewhere in the middle so that I can actually function.
The tattoo world has come into the limelight in recent years. Is that a double edged sword?
I got into tattooing on the tail end of the pre-internet days, and even though it wasn’t that long ago, it was really different. Tattooing was, is, and always will be fucking awesome regardless of what the current mainstream trends are. It feels a bit wrong for me to talk about tattooing’s past (even it’s most recent past) and future because I’m still dumbstruck that I get to have this job. I just have too much respect for the tattooers who came before me to pretend as if I’m qualified to speak of days past. I feel lucky they even let me in the club.
What’s a normal day for you entail?
Coffee, dog, draw, draw, draw, more coffee, draw, email, emails, bike ride, tattoo, tattoo tattoo, food, more dog, maybe more coffee, draw, paint, write, read … with some eatin’ and lovin’ thrown in the mix.
— Photos and text by Josh Wool](http://25.media.tumblr.com/985aa4d3021c0e2a8c451690ac1d334c/tumblr_mfcnd4rgOp1rrpm57o2_1280.jpg)
![The Creators of NYC: Tattoo Artist Virginia Elwood
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to Creators of NYC.
Virginia Elwood
Tattoo artist Virginia Elwood has been plying her craft for the last 12 years and has made a name for herself at New York Adorned as one of the top talents in the industry. I first saw her work several years ago, and I bumped into her on the G train in Brooklyn shortly after I arrived in New York. After almost a year of exchanging emails, we finally sat down in her Carrol Gardens home.
When did you figure out that tattoo art could be an actual career?
When I was a little kid, I remember wanting to be either a scientist, a ballerina, or a garbage man. I don’t think I had a definition or reference for “art as a career.” I set out on my own at a really young age and drifted from one random job to the next … a career in fine arts was not a realistic or practical goal at that time. The idea that a person could actually get paid to draw didn’t occur to me until I fell head over heals for tattoos as a teenager in the 90s.
Which came first, drawing or tattooing?
I was always drawing and making shit as a kid, but I have very little formal training in art. It might be more fair to say that I have none! Everything I’ve learned about drawing, composition, color theory, et cetera comes from working with really talented and generous tattoo artists over the years.
Stylistically, is there a big difference in mediums for you?
I think of tattooing mostly (but not exclusively) as a craft. An incredibly creative, sustaining and inspiring — but extremely strict — craft. And by that I mean it’s possible and necessary to apply your own creative sensibility to your tattoo work, but you should never sacrifice the fundamentals of good tattooing to accomplish your own, or your clients’, weird artsy goals. Someone has to wear your experiment for the rest of their life.
Has living in New York affected your work as an artist?
I don’t think you could live in New York City and not have your work be affected. On one end of the spectrum, you may be overwhelmingly crippled by the fact that you’ll never ever be as [insert adjective of your choice] as [insert person of your choice]. On the other end, you might be equally as crippled by the heart-wrenching beauty of all that creativity. Most days I aim to wake up somewhere in the middle so that I can actually function.
The tattoo world has come into the limelight in recent years. Is that a double edged sword?
I got into tattooing on the tail end of the pre-internet days, and even though it wasn’t that long ago, it was really different. Tattooing was, is, and always will be fucking awesome regardless of what the current mainstream trends are. It feels a bit wrong for me to talk about tattooing’s past (even it’s most recent past) and future because I’m still dumbstruck that I get to have this job. I just have too much respect for the tattooers who came before me to pretend as if I’m qualified to speak of days past. I feel lucky they even let me in the club.
What’s a normal day for you entail?
Coffee, dog, draw, draw, draw, more coffee, draw, email, emails, bike ride, tattoo, tattoo tattoo, food, more dog, maybe more coffee, draw, paint, write, read … with some eatin’ and lovin’ thrown in the mix.
— Photos and text by Josh Wool](http://25.media.tumblr.com/e0caefdd9b23940cb64bc4e94558108d/tumblr_mfcnd4rgOp1rrpm57o4_1280.jpg)
![The Creators of NYC: Tattoo Artist Virginia Elwood
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to Creators of NYC.
Virginia Elwood
Tattoo artist Virginia Elwood has been plying her craft for the last 12 years and has made a name for herself at New York Adorned as one of the top talents in the industry. I first saw her work several years ago, and I bumped into her on the G train in Brooklyn shortly after I arrived in New York. After almost a year of exchanging emails, we finally sat down in her Carrol Gardens home.
When did you figure out that tattoo art could be an actual career?
When I was a little kid, I remember wanting to be either a scientist, a ballerina, or a garbage man. I don’t think I had a definition or reference for “art as a career.” I set out on my own at a really young age and drifted from one random job to the next … a career in fine arts was not a realistic or practical goal at that time. The idea that a person could actually get paid to draw didn’t occur to me until I fell head over heals for tattoos as a teenager in the 90s.
Which came first, drawing or tattooing?
I was always drawing and making shit as a kid, but I have very little formal training in art. It might be more fair to say that I have none! Everything I’ve learned about drawing, composition, color theory, et cetera comes from working with really talented and generous tattoo artists over the years.
Stylistically, is there a big difference in mediums for you?
I think of tattooing mostly (but not exclusively) as a craft. An incredibly creative, sustaining and inspiring — but extremely strict — craft. And by that I mean it’s possible and necessary to apply your own creative sensibility to your tattoo work, but you should never sacrifice the fundamentals of good tattooing to accomplish your own, or your clients’, weird artsy goals. Someone has to wear your experiment for the rest of their life.
Has living in New York affected your work as an artist?
I don’t think you could live in New York City and not have your work be affected. On one end of the spectrum, you may be overwhelmingly crippled by the fact that you’ll never ever be as [insert adjective of your choice] as [insert person of your choice]. On the other end, you might be equally as crippled by the heart-wrenching beauty of all that creativity. Most days I aim to wake up somewhere in the middle so that I can actually function.
The tattoo world has come into the limelight in recent years. Is that a double edged sword?
I got into tattooing on the tail end of the pre-internet days, and even though it wasn’t that long ago, it was really different. Tattooing was, is, and always will be fucking awesome regardless of what the current mainstream trends are. It feels a bit wrong for me to talk about tattooing’s past (even it’s most recent past) and future because I’m still dumbstruck that I get to have this job. I just have too much respect for the tattooers who came before me to pretend as if I’m qualified to speak of days past. I feel lucky they even let me in the club.
What’s a normal day for you entail?
Coffee, dog, draw, draw, draw, more coffee, draw, email, emails, bike ride, tattoo, tattoo tattoo, food, more dog, maybe more coffee, draw, paint, write, read … with some eatin’ and lovin’ thrown in the mix.
— Photos and text by Josh Wool](http://25.media.tumblr.com/4f20b98168131a933ddb14f88399763d/tumblr_mfcnd4rgOp1rrpm57o1_1280.jpg)
![The Creators of NYC: Tattoo Artist Virginia Elwood
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to Creators of NYC.
Virginia Elwood
Tattoo artist Virginia Elwood has been plying her craft for the last 12 years and has made a name for herself at New York Adorned as one of the top talents in the industry. I first saw her work several years ago, and I bumped into her on the G train in Brooklyn shortly after I arrived in New York. After almost a year of exchanging emails, we finally sat down in her Carrol Gardens home.
When did you figure out that tattoo art could be an actual career?
When I was a little kid, I remember wanting to be either a scientist, a ballerina, or a garbage man. I don’t think I had a definition or reference for “art as a career.” I set out on my own at a really young age and drifted from one random job to the next … a career in fine arts was not a realistic or practical goal at that time. The idea that a person could actually get paid to draw didn’t occur to me until I fell head over heals for tattoos as a teenager in the 90s.
Which came first, drawing or tattooing?
I was always drawing and making shit as a kid, but I have very little formal training in art. It might be more fair to say that I have none! Everything I’ve learned about drawing, composition, color theory, et cetera comes from working with really talented and generous tattoo artists over the years.
Stylistically, is there a big difference in mediums for you?
I think of tattooing mostly (but not exclusively) as a craft. An incredibly creative, sustaining and inspiring — but extremely strict — craft. And by that I mean it’s possible and necessary to apply your own creative sensibility to your tattoo work, but you should never sacrifice the fundamentals of good tattooing to accomplish your own, or your clients’, weird artsy goals. Someone has to wear your experiment for the rest of their life.
Has living in New York affected your work as an artist?
I don’t think you could live in New York City and not have your work be affected. On one end of the spectrum, you may be overwhelmingly crippled by the fact that you’ll never ever be as [insert adjective of your choice] as [insert person of your choice]. On the other end, you might be equally as crippled by the heart-wrenching beauty of all that creativity. Most days I aim to wake up somewhere in the middle so that I can actually function.
The tattoo world has come into the limelight in recent years. Is that a double edged sword?
I got into tattooing on the tail end of the pre-internet days, and even though it wasn’t that long ago, it was really different. Tattooing was, is, and always will be fucking awesome regardless of what the current mainstream trends are. It feels a bit wrong for me to talk about tattooing’s past (even it’s most recent past) and future because I’m still dumbstruck that I get to have this job. I just have too much respect for the tattooers who came before me to pretend as if I’m qualified to speak of days past. I feel lucky they even let me in the club.
What’s a normal day for you entail?
Coffee, dog, draw, draw, draw, more coffee, draw, email, emails, bike ride, tattoo, tattoo tattoo, food, more dog, maybe more coffee, draw, paint, write, read … with some eatin’ and lovin’ thrown in the mix.
— Photos and text by Josh Wool](http://24.media.tumblr.com/4c3455c8ca66ce0527e95f3cc1267b40/tumblr_mfcnd4rgOp1rrpm57o5_1280.jpg)
![The Creators of NYC: Tattoo Artist Virginia Elwood
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to Creators of NYC.
Virginia Elwood
Tattoo artist Virginia Elwood has been plying her craft for the last 12 years and has made a name for herself at New York Adorned as one of the top talents in the industry. I first saw her work several years ago, and I bumped into her on the G train in Brooklyn shortly after I arrived in New York. After almost a year of exchanging emails, we finally sat down in her Carrol Gardens home.
When did you figure out that tattoo art could be an actual career?
When I was a little kid, I remember wanting to be either a scientist, a ballerina, or a garbage man. I don’t think I had a definition or reference for “art as a career.” I set out on my own at a really young age and drifted from one random job to the next … a career in fine arts was not a realistic or practical goal at that time. The idea that a person could actually get paid to draw didn’t occur to me until I fell head over heals for tattoos as a teenager in the 90s.
Which came first, drawing or tattooing?
I was always drawing and making shit as a kid, but I have very little formal training in art. It might be more fair to say that I have none! Everything I’ve learned about drawing, composition, color theory, et cetera comes from working with really talented and generous tattoo artists over the years.
Stylistically, is there a big difference in mediums for you?
I think of tattooing mostly (but not exclusively) as a craft. An incredibly creative, sustaining and inspiring — but extremely strict — craft. And by that I mean it’s possible and necessary to apply your own creative sensibility to your tattoo work, but you should never sacrifice the fundamentals of good tattooing to accomplish your own, or your clients’, weird artsy goals. Someone has to wear your experiment for the rest of their life.
Has living in New York affected your work as an artist?
I don’t think you could live in New York City and not have your work be affected. On one end of the spectrum, you may be overwhelmingly crippled by the fact that you’ll never ever be as [insert adjective of your choice] as [insert person of your choice]. On the other end, you might be equally as crippled by the heart-wrenching beauty of all that creativity. Most days I aim to wake up somewhere in the middle so that I can actually function.
The tattoo world has come into the limelight in recent years. Is that a double edged sword?
I got into tattooing on the tail end of the pre-internet days, and even though it wasn’t that long ago, it was really different. Tattooing was, is, and always will be fucking awesome regardless of what the current mainstream trends are. It feels a bit wrong for me to talk about tattooing’s past (even it’s most recent past) and future because I’m still dumbstruck that I get to have this job. I just have too much respect for the tattooers who came before me to pretend as if I’m qualified to speak of days past. I feel lucky they even let me in the club.
What’s a normal day for you entail?
Coffee, dog, draw, draw, draw, more coffee, draw, email, emails, bike ride, tattoo, tattoo tattoo, food, more dog, maybe more coffee, draw, paint, write, read … with some eatin’ and lovin’ thrown in the mix.
— Photos and text by Josh Wool](http://24.media.tumblr.com/6373fc4f6c3e3a029945bc8db8b17236/tumblr_mfcnd4rgOp1rrpm57o3_1280.jpg)
![The Creators of NYC: Tattoo Artist Virginia Elwood
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to Creators of NYC.
Virginia Elwood
Tattoo artist Virginia Elwood has been plying her craft for the last 12 years and has made a name for herself at New York Adorned as one of the top talents in the industry. I first saw her work several years ago, and I bumped into her on the G train in Brooklyn shortly after I arrived in New York. After almost a year of exchanging emails, we finally sat down in her Carrol Gardens home.
When did you figure out that tattoo art could be an actual career?
When I was a little kid, I remember wanting to be either a scientist, a ballerina, or a garbage man. I don’t think I had a definition or reference for “art as a career.” I set out on my own at a really young age and drifted from one random job to the next … a career in fine arts was not a realistic or practical goal at that time. The idea that a person could actually get paid to draw didn’t occur to me until I fell head over heals for tattoos as a teenager in the 90s.
Which came first, drawing or tattooing?
I was always drawing and making shit as a kid, but I have very little formal training in art. It might be more fair to say that I have none! Everything I’ve learned about drawing, composition, color theory, et cetera comes from working with really talented and generous tattoo artists over the years.
Stylistically, is there a big difference in mediums for you?
I think of tattooing mostly (but not exclusively) as a craft. An incredibly creative, sustaining and inspiring — but extremely strict — craft. And by that I mean it’s possible and necessary to apply your own creative sensibility to your tattoo work, but you should never sacrifice the fundamentals of good tattooing to accomplish your own, or your clients’, weird artsy goals. Someone has to wear your experiment for the rest of their life.
Has living in New York affected your work as an artist?
I don’t think you could live in New York City and not have your work be affected. On one end of the spectrum, you may be overwhelmingly crippled by the fact that you’ll never ever be as [insert adjective of your choice] as [insert person of your choice]. On the other end, you might be equally as crippled by the heart-wrenching beauty of all that creativity. Most days I aim to wake up somewhere in the middle so that I can actually function.
The tattoo world has come into the limelight in recent years. Is that a double edged sword?
I got into tattooing on the tail end of the pre-internet days, and even though it wasn’t that long ago, it was really different. Tattooing was, is, and always will be fucking awesome regardless of what the current mainstream trends are. It feels a bit wrong for me to talk about tattooing’s past (even it’s most recent past) and future because I’m still dumbstruck that I get to have this job. I just have too much respect for the tattooers who came before me to pretend as if I’m qualified to speak of days past. I feel lucky they even let me in the club.
What’s a normal day for you entail?
Coffee, dog, draw, draw, draw, more coffee, draw, email, emails, bike ride, tattoo, tattoo tattoo, food, more dog, maybe more coffee, draw, paint, write, read … with some eatin’ and lovin’ thrown in the mix.
— Photos and text by Josh Wool](http://25.media.tumblr.com/55de7466ad1a349ecb7a1dbaf87e33a2/tumblr_mfcnd4rgOp1rrpm57o7_1280.jpg)
![The Creators of NYC: Tattoo Artist Virginia Elwood
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to Creators of NYC.
Virginia Elwood
Tattoo artist Virginia Elwood has been plying her craft for the last 12 years and has made a name for herself at New York Adorned as one of the top talents in the industry. I first saw her work several years ago, and I bumped into her on the G train in Brooklyn shortly after I arrived in New York. After almost a year of exchanging emails, we finally sat down in her Carrol Gardens home.
When did you figure out that tattoo art could be an actual career?
When I was a little kid, I remember wanting to be either a scientist, a ballerina, or a garbage man. I don’t think I had a definition or reference for “art as a career.” I set out on my own at a really young age and drifted from one random job to the next … a career in fine arts was not a realistic or practical goal at that time. The idea that a person could actually get paid to draw didn’t occur to me until I fell head over heals for tattoos as a teenager in the 90s.
Which came first, drawing or tattooing?
I was always drawing and making shit as a kid, but I have very little formal training in art. It might be more fair to say that I have none! Everything I’ve learned about drawing, composition, color theory, et cetera comes from working with really talented and generous tattoo artists over the years.
Stylistically, is there a big difference in mediums for you?
I think of tattooing mostly (but not exclusively) as a craft. An incredibly creative, sustaining and inspiring — but extremely strict — craft. And by that I mean it’s possible and necessary to apply your own creative sensibility to your tattoo work, but you should never sacrifice the fundamentals of good tattooing to accomplish your own, or your clients’, weird artsy goals. Someone has to wear your experiment for the rest of their life.
Has living in New York affected your work as an artist?
I don’t think you could live in New York City and not have your work be affected. On one end of the spectrum, you may be overwhelmingly crippled by the fact that you’ll never ever be as [insert adjective of your choice] as [insert person of your choice]. On the other end, you might be equally as crippled by the heart-wrenching beauty of all that creativity. Most days I aim to wake up somewhere in the middle so that I can actually function.
The tattoo world has come into the limelight in recent years. Is that a double edged sword?
I got into tattooing on the tail end of the pre-internet days, and even though it wasn’t that long ago, it was really different. Tattooing was, is, and always will be fucking awesome regardless of what the current mainstream trends are. It feels a bit wrong for me to talk about tattooing’s past (even it’s most recent past) and future because I’m still dumbstruck that I get to have this job. I just have too much respect for the tattooers who came before me to pretend as if I’m qualified to speak of days past. I feel lucky they even let me in the club.
What’s a normal day for you entail?
Coffee, dog, draw, draw, draw, more coffee, draw, email, emails, bike ride, tattoo, tattoo tattoo, food, more dog, maybe more coffee, draw, paint, write, read … with some eatin’ and lovin’ thrown in the mix.
— Photos and text by Josh Wool](http://25.media.tumblr.com/9355aa6c9ddefc19cd045e4b92fd0ea7/tumblr_mfcnd4rgOp1rrpm57o9_1280.jpg)
![The Creators of NYC: Tattoo Artist Virginia Elwood
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to Creators of NYC.
Virginia Elwood
Tattoo artist Virginia Elwood has been plying her craft for the last 12 years and has made a name for herself at New York Adorned as one of the top talents in the industry. I first saw her work several years ago, and I bumped into her on the G train in Brooklyn shortly after I arrived in New York. After almost a year of exchanging emails, we finally sat down in her Carrol Gardens home.
When did you figure out that tattoo art could be an actual career?
When I was a little kid, I remember wanting to be either a scientist, a ballerina, or a garbage man. I don’t think I had a definition or reference for “art as a career.” I set out on my own at a really young age and drifted from one random job to the next … a career in fine arts was not a realistic or practical goal at that time. The idea that a person could actually get paid to draw didn’t occur to me until I fell head over heals for tattoos as a teenager in the 90s.
Which came first, drawing or tattooing?
I was always drawing and making shit as a kid, but I have very little formal training in art. It might be more fair to say that I have none! Everything I’ve learned about drawing, composition, color theory, et cetera comes from working with really talented and generous tattoo artists over the years.
Stylistically, is there a big difference in mediums for you?
I think of tattooing mostly (but not exclusively) as a craft. An incredibly creative, sustaining and inspiring — but extremely strict — craft. And by that I mean it’s possible and necessary to apply your own creative sensibility to your tattoo work, but you should never sacrifice the fundamentals of good tattooing to accomplish your own, or your clients’, weird artsy goals. Someone has to wear your experiment for the rest of their life.
Has living in New York affected your work as an artist?
I don’t think you could live in New York City and not have your work be affected. On one end of the spectrum, you may be overwhelmingly crippled by the fact that you’ll never ever be as [insert adjective of your choice] as [insert person of your choice]. On the other end, you might be equally as crippled by the heart-wrenching beauty of all that creativity. Most days I aim to wake up somewhere in the middle so that I can actually function.
The tattoo world has come into the limelight in recent years. Is that a double edged sword?
I got into tattooing on the tail end of the pre-internet days, and even though it wasn’t that long ago, it was really different. Tattooing was, is, and always will be fucking awesome regardless of what the current mainstream trends are. It feels a bit wrong for me to talk about tattooing’s past (even it’s most recent past) and future because I’m still dumbstruck that I get to have this job. I just have too much respect for the tattooers who came before me to pretend as if I’m qualified to speak of days past. I feel lucky they even let me in the club.
What’s a normal day for you entail?
Coffee, dog, draw, draw, draw, more coffee, draw, email, emails, bike ride, tattoo, tattoo tattoo, food, more dog, maybe more coffee, draw, paint, write, read … with some eatin’ and lovin’ thrown in the mix.
— Photos and text by Josh Wool](http://25.media.tumblr.com/df8178461e1c87dc4977d25833af00ce/tumblr_mfcnd4rgOp1rrpm57o10_1280.jpg)
The Creators of NYC: Tattoo Artist Virginia Elwood
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to Creators of NYC.
Virginia Elwood
Tattoo artist Virginia Elwood has been plying her craft for the last 12 years and has made a name for herself at New York Adorned as one of the top talents in the industry. I first saw her work several years ago, and I bumped into her on the G train in Brooklyn shortly after I arrived in New York. After almost a year of exchanging emails, we finally sat down in her Carrol Gardens home.
When did you figure out that tattoo art could be an actual career?
When I was a little kid, I remember wanting to be either a scientist, a ballerina, or a garbage man. I don’t think I had a definition or reference for “art as a career.” I set out on my own at a really young age and drifted from one random job to the next … a career in fine arts was not a realistic or practical goal at that time. The idea that a person could actually get paid to draw didn’t occur to me until I fell head over heals for tattoos as a teenager in the 90s.
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The Creators of NYC: Leather Craftsmen Billykirk
Josh Wool spent a decade as an executive chef, opening restaurants across the south. But all that changed in 2010, when the carpal tunnel in his hands meant he could no longer work. To keep from going stir crazy, he picked up a camera and found his next calling. Two years, thousands of portraits, and a move to New York later, Wool is documenting the people who inspire him on a daily basis. Welcome to Creators of NYC.
Billykirk
A simple, well-worn leather watch strap was the catalyst for brothers Kirk and Chris Bray to start a business. In the last decade they took an idea and built it into a thriving leather goods company called Billykirk, recently transplanted from LA. Their focus is on craftsmanship and quality, and it shows in their products. I first met the duo at the Pop-Up Flea Market in Chelsea, and they invited me out to their workshop just across the river.
Billykirk is making hard goods meant to stand the test of time, in an age where everything is disposable. What’s your philosophy on that?
Chris Bray: At a certain point you start to think about a product’s worth. Saving money versus an item’s longevity becomes questioned. I think we would all agree that, on the surface, saving money makes sense. However, peel back the onion and one quickly realizes that while you may get that initial satisfaction of saving a buck on a cheap suit or frying pan, that suit or frying pan will inevitably have a short life.
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