When it comes to neo-traditional tattooing, everything is bigger, brighter, and badder down under. And we caught up with a true industry icon, Australia’s own Matt Curzon, to learn how he’s become a leader in the evolving genre. With just seven short years in the game, he is coming out of the gate swinging and whooping the butts of artists with 20 years to their name. His unique approach to color theory has the entire world talking, however, it is his extensive knowledge of composition, value, and contrast that keeps his clients coming back for more. We can assure you that you’ll be booking your next trip to Victoria after getting a sneak peek at just a few of the tattoos this artist has to offer. Or at the very least, you’ll be sure to follow him on Instagram after this interview. Take a look to learn how he became one of Australia’s top dogs, how he developed his unique approach to color, and which cities he will be visiting in 2018. Who knows, maybe a Matt Curzon custom is in your future.
When did you start your tattoo career?
I got my apprenticeship about eight years ago in suburban Victoria. I did my first tattoo on myself about seven years ago now and slowly got less shitty from there.
What led you to work in neo-traditional?
It was a very organic development. I certainly wasn’t aware of the term or niche of neo-traditional when I was starting. I was into bold tattoos and traditional themes but I always felt like my straight-up trad drawings looked boring. I studied the stuff guys like Matt Collins and Evan Griffiths were doing with more expansive colours and different line weights and started to use techniques like this, along with other tricks I learned from tattooing in all styles to eventually develop a style of my own. It wasn’t necessarily my goal, I just wanted to make the best tattoos possible, and eventually this one style is what I did best and therefore all that people asked me to do. I still don’t consider myself a neo-traditional artist personally, although I’ve embraced the fact I fit into that category. I just try to do color tattoos that are as powerful and dynamic as possible.
Who were your biggest inspirations starting out and who do you look up to today?
This story is from the July 2018 edition of Inked.
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This story is from the July 2018 edition of Inked.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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