Today we’d like to introduce you to Taryn Moore.
Taryn, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I have been drawn to the arts and free expression since my youth. My love for visual arts really began as a teenager, when I discovered artists like Dali and Michael Parkes. I was also drawn to the artwork of the counter cultures happening around me in the early nineties.
I was fortunate to attend New School for the Arts high school, in its infancy, where I believe it all broke loose for me! There, I was appropriately taught visual art, gravitating towards drawing, painting and photography. I continued on with my passion for B&W photography, working at a few photo labs after high school. At that time, I was also getting into playing music and starting bands around Phoenix. It was shortly thereafter, through a series of events and meeting certain friends in the Phoenix music scene, that I was offered a tattoo apprenticeship, which I immediately jumped at. This was the fork in the road that led me away from pursuing a photography career. I have been tattooing now for about 13 years, between Arizona and the Bay Area.
In this time, I decided to branch out and try new mediums. This landed me in a welding program in Oakland, where I continued on and received a certification. I was fortunate to be invited to work on an amazing installation for the Burning Man Festival in 2014, under Michael Christian. This new-found love started me on a path towards metal fabrication. Upon returning to the desert, I have been slowly honing the craft, learning from an experience working for a local high-end furniture company, to then seeking an apprenticeship from a friend, who is an incredible craftsman. It is here I’ve began to design my own line of metal utility furniture. In this time, I have been working at balancing a new creative passion and building a strong tattoo business. I’m hoping the two will merge soon!
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I create artwork because it is an intrinsic need! First, I am a professional tattoo-maker by trade. I provide hand drawn, custom artwork for my clientele in Arizona and the Bay Area. When I am not tattooing, I spend a good portion of my time thinking about it, drawing, designing, and studying different art forms and mediums to apply to tattooing. To keep ideas fresh and in a steady groove, I watercolor paint and make sharpie art, for fun.
I think my work could best be described as nature-centric… I gravitate towards drawing & painting forms in nature as a release from the tensions of society. Sometimes you can find a hidden meaning or metaphor tucked into my personal paintings, like the snakes I’ve been doing recently, for example. My work has predominantly been derived from the tattoo design aesthetic, although I do enjoy going out of those bounds as well.
Lately, however, I am feeling moved to create more social-conscious art because I think we need to keep putting things into perspective, as we watch our nation being divided and ripped apart. I feel like that is where I might use my voice and power.
I have always been torn between my artistic self and my desire to help others, feeling as though there was a division between the two. In recent years, I have been elated to discover that tattooing is actually an effective method of healing and therapy for many people! I am grateful to be in a specialized field where I am able to help individuals feel a little better about themselves. This has transcended my own ideas about my role in tattooing.
I am currently exploring the realms of design and functionality through my metal work, to create more ergonomic furniture for tattooers and drafts-people. We spend so much time hunched over our drawings or computer screens, it would be nice to elevate some of the tension we feel from the long hours of work.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
I don’t know if there is just one big challenge, ha ha. I suppose it depends on the field, as every medium comes with its own circumstances and challenges. Maybe under the artistic-umbrella, it could be the competitive market, even in a time when the arts seem to be flourishing more than ever. In fact, it is amazing to see art being encouraged as a profession! I think the big challenge we face in tattooing is staying current- being on top of demand, cranking out the content on social media and putting in more time towards the craft.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Most of my work is likely seen walking the planet, ha ha! Although that is harder to track, unlike a gallery,
my work can be seen online; Instagram @Tarynzona, on the Lady Luck Tattoo (Phoenix) website, in the shop (where my paintings and designs are hanging) and a Facebook fan-page- Tattoos and Art by Taryn, for now. As things develop further in time, I should have a more accessible website to view and purchase my metal work.
Contact Info:
- Website: ladylucktattooaz.com
- Email: tarynmooretattoos@gmail.com
- Instagram: @Tarynzona, @tammetals
- Facebook: facebook.com/tarynzona/
Image Credit:
All images and work by Taryn Moore
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