Kurt Wiscombe Tattoos for the Individual Interview by Kore Flatmo
In the spring of 2003 or 2004, I can't remember which; my wife and I were invited to come up to Rob Thomas' first Vancouver Tattoo Convention. After spending some time in Los Angeles, we piled onto a plane with Dennis and Jason from Incognito Tattoo and headed north anticipating a good time with great tattooing. We weren’t disappointed. It seemed that every tattoo I saw was better than the last. The caliber of tattooing in Canada is outstanding but more importantly, the people doing the work were genuine and kind.
On the second day of the show I was approached by a young man requesting a large black and gray Hanya on his left leg. It was a busy weekend and everyone always seemed to be talking at once. So from where I was sitting, it was hard to make out what he was saying. But he knew how to get my attention. He lifted up his shirt and showed me a back piece of a snake and flowers, the kind with enough quality and style that I stopped tattooing and took my gloves off. After getting his name my first question was, "Who did your back?" He just smiled and pointed across the way, down three booths from where we were working, and pointed to Kurt Wiscombe. I was about due for a smoke break anyway, so I made my way over and introduced myself and paid my respects.
What was meant to be a five-minute break became twenty minutes of me examining his portfolio and chatting with whom I've come to regard as one of the most talented tattooists I know. Since then we've kept in contact and I've kept my eye on his art. Watching the evolution and process of his work has inspired me as an artist and excited me as a fan. I'm happy to share with you a recent conversation that we had, I think it will offer some insight into his personality and character as an artist.
