In order to succeed in the tattoo business nowadays, simply knowing the technique is not enough. Every day, people put more care into what they’re getting inked and, as the craft acquires more and more followers, people’s demands increase as well. That’s why it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see so many visual artists constantly moving between their craft and the tattoo business. It’s not only a matter of popularity, but also about having a new and more versatile canvas to display their works.
Either way, the art of tattooing is evolving rapidly and many artists are innovating and changing the game every day. Simone Plaff and Volko Merschky are two examples of this new wave of tattoo artists. Hailing from Germany, they have revolutionized the tattoo world and even created a new trend and movement called Trash Polka. This new current mixes different artistic techniques like modernist collage and traditional street art forms, such as graffiti, stencils, and sketches. Often restricted to a black and red color palette, these designs are definitely one of a kind and promise to radically change the aesthetics of the tattoo art.
As the creators of this trend claim, Trash Polka tattoos are unique pieces that can only be inked at their studio, the Buenavista Tattoo Club. Moreover, when explaining what it is that they want to express through these peculiar designs, they say that it’s a mixture of abstract forms and elements present in nature. They also use realist and trash art in order to depict a timeless image located somewhere between the past and the future. They’re the connection between our humanity and the dominance of technology in our lives, hence the trash vibe of their design and the name they gave the movement.
The main idea behind this style is creating a chaotic image with elements that can be interpreted in many different ways. It’s all about contrasting concepts and details: from phrases done in simple fonts to extremely detailed figures, bright colors, and interesting themes. That juxtaposition of elements makes each piece unique and carries a very particular message.
There are some things to bear in mind before compromising to such a complex and intricate style as trash polka. For starters, although you might come with some ideas for the elements you want the tattoo to include, you won’t have the last word on every single element conforming it. That is to say, these are seen as works of art in which the artist portrays their own individual vision. So, your body becomes just a canvas where the artist decides what they want to depict. This is particularly important when it comes to the size of the final designs.
This is not a subtle style. On the contrary, trash polka is for those audacious people who want to make of their body a unique, bold, walking artwork. However, it’s also important to know beforehand that the imposing, bright strokes and colors of these tats are not as durable as you would think. In other words, they will only look like you’re seeing them now for a short span of time. Since these tattoos play with shadows and different thicknesses in their lines, it’s very likely that those thinner strokes will soon fade away. The same thing happens to the colors. For instance, red hues tend to fade faster than other tones, and black will not always look that dark. Regardless of the quality of the ink, it will gradually lose its intensity and become opaque. So, if you want to maintain the same fierceness, you’ll have to take very good care of it and consider it’ll need some touch-ups over time.
Still, this is one of those styles that are becoming really fashionable in tattoo circles. In my opinion, I think it’s worth a shot. Even when other tattoo artists are adapting Plaff and Merschky’s style into their works, the original idea comes from this pair of artists, and who better to create them than them.
If you want to see more of these designs, take a look at their official Instagram profile: @trashpolkaofficial
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