The Femme Fatale of Tin Tin Tattoo's
Initially an artist at heart, Maud has transgressed into tattoo artistry since 2011 and has become the pinnacle in Paris for engraving as well as dot-work tattoos.
Before Maud started tattooing, she was an artist for 7 years. Initially when she was painting she experimented with playful use of colour, developing an almost like cartoon style, but when she decided to move into tattooing she went back to basics and started all over again, pioneering her own unique sense of style. She experimented with colour and fun illustrations but then returned to the classic style of tattooing in black and white ink, based on engraving.
She first began to obsess about the tattooist's art when she came to Tin Tin's for her first tattoo by the man himself. Tin Tin, who is considered one of the rock stars of the tattoo world, flipped the misconception of tattoos belonging to gangsters into something elegant and elevated. Tin Tin has since taught her a lot about the industry and has pushed her to use engraving as her definitive style.
Maud is captivated by the language of lines, how to make something essentially two dimensional into an engraving through volume and detailing. 'There's nothing you can't do with the language of lines.' She says. Maud is one of the first tattooists to really elevate her artistry into a beautiful art form. When asked if she feels as if she is part of a new generation creating new art forms rooted in the fine arts, she replied;
'The internet has proved an incredible medium for that. You can see what everyone else is doing globally throughout the world and when we meet one another through conventions, we always help others help creatively.'
Maud is inspired by Thomas Hooper and Jondix - from Seven Doors (London), who works using point work as a medium. Every type of tattoo style brings a source of inspiration; the Japanese style for example, as practiced by the Leu family, who now reside in Switzerland and create very traditional Japanese style tattoos. What is interesting for Maud, is looking at images that bring a sense of movement or a specialisation which differs to her own static engraving.
She prefers when the tattooist uses their own style in general and finds it interesting to see how they interpret a particular design or an idea. There isn't a specific tattoo that she likes to create, but she prefers to do large back pieces as it gives you a sense of two perspectives; from afar, you have a certain image but when looked at up close you can see all the intricate detailing.
Any advice Maud would give to those who are wishing to get their first tattoo would be, most importantly, choose your tattooist well -
'Choose a tattooist who you like the style of and is worthy of doing your first piece.'Being a female tattooist isn't as hard as one might think, Maud says, 'It is an easy environment to work in and there is no judgement. Even as an artist, it's the same creative industry and environment - everyone respects your creativity. It depends on how your work turns out is how you are judged.'
Maud continues to paint, she feels painting is a very important inspiration for tattooing so she will have something from Gustav Doré, and she will combine that inspiration into something unique for her clients. Proust is quoted as saying - 'Only through art can we emerge from ourselves and know what another person sees.' This must be a difficult perspective for a tattoo artist, knowing that one's work of art is for life, when asked about this Maud replied;
'To a certain extent, there has to be a lot of trust because she has to transmit what a person is thinking to ink on their body.' Maud says, 'Now you have tattoo clients who are like art collectors - they like collecting a specific piece of art from their favourite tattooists and it is addictive.' In 20 years time that artist will be the equivalent of Jean-Michel Basquiat today.
Talking of Doré as one of Maud's main inspirations, she recently inked the skin of his grand-nephew, and thus the interlinked world of fine arts and tattoo art has grown full circle.
Photography by Joe Harper.
