(easy, funny but complicated as f***)

As I posted a while back, there was an interview on Radio AGORA 105,5 (www. Agora.at) made by amazing Nika Škof – her questions were really on spot! We spoke in slovenian languge, so I translated it and here it is…

1. Today you speak in the name of Dada which is not your birth name. So there is Dada, Špela, Tetovarna … So, who are you?

_{I started as Špela and my body still belongs to her. But my tattoo life started as Tetovarna. Then I started to travel and from simple practical reasons Tetovarna just didn’t go through and Špela even less. Letter “Š” is just useless in foreign countries. (haha) – in the end I just outgrew them and I like change. Tattoos I did were taken as something different than usually seen, it was taken as a sort of rebellion inside the tattoo industry. For me it wasn’t like that because I knew that it wasn’t anything new in general, it was just new for me and for everyone else that this was new for. I guess this number was high enough to be taken as something outside of normal. I connected this to Dadaism (1916); the movement consisted of artists who rejected the logic, reason, and aestheticism of modern capitalist society, instead expressing nonsense, irrationality, and anti-bourgeois protest in their works. I sensed some similar links in what I was doing or how I was perceived, so I decided to go with} DaDa – _{and it is easy and sounds fun. – perfect for me} (easy, funny but complicated as f***)

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2. You started to create your style that you are representing in your country and also abroad. How would you describe it, what are you researching? 

_{I am researching myself. This is why I do art. I guess I had things to tell in life, not by using words so much, but by creating and trying to make people feel whatever they need to feel when they are exposed to art. There are no instructions and the same goes for my life. So what I try to achieve is that people forget a bit about their senses that we can all understand (eyes, nose, touch,…) and focus on feelings that appear by using those senses. It’s about the experience that emerges in that moment that we create.}

_{In the same spirit all of my art is created, they are not thought through. I just start to paint when I feel like it – and I wanted to transform that feeling to tattooing. To lose the feeling that I am creating on body and be able to treat it as a piece of paper that lets me do what I want. And this is the freedom that art is representing in general –} this is how tattoo became art for me.  

3. When did you start tattooing?

^{It started in the middle of university studies. I was driven to find new media to work on, not just paper canvas clay,… and it was just the time when some TV shows pumped up on America. And from that I found skin as other media very much attractive. I have never thought about tattoos before, they did not exist in my world, they were never mentioned in my childhood, even if I saw them on people before I actually didn’t see them –} you can’t see something that you don’t know that exists – it doesn’t enter your brain:) _{totally new world, amazing ha?} 

4. In 10 years you went through different stages – how did the point of view change science than?

_{My growth inside of art is connected to growth of me as a person. I take it as big privilege that I can develop my person through my work. It started just as interest in other media – i wanted to learn how to use other tools technically, to know everything connected to it (hygiene, colours, needles, machine,…), and when I was satisfied with that level of knowledge I needed to make something more out of it. The focus transformed from technical part to artistic segment of it. And with that it started the change of my personality, seeing of the world, perceiving tattoos,..} The biggest change was realising the importance of connection between me as an artist and you, the one that is receiving my creation – and I believe it is a strong element of tattoo once you have it on your body. It is important who creates that touch on your body.

5. What were the special moments through your time of work.

_{There were a lot of them. But the biggest change was the moment when I got a tattoo. It wasn’t a big step because I have a tattoo on my body for life, but the way it was made and the feelings that were connected with it. It woke up the big change in me. I met with Raz (aVoid) in Amsterdam, who I didn’t know before. We met just briefly at that time, but enough that I was able to let go.} I know it was his persona, that didn’t need any explanation for me that made me feel that I can just let go and trust the transformation of my body. I didn’t need any plan, any sketch,… nothing… just the letting go of my ego and be willing for him to create on my body whatever he wanted at that moment. It was hard in a way to do that, but on the other hand, just so easy. _{I saw it harder for him, I did nothing but sit there. And the domino effect started, it transformed my life by trusting it. Truly knowing that it is ok to be afraid but at the same time trust yourself and just go. Everything is as it should be, otherwise it wouldn’t be. I gained more by letting him do what he wanted to do on my body, than having something that I just think that I want.} The power of letting go, and trusting someone to change a part of you. And we forget that we do that all the time by meeting new people or being exposed to new experiences. We change every second. Now.. now.. now…

6. Interesting moment that seems like the difference between craft and art work

_{Actually I don’t have a real opinion on that. At one point I stopped thinking about that. I figured out that even this is only the judgment from my part. If I think that I am an artist and not a craftsman, does that mean I might be something more?!?, like my work is worth more if I am an artist!?! Then the question came out,} “what do I really gain with making this classification between artist and craftsman?!?” The answer was just something that pleases the EGO, so there was no need to hold on to that. _{I don’t see it as any different, people create because we need to and that is all that matters. Everything else is irrelevant to me on this point. You don’t have to be nothing more than you are.} 

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7. From this point we could go to many places, but I would like to mention the DOT project. That talks about what you just mentioned – we are what we are and there is no need to feel any more or less special. 

DOT project _{was an answer to all of my thoughts at that time and my} inner growth. _{Of Course it started with a} love story, _{like many of our life changing realisations, cos it makes us focus on ourselves, too much:) (haha). And there came a moment, I was in the store, when I realised that this feelings are not any different that form person waiting in front of me, they are not any different than those that you already felt before in your past, so you actually know everything and you know it’s something you will overcome it is “just” the decision that you have to make, not to dwell on it. It is the easiest, hardest thing to do. And it is the same for me, you and someone in Afrika, and it was the same 1000, 100, 10 and 1 year ago.} But we make out of it our personal and unique story that is not even close to the tragedy that we created in our mind, it is just an ILLUSION. _{And from that aspect I realised that I go through this stuff much easier if I acknowledge all of these truths, if I focus only on things that are true and not the illusions that I would want to create.} Because we all know that it is much easier to suffer than to be happy. You need some guts to be happy. The freedom of knowing that this suffering is not necessity is something truly amazing._{I felt reborn when I realised that and you can never forget this realisation, it sticks with you forever, you start to run your life around it. The suffering will still occur, it is inevitable.}But there is a difference between suffering just to suffer, and suffering that brings you new realisations _{that lead you to overcome whatever is on your mind. Only this way you are growing into better you. It is fascinating to me that these stories don’t have to be special for us to} realize THE truth. 

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8. How did you visually make this project real?

_{It came out of lack of energy to create but at the same time the need to do something, anything. There was a new sketch book and I just drew a circle on the first page. I slowly filled up the circle with ink so it turned into DOT. I turned the page to draw something else, but I just ended up copying the dot from the previous page – then I turned 56 pages in the same manner. And there it was, full sketchbook of dots. From that I made a symbol of communication through art – we are all those little dots. And it is easier if we know that we are not special and if we know that we are connected and never alone. So} I offered this 56 DOTs to all of you, so you can choose your own special DOT, that is actually the same as all others, but still, yours, individual, _{only on your body!} 

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9. Tattooing is connected to the body, lasting, commitment and pain. How do you see this concepts?

_{All those concepts are not that big for me. Commitment to having one for the rest of my life is not something that I see as any pressure. This} body will die, _{it has a date of expiration:) it will not go to history, it will die with me. It’s not like a painting that lives even when its creator dies. So I am at ease with that, it is just for this lifetime. We take it seriously just because it is connected to your body, so it again comes down to me me me me:)) I do understand that, but that is all there is. Hey, it’s your fear to deal with. And pain, this physical body pain connected with tattoos is something that lasts only the time frame of creating it and it’s gone.} The pain that is much harder to overcome is psychological, you can’t see it, you just feel it in your brain – many times you can’t even explain it and if you are afraid to go deep deep inside of you, you don’t even know how to end it. So no, pain with tattooing is a sort of pleasure that comes with it and if you focus on it in the right way it is nothing to be afraid of. 

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10. Prejudice. You mentioned cultural aspesct and from that part we can also talk about prejudice, despite the fact that there are more and more individuals with tattoos. 

_{Again I think it is all connected with the energy of the person that has a tattoo. I have tattoos that are also on visible parts of my body and I never experienced a negative response. A big part goes with}my perception, I don’t experience myself as being tattooed so this prejudice can’t even exist in my mind. If they are not alive in my mind, then they are not there. It is logical and it makes sense. _{I don’t even think that my appearance might bring any level of discomfort to anyone else. Tabo about anything is possible only if we acknowledge that as something that might disturb our  surroundings. One can have problems with even the smallest tattoo, someone else will have to get his face tattooed to feel that. Every time we feel like rebellion with our body transformations is because we think that that thing will have the effect. For me any kind of body transformation does not have that effect, I don’t care how you transform your body as long as you own who you are.} People are judging only when they know that they have power to achieve something, so they can put you out of track. If they feel that there is no way they could achieve that, they will never even start, _{or quickly lose the will to do so.} 

11. Who are people that decide to get your tattoos? Could you classify them?

_{It is completely impossible. There is no way I could classify them, only thing they have in common is some sort of strength to let go – and this is not limited with age, profession, education,… Usually they don’t even know what is the reason for deciding for my tattoo, but that is the part of freedom I am talking about. It is connected to trusting yourself. My tattoo does not need any explanation or reasoning for other people, you just know this is it.. You don’t have to explain anything not to yourself or anyone else:) perfect  freedom. Just think about freedom that comes with not needing to explain things to yourself?!? It’s amazing.} You just let yourself want what you want, but remember there is always responsibility that comes with it. 

12. You talk alot about freedom, connection to the body, connection to people,… but what is your comment on the famous question “how will your body look like when you are old?”

_{I read somewhere this vision, and it is perfect for stealing. “If that is going to be my biggest concern when I am old, than I will be the happiest elderly person in the planet”}

13. What are motivations that you sense in people that decide for getting tattooed?

_{Maybe I like the most that the avearnes of owning our body and it is one thing that we can actually decide (more or less) for ourselves what to do with it. This decision is on us. We can eat as much as we want, we can train, colour our hair, dress as we like,… and ofcourse change it also with tattoos or any other body modification. We are using a lot of media that offers us change of our body – and we do that because then we feel better inside of our bodies. So we are using this media to feel better about ourselves and I think this is one of the main reasons most people do it}. I guess there would be no need to change if we wouldn’t see any benefit for our mind perception in it. _{For me it goes to the same category as someone changing their hair colour,…we are all searching for these feelings in our own way. Until we don’t hurt anyone else with it, just do it, I say.} 

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14. Does it happen that your vision is not aligned with the vision of a person who wants to get tattooed. 

_{Yes of course, but I never force anyone to understand me. It is impossible to force that. We quickly see if this thing makes sense for both sides. We can see that in first contact.} If I don’t make sense to them with my answers they don’t feel it and it just naturally doesn’t go through. _{If that person knows what you are trying to say they are already in the same state of mind. On the other hand, if your words will not make sense there will be no second step. And that is the chemistry that is there or it’s just not.} It is the same as any other relationship, romantic, friends, parents,… it is all the same. _{There has to be a relationship that connects us, and we don’t have to meet before to know that.} 

15. So it also happened that you decline tattooing someone.

_{I wouldn’t say that I decline anyone, as I said in a previous question}. If something doesn’t make sense it just doesn’t happen, it is impossible – I think this is beautiful – you “just” have to know yourself to trust that thing inside you, thing that was there science beginning. We don’t make sense to each other. 

16.    When and what is the when you most enjoy creating?

_{Best way would be to just take that moment in which that feeling to create arises. We all know this is impossible, because people are not standing outside my apartment waiting for me to feeeeeel :). But I can create more or less any time it just depends on what state of mind I am. This is because art is my way of life. This doesn’t mean that I will make a bad tattoo technically, it just means that the energy is different, my thoughts are different and of course this is something that gets transformed into my painting. Sometimes that painting is canvas or paper and other times it is your body. It is sincere and the way life is, it can not be faked.} 

17. Language of touch is one of the first communications that we are aware of. What does that mean to you? How important is for you this physical connection

I cherish the body _{of another pesona and the} touch that happens, _{because this is something that} we, as humans need, _{we are social beings for a reason. I sensed that for the first time when I tattooed someones hands and I had to clean them carefully. It felt intimate, because it is if you think about it. But don’t take that in any kind of erotic way, although this are the touches that are usually experienced with “special” people in our lives. Here we are strangers connected in this way and it is an interesting situation, sometimes you can feel the energy of that in the air – but then again, it is on me to make it comfortable and trusting. With respect to the body of other.} 

18. This kind of contact, experience,.. can also be very therapeutic. Do you ever feel that you are also in that role?

_{Yes, but it is very uncomfortable, cos it goes through my head “who the f*** am I to be that for you}”. As I see it, it is not as therapeutic for them as it is for me. I have no need to teach anyone anything, I have too much to learn to be able to do that. _{But if someone else gets something out of it, then this is more than I can ask for.} Growing together by acknowledging each other is for me the only possible therapy. So I am just doing stuff that I can firmly stand for, with my integrity, and this is what comes out of it. 

19. Through all the conversation there was a big emphasis on freedom. Your freedom and also freedom of every individual. Science when do you think about freedom?

_{It started with a question if} freedom _{is even possible inside the world we live in.} What even makes us free or unfree? _{The only answer I could relate to was that I can only find} freedom in my mind, _{when I am able to achieve that I can be anywhere with anyone on this globe and not feel limited. I came to that by knowing that there is no need for me to do anything I don’t want to. I don’t have to love my parents, I don’t have to create, I don’t even have to live! Point is that I want to do that, it is my} decision _{and when you decide that something is} worth your time _{you don’t feel any pressure, you do those things with ease, it brings you joy and satisfaction.} And I see freedom in wanting, not needing! _{And this is the way I want to create tattoos. We all know we don’t need them and if we make them out of that they will never have the power of the tattoo that just wanted to be on your body! You don’t need to be, do or have anything, but the things that you want will be created by you one way or the other.}  

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Thank you again Nika! Life is one interesting DOT with a big smile:)