A conversation with Jay Rose, new interviews every Monday.

Growing up in Montreal it seems to be a pretty artistic place, did you imagine that tattooing would be the career path you would take or did you see yourself going in a different direction when you were younger?

I made the decision in college to enroll in Technical Theatre and Design, which is essentially carpentry for goth kids who want to be on Broadway. Our curriculum included building and designing sets, costumes, props and engineering lighting and sound design for theatrical productions.

You’re still very young to have been tattooing for five years, How did you get into tattooing?

While my program was interesting, I dropped out after my second semester to pursue tattooing full-on. At the time, my best friend scored a job working counter at our local studio and she pitched me as a prospective apprentice to the owner. After being taken in, I shadowed my mentor for a year and a half before beginning to tattoo and eventually moving on to a different studio in the heart of downtown where I continued my learning. I worked there full time for just shy of 3 years until I packed up and moved to Toronto with my cats right after my 21st birthday. 

Your work is definitely unique to you, it's no wonder people seek out and travel to have work done by you. Is there anything in particular that really inspires your work?

I am incredibly inspired by vintage scientific illustrations and the methodical nature of traditional printmaking. Every line and detail is so purposeful and effective, and I can only aspire to evoke that feeling through my tattooing. I try to source all of the references for my drawings from old books that I’ve collected throughout the years. There are a handful of excellent used book stores in Toronto which means that there’s no shortage of subject matter to pull influence from, but finding the right reference really can feel like finding treasure. It’s one of my favourite parts of the whole process.

Tattooing is an extremely emotional experience for a lot of people, what's been the most emotional experience you’ve had as a tattoo artist?

Tattooing can be a means of healing. As tattooers, we occasionally have an opportunity to help our clients find closure and grow beyond whatever they may be struggling with. I am so often moved by the stories that are shared with me during appointments. Getting a glimpse into the tender parts of people’s lives is such a precious thing and I feel as though I’ve learned so much about the scope of the human experience through these encounters. It’s really so special.

Do you feel your tattoos are an accurate representation of you as a person? Do you feel as though they are an extension of you?

I’ve poured all of my adult life into this craft, so I would say so! Tattooing has become such an integral part of my identity that I feel very bound to the work that I make.

What’s your favourite part of being a tattooer?

There’s always a better way to do what you’re doing. My favourite part about being a tattooer is knowing that my work in terms of growth will never really be done. How can I enhance the experience that I provide for my clients? How can I alter my design process to streamline the actual tattooing? What machines and tools help me to best achieve the look that I’m going for? I’ve definitely had to learn how to be kinder with myself in the self-reflection process. I used to spiral when things didn’t pan out 100% how I was imagining, but living on eggshells with your brain just isn’t a sustainable way to go about your life - especially when we have the privilege of making art for a living. Being mean as a reaction to my personal learning curve only ever hindered my productivity at the end of the day. A huge stepping stone for me was coming to the realization that it didn’t all have to be so… devastating. 

COVID_19 really threw a gear in the works for a lot of people, how did it affect you and how did you use the time that you had off? Do you think that it hindered you creatively or had the opposite effect?

For at least the first two weeks of quarantine, I spent all of energy logging the majority of the wildlife in Red Dead Redemption 2. I think that it took me a while to realize that we were really in it for the long haul. Once I hit that point, I pivoted away from my new life of being a full-time gamer and used my time to explore linocut printmaking. I spent a few overnight Youtube rabbit-hole marathons watching dozens of videos of quiet men carving linoleum in a (usually) dark room before trying it out myself. When I zero in on something, I have a habit of becoming obsessed with it… so I did a lot of printing over my pandemic-forced retirement. A LOT of printing. Oh, and I made myself a website. Honourable mention to all of the hours I spent as a child customizing my Neopets user-lookup - HTML is cool.

Last but not least, what are you most excited about working at Delete After Death?

I get to work next to incredible artists that I can bounce ideas off of, learn from and shoot the shit with. I often end up spending more time at the studio than I do at home, so I am so grateful to be a part of a space that is so conducive to being creative and maintaining a positive atmosphere. We hold each other accountable for our respective projects. It’s pretty special. Oh, and as an added bonus: the ceiling is pink.