Today we’d like to introduce you to Chase Montrose.
Hi Chase, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I always knew that I wanted to be a tattooer from the age of 15. I grew up with my grandmother and she had a lot of Japanese art and antiques around her house, so when I started seeing large-scale Japanese bodysuit tattoos, that’s what I gravitated to because a lot of those tattoos are based on old Ukiyo-e (woodblock) prints that I was familiar with. And I knew that I was going to have a bodysuit and I knew that I wanted large work. So, I started Researching, tattoo magazines, in person parentheses I would always approach people with large scale tattoos and ask who did them and then go look at them up and look at what their other work looked like.) books and word-of-mouth. I had actively started to try to come up with a plan after 2008 when I had to have emergency brain surgery. I had a parasite in my brain, and after that whole ordeal, I knew that I really wanted to tattoo for a living, the timing just wasn’t right after the surgery, but it really lit the fire to start. So, now that school was out of the way, I had just graduated a few months prior to my first seizure, so I think that kinda set my search back for a while. But, around 2013, I got restless and started actively searching for apprenticeship opportunities. I knew I didn’t want to just buy a machine online and figure it out, I wanted to learn all I could about every facet; from the history of tattooing, the machines, needles, art, culture, etc. Ultimately, I’m really glad I was patient and ready to learn the correct way. I would have felt really bad if I had started tattooing and just figuring it out by myself. The knowledge that was handed down to me was a huge help before I actually started tattooing real people with thoughts and feelings and a whole life that could really be affected by me. The apprenticeship gave me confidence that I wasn’t messing everything up. So, I’ve been tattooing out of my apprenticeship for about 8 years now. I started in Cedar City after graduating from SUU. I moved to St. George shortly after and now I’m tattooing at 27 tattoo and travel to Salt Lake regularly for my clientele there.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not exactly, I was very familiar with the culture of tattooing before I started, so I kinda knew what I was getting into. I knew my daily routine would be like preparing a presentation for a new boss every single day, I knew I’d be managing stress and I knew I was signing up to take my sketchbook everywhere and always have homework.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a tattooer at 27 tattoo in St. George, I specialize in and I’m known for my large scale Japanese tattoo work. I’m very proud of my current body of work and I’m always excited to start more projects. As far as what sets me apart from others… I’d say I put in an extra effort by researching and studying older Japanese art and try to learn the stories behind the images to fit the images to the client better. I think matching an image to a client’s personality is important. That’s why I always prefer to have an in-person consultation before a large scale tattoo project that I’m taking on.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
As I said before, having the patience to start the correct way is key. Researching what goes into the profession and really considering what one would want out of it. Early on, I was very passionate about tattooing itself. It was the most interesting and most pure art form from my perspective, I considered everything I could think of, and decided it was the right fit for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: Tattoo27.com
- Instagram: @chasemontrose
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063863340439
