issue_5_minka
Skin to Skin
with Minka Sicklinger
“A lot of my art is caught in eroticism through the figures I depict. I used to be obsessed with anthropology and indigenous nature and it certainly trickled into my work”
It’s hard not to pay attention to the heavy erotic symbolism and undertones of the Dutch born Australia raised and now New York based Sicklinger’s work. Her unique style of hand-drawn, almost monochromatic illustrations incorporates references to tribal art, the animal kingdom, Russian royalty and Mexican shrines.
Highly seductive, incredibly romantic and profoundly empowering - Sicklinger’s extremely detailed work had acquired her a rapidly growing number of fans, turning her into one of the most sought after female tattoo artists in NYC. “The magic of a tattoo is that I can put my artwork on someone’s skin and it will take a life form by itself. A tattoo is a clash of energies - my energy, the client’s energy and then the client’s tattooed limb coming to life. It’s something I don’t have control over. Illustration on paper is different – it’s great because I can be free. But I’m also bounded by the dimensions of the paper I’m working with, this “ink-to-paper vs. ink-to-flash” the artist reveals.
“The magic of a tattoo is that I can put my artwork on someone’s skin and it will take a life form by itself. A tattoo is a clash of energies - my energy, the client’s energy and then the client’s tattooed limb coming to life. It’s something I don’t have control over. Illustration on paper is different – it’s great because I can be free. But I’m also bounded by the dimensions of the paper I’m working with, this “ink-to-paper vs. ink-to-flesh””
After collaborating with Pamela Love, Bergdorf Goodman and Victoria Secret, Sicklinger is setting up her plans future – an illustration book and a line of t-shirts that are to be sold exclusively at OAK.
Who are we kidding? - her arresting looks didn’t hurt either.
text by: Ori Oren