Tank Maass Spring, TX

TANK MAASS

I was born and raised in the Greater Houston area; I moved away when I was 22 and only recently moved back. I started tattooing and piercing around 2003 in Waco, TX. I had a short and rather crappy apprenticeship which led to some struggles in making advancements, but I managed while continuing to work full-time being an EMT, then a process technician, and then a manufacturing production manager. In 2013 I decided to step away from everything else and started focusing solely on my passions and career as an artist. I enjoy a challenge and love small details, but I get the most excitement from black and grey realism and anything with a horror vibe or a dark and macabre aesthetic ⸺ Who/where do you get your inspiration from? My love for all things macabre. Death is inevitable, and the struggles along the path to that end are what we call life. Lately, I have been working with some clients that struggle with mental health disorders from walking that path, and I try to capture their struggles in their tattoos in hopes of helping them heal ⸺ What advice would you give to

someone about getting his or her first tattoo? (A tattoo virgin)

Always check the portfolio of the artist before you get work from them. If you don’t like the work they post, then you might not like your tattoo ⸺ What did your family and friends think about you getting into the tattoo business? They were all very supportive; I think my mom was the first person I ever tattooed; besides myself ⸺ What would you say is your favorite part of the job? I truly enjoy working with my clients, getting in their heads, and seeing the joy that my art brings them. The best reward is seeing the true emotion of when a client looks at their finished piece; you can’t replace that feeling ⸺ What was it that initially sparked your interest in tattooing? It may sound weird, but it was the machines and the process of tattooing. I built my first tattoo machine when I was about 12 after seeing one operate ⸺ Who are your favorite artists? I have always looked up to the amazing art by Paul Booth, Bob Tyrell, Goethe Silva, Victor Portugal, Guy Aitcheson, and David Jorquera, just to name a few. ✕