When one thinks of a traditional tattoo parlour, it’s easy to let thoughts jump to lurid combinations of dark, dingy and hairy. Dotted with a combination of Raoul Goetze’s own well-known mandalas and beautiful Opus Studio creations, Palm Black Tattoo Co. in Harrington Street, Cape Town, is quite the opposite.

It’s light. It’s organised. There are fresh flowers. And surfboards. Whatever stereotypes you automatically associate with tattoo parlours, it’s time to put them to one side.

“There was no look or feel that I intentionally planned on,” says Raoul, “but I definitely wanted a space that would be calm and welcoming. I guess I just started at a point and went with what felt natural. When you just go for it, chances are that a space will naturally speak for itself and portray exactly what you’re about in the form of colour palettes, artwork, furniture, layout and feel.”

Most of all, Raoul wanted a space that felt authentic, “a space that when you walk in, you immediately know that it is mine,” he explains.

The 158m² space is comprised of two levels, a ground floor reception area and an upstairs studio space where Raoul tattoos his clients. The ground floor area also plays host to stylist Nico Nigrini’s local menswear label, Stiebeuel.

Visit Palm Black Tattoo Co. at 115A Harrington Street, Cape Town (by appointment only). For more information, go to facebook.com/palmblacktattooco or raoulgoetze.com.

The post Palm Black Tattoo Co. appeared first on Visi.

Read in English.

Raoul Goetze is ’n opgeleide multimedia-ontwerper wat bedags as tatoeëerkunstenaar werk, saans kitaar speel in die psigedeliese rock ’n roll-groep Wild Eastern Arches, en hom tussendeur besig hou met visuele kuns, afdrukke, tekeninge en etse. Die lieflike ingewikkelde mandalas wat hy skets en dan met laser op mahoniehout graveer, het ons oog gevang.

“Ek spesialiseer in grafiese ontwerp, wat my die streng dissipline van ontwerp-uitleg, konseptualisering, aandag aan detail en ’n strewe na volmaaktheid geleer het – en natuurlik ook om altyd iets te probeer maak wat op visuele vlak aantreklik is. Nietemin het ek praktiese ontwerp – dít waarvoor jy net ’n potlood en papier nodig het – gemis. Dit is waarom ek hout as medium gekies het: om my hande ’n slag weer vuil te kry,” verduidelik Raoul. Hy sê hy word ook geïnspireer deur die ritualistiese en spirituele aspekte van mandalas en hou van hulle balans en die detail in hulle konstruksie.

Ons het Raoul se werk gesien en daaraan geraak en is heeltemal uitgeboul deur hulle eklektiese invloede en die manier waarop die werk put uit al die verskillende kreatiewe dissiplines waarin hulle skepper hom werp. Volgens Raoul dien sy mandalas as vertrekpunt vir toekomstige projekte, wat op visuele en funksionele ontwerpe sal fokus. Ons sal beslis op die uitkyk wees vir nog skeppings deur dié maestro.

raoulgoetze.com, 084 089 6601, raoul.goetze@gmail.com

The post Hout-tatoeëerkuns appeared first on Visi.

Lees in Afrikaans.

Raoul Goetze is a multimedia designer by training, a tattoo artist by day, guitar player for psychedelic rock’n’roll band Wild Eastern Arches after hours, and between all of that he produces visual art, prints, drawings and etchings. His stunning intricate mandalas, which he sketches and laser-engraves onto mahogany wood, have caught our eye.

“I specialised in graphic design, which taught me the discipline of design layout, conceptualisation, attention to detail, striving for perfection and making something visually attractive. However, I longed for hands-on design using only a pencil and piece of paper. This is why I chose wood – to get my hands dirty again,” Raoul explains. He is also inspired by the ritualistic spiritual background behind mandalas, and is fascinated by the balance and detail in their construction.

We’ve seen them, we’ve touched them, and we’re captivated by their eclectic influences and the way they draw from the different creative disciplines in which their creator immerses himself. According to Raoul, they are a point of departure for future projects that will concentrate on visual and functional designs. We’ll definitely be keeping a look out for more from this maestro.

raoulgoetze.com, 084 089 6601, raoul.goetze@gmail.com

The post Wood tattoos appeared first on Visi.