The tattoo community in El Paso has blown up within the past decade and since its rise in acceptance and popularity many quality artists have emerged onto the scene. Fusion recognizes all talent and salutes all hard working tattoo artists in El Paso and sees no hierarchy, as anyone deserves the recognition; everyone is equal. Fusion was fortunate to interview 4 El Paso based artists about the tattoo culture as well as their own personal experiences that led them to a career in tattoo art. Myker Yrrobali of Sun City Tattoo is our fourth feature artist.
How did you get into tattoos?
Getting them: I got my first when I had my son at age 19 and wanted to commemorate the moment/remember his birthdate when my mind goes, haha.
Doing them: I was working and trying to go for school for graphic design. Me and school never mixed well so I was about to drop but couldn’t see myself continuing at my job (installing mini blinds). I had been there for 5 years but I wanted to utilize my drawing ability because the old saying, “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life,” or something like that.
How do you describe/define the type of tattoo art you create to someone who’s never seen it before?
My tattoos look like tattoos. I respect the traditions, trials and errors and advice from the older tattooers I look up to. The tattooers that I look up to, their work from 20 years ago, still looks as good as it did then. They follow a set of rules and I am truly thankful for learning them, continuing to learn them and walk down that same path—tattoos built to last.
How has the tattoo culture in El Paso changed/evolved in the past 7 years?
Well there was a handful of shops when I started, now there’s two arms full. Sometimes I cruise around and use my odometer to see the distance from shop to shop and it’s really hard to get passed a mile. I’m a new tattooer, so my opinion on that is irrelevant, but there are a lot of good shops. It shows there’s a demand for it. The military clients seemed to have died down a bit, but we were at war when I started. Definitely a lot more hand, neck and face tattoos and a lot of them are young; more acceptance in workplaces too.
What does art mean to you?
Expression and existence. It’s a way to express myself through all my life experiences—how I learned what I know and memories of when I learned it every time I draw or paint. And existence—I was there doing it and everything I do is another message in a bottle that will hopefully be found at least a few generations down the line.
Who are some of your favorite El Paso tattoo artists?
We’ll I owe everything to Chris Drts. He has blessed me with what I know and has traveled far to seek it, and was gracious enough to bring it back and share. Bill Canales (Full Circle Tattoo, San Diego) has also given me a lot of opportunities to work with him and I tried to absorb as much as I could on my visits. Eric Ward, we are close to the same age, but he started tattooing in diapers I guess, haha.
My close friends Adie Borunda and Robert Devx Ruiz, both of whom made the transition of painting graffiti together to tattooing at Sun City and feeding off each other. And the ones that came before me—especially Renegade Tattoo, I really enjoy hearing Orlando from Renegade speak so many good stories and his hunger for knowledge is inspiring…and Flesh Tones (Our Inked Life & Red Skull). As a new tattooer I still know to acknowledge and respect those who came before me, something I learned from graffiti.
Can you tell me a little about your graffiti background?
I started when I met my best friend in middle school. He knew how to tag and being a fan of lettering I was instantly drawn to it. I started taking it to the next level and in 1996 I painted my first masterpiece. After that I was ditching school to go paint just about every day. Unfortunately it consumed my life so much that I wasn’t able to graduate but I didn’t care—a 3 hour GED test was better than 8 hours a day at a school. I stayed pretty active with it and tried to go beyond letters with the more artistic side of it. I would survive off of it at times with commission jobs from Insights to kids rooms to lettering gigs for stores. If it wasn’t for graffiti I wouldn’t of met my friend Chris Drts who helped me get into tattooing. Of course, I’ve been arrested a few times but the blessings I received from graffiti are unmeasurable. I’ll still paint every now and then but my main love now is tattooing.
Where can people find you and your work?
I work at Sun City Tattoo Zaragoza located at 1441 N. Zaragoza ste.1-D (915) 843-1157. Some of my graffiti art and can be found on cotton and 3rd in Segundo Barrio on the largest outdoor gallery in El Paso. Instagram @myker