We had the good fortune of connecting with Landon Morgan and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Landon, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Authenticity, kindness and a desire to connect with humans has always been a big part of my adult life. My art is pretty controversial at times, so I didn’t realize how much my actual character impacted the way my clients saw me over the years. I think treating others the way you’d like to be treated and acknowledging the inherent imperfections that exist within all of us has been a huge driver in my ability to remain relevant in an ever-growing, ever-changing creative field.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m not sure that anything sets me apart from my colleagues other than the style I chose to explore. Being someone who loves learning and growing and trying to be better at creating art for other people should be the bare minimum for something like tattooing. It is a privilege to exchange with clients in such intimate, creative ways. I am really proud of this developed mindset. Early on, in the trivial successes of my career, I met people that were great inspirations to me— time and time again, they lead by example in humility. They showed me that you never arrive and that a career in the arts is just a journey and if you ever feel like you’ve arrived you’ve lost the heart for what being a creative is. I feel like these creators are the reason I am where I am at —That and a healthy amount of “right place, right time” circumstances. Stylistically, no one was doing what I was doing 10 years ago. As a result, I had to learn without any resources. Now I see people entering tattooing with a working knowledge of the way they want to explore what one can accomplish on skin. There are more and more people 2 years into their career who are a thousand times better than I am at something I’ve been working at since they were in elementary school— and I kind of love that.
I came up in a rapidly changing tattoo world. Instagram was a new platform and a few of the new kids saw it as a marketing opportunity. 14 years ago I was a sign that tattooing was shifting. Generally speaking, tattooers didn’t like new blood. Now, it’s more inclusive than ever. Tattooing should be a case study in our ability to progress, even if I disagree with some of the directions people have pushed it.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My best friend and I don’t need constant stimulation to create core memories— if you have a best friend, you know that rotting on the couch is a completely acceptable besty date. However— we love food, deeply.
For the sake of the hypothetical:
Breakfast? He loves Denver Biscuit Co. while I love a local diner vibe like Jelly’s. After that, we’d maybe hit my favorite dispensary, Frost Exotic Cannabis on Alameda and Frederal.
Then, we would fill up the tubes with air, take a drive and hit Lyons to float down the river and talk shit about philosophy and the divisions being exacerbated in this country/world.
Lunch? Hands down, King of Wings—either location(Golden/Wheat Ridge). Best wings in Denver. Period. Anyone with a differing opinion is lying to you or hasn’t tried KoW.
Dinner? If we needed a night out, though we are not vegan, I would take him to Somebody People to experience the culinary magic that the crew there concocts with vegetables. Or we would hit our regular stop, Citizen Rail for a tomahawk and a glass of wine. Both these spots boast some great cocktails too.
If the ratchetry vibes were above normal, we would smash some drinks and bar food at Brutal Poodle or Sputnik. That is not the norm for use tho. We would probably end up at edgewater’s Alamo watching a movie before zipping over to Joyride for a beer.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mother (Shelly), my step-father (Roger),
My sister (Lindsay), The artists/people who have inspired me and made me a better person along the way: Kenny Restrepo, Gerald Feliciano, Zach Donn, Tommy Sisneros, Derrick Nail, Pony Lawson, Diana DeAugustine, Kelyn James, Nicole Vaughan-Diaz, Mikey Quackenboss, Sean Ricciardi, Alita Deferrari, Paul Adams, Andrew Silas, Eric Burd and Zo Vallejo-Bryant. (I’m probably forgetting some major people in the moment.)
It’s also dedicated to the people who hurt me, intentionally or unintentionally, they made me learn a great deal about who I am at my core.
Instagram: tattoosbylandon
Twitter: tattoosbylandon
Other: https://www.cocreate.ink/artists/landon-morgan