The mega in thing at the moment is the Chicano tattoo style. One Latino artist, Chuey Quintanar, is rightfully proud of the global appreciation the artwork of his people is currently getting. Chuey has been working alongside Jack Rudy at the legendary Goodtime Charlie’s Tattooland in Anaheim, CA for the past several years, and is among the greatest of the Chicano genre. A rather quiet family man, at 30 years old, he has become one of the iconic faces of Chicano tattooing, and if someone like Jose Lopez of Lowrider Tattoo lists Chuey as a major influence, there must be something to it. One look at Chuey’s portfolio and it’s easy to recognize the technical and artistic mastery of the tight black-and-grey tattooing.
Before being taken under the wing of Jack Rudy, Chuey taught himself with a homemade rotary machine, which he used on his brothers on the streets. He then hopped from one ghetto shop to another until his friend, Pint, helped Chuey break into the higher echelons of realistic, fine line tattooing. They met at a convention, and Chuey used his new connection to walk into Pint’s shop in Lynwood and apply for a job, which Chuey received in 2003. “This is really where I progressed the most,” Chuey said in deep appreciation.
Two years later, he made the move to Goodtime Charlie’s, where he reached a higher plateau. Coincidentally, he became the father of a beautiful, baby girl. “I would [like to] really thank my wife for giving us this gift, which has changed my life. Please write this down in your article. This is giving me another push to work even harder for our family now.”
The importance of heritage is apparent in Chuey’s artwork. His religious tattoos, largely influenced by Catholic imagery, are a mirror of his Latin roots, which originated from Mexico City and has transplanted into the streets and ghettos of South LA. “We are very religious people,” said Chuey, whose birth name is Jesus, and superstitious too. “If you live in the streets, you need every protection you can get, and sometimes bad people feel better if they receive a Catholic tattoo.”
In conjunction, the ancestral designs of the Central American aboriginals, the Aztecs, Olmecs and Mayans, who left a wealth of highly symbolic imageries and legends to the world’s culture, reflect prominently in Chuey’s portfolio. It is the stories and legends of the Aztec warriors he loves inking the most. He blends his client’s personal history with folklore to create new images, and Chuey often prefers his clients to bring their own ideas into tattoos. “It makes them like the tattoo even more. If they give me some input, it really becomes a part of them, body and personality. Otherwise, if I just do what I want, they might feel like just a canvas for the artist,” said Chuey.
Though Chuey is elated at the popularity of pre-Columbian art among non-Chicano artists, even stating, “It actually feels quite good that our Chicano and pre-Columbian art is now accepted as its own genre of tattooing, as an art form, that it is just not from the streets anymore. You can compare it to many non-Japanese people getting Japanese tattoos. It is art for the world, and this global appreciation is making me proud.” He expects respect for his ancestor’s art. “We do take it seriously. We know what we are getting when we have a certain Aztec warrior tattooed, what he stands for, for example. And we expect others to do the same.”
Apart from tattooing, Chuey has an increasing amount of commercial graphic design projects for fashion brands. Having already worked with labels like Stüssy, Neighborhood and Nike, Chuey enjoys the high-pressure environment of the corporate world. Though he does try to stay out of the “who’s got more wealth” competition between Chicano artists.
Chicano tattooing has finally left the backstreets of the ghetto and reached the consciousness of everybody who can simply appreciate elegant and beautiful tattoos that have not lost their original meaning.
Goodtime Charlie’s Tattooland
2641 W Lincoln Ave
Anaheim, CA
(714) 827 2071
www.MySpace.com/chueygtc
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