Thursday  Sep 22, 2005

Invisible NYC - An Interview with The Dennings

A renowned tattoo artist with over fifteen years of experience. A contemporary art curator who has worked in some of the city’s most prestigious galleries. Get them under one roof and you have a partnership to reckon with. Oh, and they’re married too. Troy and Jesse Lee Denning are the husband and wife team behind one of New York City’s most dynamic and unique art spaces, Invisible NYC. Founded by the couple in Spring 2005, Invisible is part tattoo studio, part art gallery, and the combination is nothing short of thrilling. Located on Orchard Street in the East Village, Invisible is home to cutting-edge tattoos and an ever-evolving exhibition of some of the hippest art around. I was fortunate enough to get the chance to talk with Troy and Jesse, via e-mail, about walking away from what’s safe and blazing your own trail.

... Justin Pelegano

INKEDblog: Troy, right before you came to NYC you were tattooing in San Francisco. Any major differences between the two cities in terms of tattoo culture? What made you decide to make the switch?

Troy: I wanted to put myself to the test, as far as sacrificing a lot of the creature comforts and luxuries I took for granted in California. To start from scratch and develop something stronger than before, as well as exposing myself to a new environment to draw inspiration from; I truly believe that all roads lead to New York.

INKEDblog: Before you and Jesse founded Invisible NYC, you were working at New York Adorned. Including yourself, some big name tattoo artists have passed through those doors – i.e. Kaz, Chris O’Donnell, Mike Rubendall. Sounds like a one-stop shop if you want exposure to some of the best ink slingers around. Was it hard to leave?

Troy: It’s actually a lot more exciting on paper to see all the big names lined up next to each other than to actually work together. Not that I didn't appreciate the time I spent there, and I'm certainly glad that I got to work with them. I love those guys, and their work is some of the best, but the whole time I was there I was pretty frustrated by a lot of things that I would have been doing differently if I'd had more of a say in how things were run. And looking back I probably made a few people pretty miserable along the way. It was my time to go. To be honest, at Invisible I was a bit nervous that I might slack off since my work was not under the same scrutiny as before. But now I realize that it’s just the opposite, and the shop’s reputation as well as my position as a mentor and leader of my crew is riding on me putting everything I have into each piece, and I absolutely cannot fail.

INKEDblog: Can you walk me through the evolution of Invisible NYC. It’s a great space and an awesome concept.

Jesse: I think both of us had been working really hard for other people, and we finally wanted to work (even harder) for something that was uniquely our own. We were disillusioned with many aspects of our particular professions and wanted to take what we loved about our work and leave behind what we hated. It was an idea we had tossed around and reinvented many times. We never had a definite time line for when we would do it, we just knew it would eventually happen when the time was right. Then this great space on Orchard St. literally fell unexpectedly in our laps and we jumped on it, gave our notice to our respective jobs, and jumped in feet first. The rest is now history.

INKEDblog: How tough is it to get a new tattoo studio off the ground (especially here in New York)?

Troy: Let’s just say I'm glad it’s over. I did everything legit from the start as opposed to opening up and handling problems once they arise. I would call some pretty well known friends of mine for advice and they would be like, "What's an s-corp?" [or] “You’re getting insurance?" That kind of stuff. As far as being a launch pad for the Invisible empire, I think it will definitely be much easier next time. I know what to expect.

INKEDblog: Jesse, what factors lead into your decision to show a particular artist in the gallery space? Does the exhibit have to be tattoo related?

Jesse: I have been working with artists for a long time, many are friends. Thus, I have constantly been scouting young, unrepresented artists whose work I like, as I knew that this was a venture Troy and I were eventually going to pursue. So when we finally decided to go ahead and open the studio I started to contact artists whose work I thought would fit in with the young, urban vibe of Invisible. I choose art that I like. I'm not trying to cater to a specific buyer or trend of the moment in the art world. It is important for me to also choose work that is accessible and intriguing to all and not just the art elite.

Most of the artists have a "street" or urban and somewhat spiritual sensibility which complements the tattoo side of the studio. However, the art is never directly tattoo related, i.e. we don't have exhibits of "flash" or stereotypical tattoo motifs. That's just not my aesthetic or goal. We wanted to truly be an art gallery AND a tattoo studio, not a tattoo studio with a little gallery in the front or a gallery with a tattoo studio tucked away in the back. We take both sides very seriously. My exhibitions are all laboriously installed and conceived. I don't have any staff so it's up to me with the help of the artist to do the mailings, the press releases, the installations, etc - and the artists are all incredibly dedicated to their work. They are amazing.

I never specifically thought about what art would go well with the tattoo side of Invisible, but it seemed to work out that they have thus far gone together really nicely, and I think will continue to do so. Yes, there are some tattoo artists who will be exhibiting in the gallery, but it's the art that they create that drew me to them not the fact that they are tattooers. The imagery in some of the tattooers’ art may reference tattoo themes but the works stand on their own.

I actually prefer for the gallery space to be a separate realm. It’s cool to watch people come in who don't know it's a tattoo studio and [they] begin to look at the art and then suddenly hear the buzzing from the tattoo area, go peek around the divider and see a large, shirtless man getting a snake tattooed on his back. It's definitely interesting and at times comical. Actually having the two parts together has brought customers that were there getting tattoos to the gallery and [they] have ended up purchasing quite a bit of art - and vice versa! It's such a great space, there is nothing else like it, and I'm really proud of it! Off topic I think we are also a lot more approachable and welcoming than most galleries and tattoo studios one visits - that was something that always really bothered me about both types of spaces.

INKEDblog: You guys obviously dig working together, right?

Jesse: It can be tough. We can both be stubborn and opinionated and it's hard not to take things personally when it's your mate as opposed to a co-worker critiquing something you did. But our aesthetic, humor, and work ethic are very similar, and our goal is the success of Invisible. So it works. It's also nice going home together after a long and fulfilling day and talking about what went right and what we need to work on. We understand what the other is talking about since we are directly involved.

Overall it's been a really positive experience working together. I think we've actually gotten to know each other even better. Our work world during the day is also very separate from each other so it's not like we are on top of each other all day - we get our space to do our own thing.

INKEDblog: Invisible NYC opened its doors in Spring 2005. Looking down the line, what are your hopes for the space and the business?

The Dennings: More business and press for sure. The buzz is starting but we really want to be an established "go-to" destination for great art and amazing tattoos - as well as a fantastic overall experience when visiting the space. And we are hoping to eventually expand.

Visit the Invisible NYC site at www.troydenningtattoo.com

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