 In my youth I read a quote from Pablo Picasso that said, “We all know that art is not the truth, art is a lie that makes us realize the truth.” Since that moment I’ve been hooked on any artistic outlet that I could find. From learning to play an assortment of musical instruments in my teens, to writing poetry and drawing, to receiving formal photographic training in my early twenties from former Vogue and Cosmo photographers. The pursuit of art/truth became my life. During the remaining years of my twenties, I worked as a photographer in the Music Industry photographing live performances of groups ranging from Aerosmith to Slipknot in venues stretching from Red Rocks Amphitheater to the Cabo Wabo Cantina for a variety of publications and promotions.
Beginning in my thirties, a couple of things happened that would have a direct impact on how my life would evolve. First, I met the most beautiful woman on this Earth and with divine intervention I now proudly know her as my wife. Unfortunately as our new life together was beginning, the life of the other most important woman in my world came to an end and I lost my Mom. Standing at the edge of an emotional abyss I knew that if anything would help me understand and deal with this it would be art. The question though was, what type of art did I need to pursue? Having gotten my first tattoo as a Christmas gift from my parents when I was sixteen and being an avid collector ever since, I came to the realization that this would be the perfect outlet for my artistic expressions. After conferring with the brains of the outfit (my wife), I approached a tattooist named Mr. Scary whom not only did I have work from but very much respected as an artist and hence was lucky enough to get an apprenticeship through him. However, as I was finishing up my apprenticeship, death decided to come back in my life once again and I lost the sister that had influenced my photography. Again, I sat in quandary. About this time I was given the opportunity to stay working in the tattoo industry, but in a different way, and thus I began photographing and writing about tattoo conventions and shops for Tattoo and Savage Magazines.
email jeff at:jeff@pikespeaktattoo.com
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Yet again, as I was getting settled into what I thought my reality would be, I lost another key figure in my life, Uncle Bud Yates. Someone who not only encouraged me as an artist, but inspired me to be a better person to all I met as well, and who also gave me one of my most prized possessions – a piece of his art on me. The following year as I was photographing the National Tattoo Association’s annual convention I ran across Uncle Bud’s beautiful bride, Aunt Brinda, whom after talking with for awhile offered me a position at Pikes Peak #2 as a shop manager and artist. With an offer that I couldn’t, nor wouldn’t, refuse, I now split my time between running the shop (tattooing and bringing in guest artists from all over the world), photographing for the magazines, spending time with my beautiful wife and our two dogs, Reba and Cassidy, and as always, continuing to search for the truth that the lies make us realize.