Nick Bubash: Hand to Gods

I met artist Nick Bubash in his Pittsburgh home earlier this year, and I was shaking in my boots nervous.  The man is the real deal, he performs and executes artistic endeavors with a passion that is intimidating to stand next to. Yet the opportunity presented itself, and I leapt at the opportunity.

How much do you know about his story? It's really rather interesting. He's been tattooing since the 70's (via Thom deVita on 4th St, then McKee's Rocks in Pittsburgh); he overcame some difficulties, and now works prolifically producing piece after piece of awe-inspiring art.

Bubash has the most amazingly diverse portfolio of sculpture, tattoo, and print-- and kicks ass in general. The book he made with deVita, Hardy and others "deVita Unauthorized" is being mass produced as we speak by Hardy Marks (it will be out in May, mass distributed early 2013) and he has a Warhol Museum show coming up... but even without the new stuff, dude's work is in LOU fucking Reed's private collection--and a million other places around the globe.  His resume goes back to before the tattoo-art changing Ed Hardy show  Eye Tattooed America in '93, and has been inspiring tattooers as artists all along the way.

Thom deVita said he was in the first school of tattooers from art school:

"Him and Ed Hardy. They influenced a whole generation of tattooers who can draw and he's never been mentioned in the magazines." said deVita on a 'inter-visit' I had with him one morning. 

And, the dude is animated, he talks with his hands, tells the worst jokes, and the best stories.

"What do you call an Italian with one arm?" he asks at the beginning of our interview.  "A speech impediment."

After completing a two hour interview (8,000 +  words, phew!)  I came to see a more well-rounded, funny, and sensitive man and gained a candid insight into his intimidating genius as an artist.  I loved his work, and now I love him as a friend.

The Skin&Ink feature I wrote on him will be out next month. Viva la Bubash!

<><> <><> <><> <><> <><>