Cool Married Guys Vol.2 – JK5

I had the pleasure of meeting JK5 after searching the NYC tattoo world for an artist that could do a mean script, for a piece that was very personal and meaningful to me: “Clarity.”

Upon first meeting, I couldn’t believe how incredibly friendly he was, as I had never met a tattoo artist that was quite this personable.   See every time I get tattoo’d, there’s a 10 minute period of nausea and lightheadedness that goes along with my resistance to pain and my intense needle phobia that often annoys artists that just want to “get it done.” But Joey wasn’t phased and did everything short of holding my hand until I got over the hump.  Once we got into it, we got a chance to shoot the shit and I found him to be not only one of the nicest guys I had ever met, but also one of the most interesting, creative and talented. When I created this site and thought of the idea to feature a different “Cool Married Guy” every month, he was the first person to pop into my head…well, after myself of course.  With a new beautiful baby girl at the wheel of his ever evolving creative train, I present to you all: JK5

State your name: My name is Joseph Ari Aloi, aka JK5, and many other things. I was adopted at 5 days old, found my birth mother my senior year at RISD on November 19, 1993, and found my biological father on June 9th 2008.   So my full name, including everything is: Joseph Michael Christian Ari Anthony Wimberger Aloi Marks the 1st.

Sounds like royalty.  Where are you from and where do you live now? I was born and raised in North White Plains, New York, and I’ve lived in Brooklyn, NY for 6 years.

So what’s your story?
I’ve been drawing since I could hold a crayon. I’ve never stopped. Kindergarten was Batman, Robin, and dinosaurs. I gave dinosaur drawing lessons in 1st grade for mik money. True story. 2nd grade was 1977 and the magic and power of Star Wars…I drew it like the wind.

Yeah I’ve noticed a lot of Star Wars influences in your work. What else did you like to draw back then?
Kiss, cartoons, portraits of Jesus from the TV guide, Smurfs, Yankees action scenes, BMX, graffiti. I had a love for penmanship, logos, 70′s record covers, Iron Maiden, the illustrators Derek Riggs, and Roger Dean. I was always drawing both from life, and from within, creating characters and worlds, complete with alphabets, codes, storys, bios, etc.

Being the creative type from such a young age, I’m assuming you probably weren’t super into school? I went to Catholic grammar school after my parents couldn’t handle me getting in trouble anymore, and being a total disruptive clown in the public school. I was a horrible student with impeccable notebooks. I loved religion and mythology, and those subjects had a serious impact on my young, artistic formative years.

Interesting. Was there a creative vibe at home? Any artists in the family? I was raised in a small, clannish, inhibited, character rich, huge, Italian family. From farmers and brick layers, to carpenters and musicians(awesome, cheesy 70′s wedding style) the guys were tough, and their wives fueled my fantasies…being adopted, there was a lot of complexity internally, and I thankfully always had my drawing and art-making as outlets, and vehicles of expression.

Sounds fun. So what type of kid were you? I was a super spazzy kid.  Tons of energy. I played a lot of sports up until the end of high school.  One could say I was well rounded and it all got channeled into becoming a total chameleon artist.high school was at once awkward and painful, with alot of amazing memories…

Sounds more familiar than you’ll ever know.  So since high school is such a formidable time for kids, what influenced you back then? I got really into skating and surrealism, and music was always nuclear to my inspiration.  I was born in 1970, so from the begining it was a wildly ranging mixed bag: Kenny Rogers, Lionel Ritchie, Paul Anka, Barry Manilow, Kiss, Run-DMC, Pat Benetar, Michael Jackson, Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Quiet Riot, the advent of hip-hop, punk rock, metal, everything.

Wow.  Oddly enough, your work makes even more sense to me now.  Sounds like you weren’t exactly the type of kid that could be pigeon-holed?  What else were you into? In 9th grade I was in breakdancing crews, and was a wannabee graffiti writer who kept it in his blackbooks for fear of my dominant, powerful, Italian father kicking my ass if I got caught.  High school it was the new wave movement.  Old U2 was politically huge for me.  The Smiths, The Cure, New Order, Echo and the Bunnymen, corny dance music, 98.7 Kiss fm. I played baseball, serious basketball and tennis straight through high school.

So with all the extra curricular activites, and interests I’d imagine schoolwork took a backseat.  Did you go to college? My grades and S.A.T. scores were horrible, so I had to go to Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.  I majored in art and did really well.  I did tons of work, campus creating and projects, but got kicked out due to a low cumulative average. My parents yanked me out and made me move back home, and go to Westchester Community College.

How was that? It was actually a great school, and I was good friends with the head of the art dept, from taking figure drawing classes in high school.  I would be a guest, and featured as a talented, passionate kid, who the students could learn from. Those experiences were deeply affirming, being very insecure, and artistic in a small, sleepy, blue collar town.  I had a blast that year and half.  I really got my shit together with the help of some awesome professors, and applied to The Rhode Island School of Design in Providence.

Wow, I’ve heard that’s an amazing art school. It was the only school I applied to.   I got in, and i went in the fall of 1991.   It was where I was destined to end up: an excellent art school to focus and explore.

And the rest as they say, is history? The storm of my personal universe was brewing from 1991-1994.  I majored in illustration, but found it too rigid for my organic ways, and ended up doing independent studies in the painting and printmaking departments.  I met an extraordinary community of students from all over the globe, and was exposed to a mindblowing range of music, artforms, processes, movements, and experiences.

So how did you get into tattooing? I was taking a watercolor class with this super talented, punk rock master, printmaker from the suburbs of philadelphia named Forrest.   He had an in-home tattoo shop in his kitchen, and worked on all the students, and a wild set of punk rock and skinhead kids from Boston…my world was expanding.   I decided I wanted a little swatch of a 200 hour pencil drawing i did as a tattoo, and the rest of my path and future vocation of the last 15 years was etched in flesh stone right then and there..

Then on November 19th, 1993, the most beautiful and life fullfilling thing happened during my senior year. I received a letter from my birth mother.  She was living on 6th avenue, between Bleecker and Houston (NYC) since the 80′s. It’s a long story that began with a Sri Lankan doctor, and the unconditional love of my folks, that resulted in a reunion that I’d been aching for and dreaming about my entire life.  23 years, 5 months, and 19 days later, we’ve been the deepst, and closest friends ever since. That September ’94, after a fantastic family trip to Italy, and a painful, jobless summer, i started tattooing. I traveled a lot, lived in the country with a friend in upstate new york, tattooed and drew constantly, and opened my own shop+gallery called JK5 in a small town called Pleasantville, 10 minutes north of where i grew up. I had that shop from 1997-2002. during that time, I published my first 432 page, hardbound book called, “subconsciothesaurusnex. “  I got married, got divorced, sold my shop, rebirthed myself, and moved to Brooklyn, where all of my artschool friends, and a world of other peeps I knew had been for a long time.   On my way to Japan for a show, while my ALIFE show was up, I reunited with an old friend from RISD.  We fell completely in love in the most complete way, and got married.  3 days before my 38th birthday, I found my birth father….the circle is now complete…trip out…

How long have you been married? My wife Azy and I have been married for 2 and 1/2 years. My first marriage lasted just under 3 years…This is it..we have a phenomenal relationship, and an amazing baby girl named Twyla Maggie Snowdrop, who was born April 1, 2009.

So how has marriage changed you? My 1st marriage taught me a great deal…my marriage to Azy has changed me into the most complete, independent, grown, and fulfilled man.

So as a man who has been down this road before, what’s the difference between being married to the wrong woman and being married to the right woman? The right woman will change you in the best of ways. You have to grow, and evolve together. Compliment, support and inspire one another. Willingness to change for the health and progress of the marriage must be mutual, and is central to a good marriage…it’s a lot of work, but it’s an amazing journey through life if you’re in the trenches with someone who you’re crazy about, and who makes you want to be the best you can be. The wrong one will keep you in pain, stagnant and frozen..kind of like Sir Richard in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. ” The true grail will bring you eternal life, the false one, will take it from you…”

Do you think marriage has influenced or enabled your creative process in any way? My marriage has influenced and enabled my creativity on so many levels. My wife is beautiful, super rad and sexy. I created characters and a whole world around her. I drew her so much. She’s an interior designer, so we’re both artists…very different sensibilities, but ones that support and compliment one another and that’s key. We are on the same lifepath, allied, total dynamic duo. The rock solid place I’ve reached internally and in my professional life, I owe so much to our relationship, and all that she’s enabled and taught me to be. We have a blast together, and when it’s rough and we argue, we communicate thoroughly when the dust settles, and learn from it all. Shit gets gnarly for everybody, it’s how you work through it that matters. We’re golden and I love my bunny endlessly…word.

What about the birth of your daughter? Seems like pure inspiration? The birth of my daughter has been explosively inspiring and informing. You are reborn, and grow instantaneously, immeasurably. Your consciousness and heart expands times a million.
I have 100′s of paintings and projects in me, just related to the sketchbook content, and burned through pages since Azy was pregnant. She watches me paint while my wife holds her, and soon she’ll be painting with me. We’re a purely creative family…it’s all the energy that surrounds her….

What do you think is particularly “cool” about married life? Married life with the right woman is cool in every way. Being content and fulfilled is cool. Not being single in this insane city is cool. Growing older is cool. Being a parent is the absolute next level. New levels are cool. What else is there?

That’s awesome man. I heard a rumor about Marc Jacobs making you a suit for the wedding. How the hell did that happen? Marc Jacobs is part of our studio family. Close friends model for him, design for him, and i was the sci-fi nerd that he was recommended to for his “Poltergeist” tattoo in between his diesel shoulder blades. I tattooed a realistically rendered, original “Poltergeist” movie poster on him. 5 hours, then he jumped to Paris, and 3 more hours to finish it.

Wow. What kind of dude is he? He’s a brilliant, sweet, super generous, amazing guy. He knew I was getting married, and tipped me a full suit, shirt, tie, snakeskin belt, shoes and shades for my wedding. Insane. My best man got 80% off just by association. I was super stoked. Thanks Marc, we looked super fly thanks to you.

Have you tattoo’d any other famous people? I’ve tattooed a world of interesting folks in 15 years. “Famous” is such a weird term. Tons of artists and musicians. A few examples that were rad, were ADROCK of the Beastie Boys who tipped me 4 mixed cd’s…amazing. The late Heath Ledger, who I was friends with and miss a lot. I tattooed a tiny freckle that was supposed to be a sun on Penelope Cruz. She talked for 40 minutes, and the tattoo took 30 seconds…hilarious. She was very sweet, and gorgeous in the real live natural flesh.

What projects are you working on currently, and/or which ones have you done recently that you’re particularly excited about? I’m working on tons of stuff at the moment. i have a solo show in the spring, and I’m developing a TV show for kids with clothes and products. Also the “Flowbots”, the toys series I did with Kidrobot in 2007 is being developed into a 360 degree media franchise including: feature films, TV, books, graphic novels, video games, kids clothing, toys, etc. A new toy comes out with Kidrobot in January 2010. A Timex watch I designed with barneys will be in their holiday catalog very soon. Movie titles, invitation designs, logos, a new book of the next 10 years of my work. Always new projects, forms, opportunities and manifestations.

Amazing. Always a pleasure sir. So lastly, where can people see your work or get tattoo’d by you?: Facebook: Joseph Ari aloi, JK5NYC.COM, MYSPACE.COM/JK5IVE, MISHKANYC.COM, KIDROBOT.COM SAVEDTATTOO.COM(JK5),Twitter:flowvex