A poya tattoo.
RSI
In the heart of Gruyère, a tattoo artist offers his clientele designs of fondue pots or mountain climbs inspired by the traditional “old school” American style.
This content was published on
December 27, 2024 – 12:21
David Mottier is 40 years old. He lives in the heart of Gruyère, in Riaz, where he founded the Rainbow Tattoo studio with his friend Johann Morel. The two artists create tattoos inspired by the traditional American “old school” style: clean designs, thick lines, marked contrasts and bright colors.
But David Mottier’s favorite subjects surprise with their originality – they are linked to Swiss folklore. These unusual tattoos, mixing Alpine and “old school” traditions, have earned him a certain notoriety.
The artist, who grew up in Château-d’Oex, in the canton of Vaud, is inspired by the magnificent mountain landscapes and rich folklore of his region, where peasant painting, furniture painting, decoupage and d Other traditional art forms are still very much alive. Deeply attached to these traditions, David Mottier seeks to represent the symbols and folkloric side of Switzerland. These elements are then integrated into the codes of traditional American tattooing, creating a mixture of genres which gives rise to unique and original designs.
Switzerland on edge: from the fondue pot to the cows going up to the mountain pastures
Among the items most requested by its customers is the fondue pot, a characteristic cast iron or terracotta pot used for fondue. So far, David Mottier has tattooed around a hundred, attracting clients from all over looking for a unique tattoo. Because he is probably the only artist to offer this motif.
Its other strong point: poya. Or the traditional climb of cows to the mountain pastures, a theme that has fascinated him since childhood, so much so that he had it tattooed on his back.
The motifs of the Vaudois artist range from mountain landscapes to edelweiss, from Swiss knives to braids of butter, from cervelas to herbs, including the goblet and the sausage. These subjects, although surprising, refer to the identity role of tattoos. David Mottier’s clients want to express their deep attachment to Switzerland through these designs. Like this Pope’s guard, who came from Rome to get a tattoo of his grandfather’s tractor.
David says that in tattoo parlors, the reactions to his creations are very strong: you love them or you hate them. There is no middle ground with these designs, they leave no one indifferent. And perhaps that’s what makes them so charming.
Text translated from Italian using DeepL/dbu
