Tattoo show mourns top body artist’s shock death
FAMILY AND FRIENDS PAY TRIBUTE TO RENOWNED BODY ARTIST
A TOP body artist has been remembered at one of Britain’s biggest tattoo shows months after his shock death.
Dean Taylor was renowned worldwide after his work went viral for his tattoos of comedian Ricky Gervais and boxer Floyd Mayweather.
But the talented Newcastle tattooist died unexpectedly on December 10.
Family and friends visited The Big North Tattoo show at the Metro Radio Arena this weekend where his amazing work was on display.
His proud dad Dave said: “The past five months have been a nightmare for us, it has been so difficult without Dean but this is the perfect place to remember him as he was such a brilliant tattooist. He loved it, he lived for it and we are very proud of him.”
Dave, 60, of North Shields, North Tyneside, went to the show with Dean’s mum Jill, 58, sister Gabby, 23, her fiancé Lewis Hutton, Dean’s fiancée Fiona Clarke, 26, and his best pal and fellow tattooist Peter Steventon and his wife Byrony.
Dean, of Wallsend, North Tyneside, drew praise for his intricate work and specialised in black and grey realism.
He was amongst the globe’s elite body artists and had won sponsorship with Bishop Tattoo Supply based in California, who back the world’s best.
He was due to open his own tattoo studio called Skull Chamber in the Bigg Market in January.
Dean’s dedication and precision to fine detail won him acclaim from his peers and 110,000 Instagram followers.
The 27-year-old rented a space in Northern Glory tattoo studio in Upper Princess Square, Newcastle, where he ran Dean Taylor Tattoos. But he was looking forward to opening the doors to his new business.
Dean’s friend Peter, of Northern Glory, said: “It’s amazing for The Big North Tattoo convention to put on a tribute to Dean as this was his hometown and loved working the show last year. He was one of the top artists in the world so every tattoo artist travelling to work the show will get an opportunity to see his work.”
Dean, a former pupil at John Spence High School, studied to be a graphic designer at North Tyneside College.
His teachers said he was the best they had ever seen, but Dean yearned to be a tattoo artist.
After he created tattoos of Gervais and Mayweather, his works were featured in the Chronicle, in the national Press and on TV.
His tattoo of The Walking Dead character Michonne also appeared on the Meridith Vieira Show in America.
Dean, whose nickname was Hollywood because he was a high-flyer, also got engaged to his childhood sweetheart, Fiona Clarke and looked forward to their future.
Fiona, along with Dean’s parents and sister Gabby, all have lasting legacies of Dean’s work on their bodies.
Martin McIver, co-owner of The Big North Tattoo Show, said: “Dean was one of the best tattooists to come out of the North East, particularly in the realism category.
“We thought we’d put up some of his tattoos so people can see and think wow man, that guy was really cool and did some great work.”