Goethe Silva Los Angeles California - USA @tattoosbygoethecall or text 909-641-5488

For over three decades, Goethe has developed a distinctive visual language that transcends tattooing and firmly positions his work within the realm of fine art, marked by conceptual depth and aesthetic rigor. From his beginnings in Durango, Mexico, to the establishment of his art studio in Los Angeles, his journey reflects that of a creator who has not only marked skin, but redefined how Mesoamerican iconography can be interpreted within contemporary art.

Characterized by sculptural relief, dense black compositions, and a striking sense of volume that evokes carved stone, his work transformed black and grey into a monumental and immersive experience. These are not merely tattoos—they are presences: deities, symbols, and narratives that engage directly with the Mesoamerican cosmovision, particularly the powerful concept of duality—life and death, light and darkness—as an existential axis.

In this interview, we explore not only the internationally established tattoo artist, but also the researcher, sculptor, and visionary who has dedicated 30 years to studying, reinterpreting, and honoring an ancestral heritage through a deeply personal lens. An artist who sees himself as a bridge between eras and dimensions, continuously expanding his practice into new artistic territories.

1.Goethe, your work has built a bridge between the ancestral and contemporary skin for over three decades. Before discussing the established artist, I’d like to go back to the beginning: you grew up in Durango, Mexico, and started tattooing at a time when tattoos were still taboo. With 30 years of experience, do you remember what made you choose tattooing as your life path?

Well, back in the day I had no idea that I would make a living out of tattooing. In the late 80’s I was playing with my punk rock band and I found tattoos were another way to express myself against the rules and the conservative society of those days. It wasn’t easy to go out as a Punk kid with tattoos, it really meant something back then.

2.In your works, there is a clear obsession with relief, volume, and texture that mimics carved stone. At what point did you decide that your tattoos would not just be illustrations, but sculptures on the skin?

After my first 5 years of tattooing more professionally, I decided to create my own style by adding to black and grey with more contrast, volume, and textures.

I started doing black on black, which in those years, tattoo artists were scared to use too much black. So, my style naturally came on its own.

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3.Your work has a very clear stylistic coherence. Was this identity a strategic decision, or the inevitable result of a personal search?

Actually, I discovered the Mesoamérican cultures on one of my trips and I felt a really strong connection with it, to the point where I decided to specialize in it.

Gods or Deities are born because of the will of man since remote times. Looking for answers, man places in the hands of the Gods his birth, his destiny, and his death.

I fell in love with the most powerful concept in the Mesoamérican cosmovision “Duality” :life and death, to die and be reborn.

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4.When representing a deity or Mesoamerican symbol, what process do you follow to ensure the image does not become mere decoration, but retains respect and cultural context?

I try to concentrate on real elements. I’ve been researching and visiting pre-Hispanic sites, museums, and personal collections for the last 30 years, so I have extensive knowledge on how to represent Deities and rituals.

5.How does your work engage with the Mesoamerican idea of death as a transition rather than an end?

The Mesoamérican culture is a concept that compacts all the work and effort of man, to overcome his own death.. When it seems that all is conclusive, nothing really ends. It’s only acquired life, it restarts and continues.

I have a special interest in the dark side of the cultures and it’s one of my favorite themes to tattoo. After many years of putting this style on the map, death, underworld, and duality are some of my client’s favorites.

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6.In your tattoos, there is a clear sense of volume and solemnity, as if the skin transforms into carved stone. What emotional response do you seek to provoke in the person wearing such a piece?

Everybody perceives it differently, but for me, I want for my clients to have a deep connection with the images that I’m tattooing on them. I have this crazy idea that each tattoo adopts the personality of my client, so I feel this is very personal to the individual.

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7.On your website, you mention that exploring Mesoamerican cultures changed your life as an artist and led you to study their rituals and gods. How is this deep study reflected in your plastic artwork beyond tattooing, especially in Burials?

Most of my references are from real statues and codex, so I felt a natural necessity of doing painting and sculptures.

All my art is connected, despite different representations and different art forms.

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8.Your project Burials (Underworld by Goethe) uses mixed media and replicas of original bones to recreate an atmosphere of ritual and offering. What do you seek to explore emotionally with this work, and what response do you hope to evoke in viewers?

The Burials project is another way for people to know and understand my vision of the Mesoamérican world from my own point of view, creating an atmosphere were they can feel the different elements and personalities of the deities and a connection with the afterlife.

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9.The material treatment of your sculptures and plastic pieces suggests not only a pictorial interest but also an archaeological one: they simulate findings or relics. How do you choose materials and textures to create a sense of antiquity and transcendence?

It’s a long process; years ago I had the opportunity to buy a couple of skeleton replicas from an original Aztec burial.

They fascinated me, so I cast and made replicas of those bones to use them for my sculptures. I use a mix of materials such as resins, foams, and sand to give them the sensation of being buried with museum quality.

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10.In 2024, you opened an art studio in Los Angeles with your son that combines tattooing, painting, sculpture, and other disciplines. How does it feel to share this creative project with him?

My son has been an artist since he was a little kid. He went to ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, CA. and finished with a degree in illustration.

For me it has been amazing to share everything with him. I’m so proud, he’s been tattooing professionally for 3 years now and he’s killing it. We have been doing projects and collaborations together, so fun!

11.If your work were read in one hundred years, what would you like it to say about this era and about you as an artist?

I would like for people to know and understand the vision of my work. I’m just a link between different eras and dimensions.

To me, the Mesoamerican deities are characterized by possessing a human personality. So, I feel they exert me to create a vision of them in my own world.

12.For those who would like to contact you, how can they do so?

They can contact me at 909 641 5488 (call or text)

or at my instagram page @tattoosbygoethe

13.Finally, thank you very much for your time and for allowing us to share a little about your art and your story. This space is all yours: would you like to share any final words with our readers?

Be in touch, we have tons of new projects coming (sculptures, painting and Art collaborations)

I really appreciate the support from my friends and clients, thanks for the opportunity to be featured in this magazine

See you guys soon