Number One Sport
I first encountered Daniel Albrigo at his solo exhibition, titled 'Set Break,' held at the 2-3 Fair Gallery in Los Angeles. Intrigued by his work, I promptly reached out to inquire about the possibility of visiting his studio. While I initially knew him as a tattoo artist, I soon discovered that his artistic repertoire extended far beyond that, encompassing photography, painting, and diverse drawing techniques.
One aspect that captivated me about Daniel's artistry is his self-taught background, as he delves into both classical and contemporary themes of realism, drawing inspiration from both appropriated sources and his own observations. Particularly fascinating are his oil paintings and ink drawings, all of which originate from photographs he personally captured.
If you're in Los Angeles, I highly recommend checking out his latest exhibition, 'Flora,' currently on display at Over the Influence. This collection showcases a series of hyper-realist oil paintings that truly demonstrate his artistic prowess.
Could you please share with me some details about your upbringing and family life during your early years?
I was born in 1982 and spent my formative years in LaVerne, California, in close proximity to the LA County Fair Grounds. My family was divorced and remarried, resulting in five siblings between the two families.
As a teenager, what were your interests and hobbies?
During my teenage years, there was a thriving skate and music scene in my area, and I was heavily involved in both. My friends and I would frequent iconic skate spots in the area, and I even landed my first job at a skate shop called Utility Board Shop. In addition to skating, my brother and I were music enthusiasts and would attend punk shows, reggae and ska concerts, raves, and any other party we heard about at school. We were always on the lookout for new and exciting experiences.
“The tattoo gods have been very kind and have looked after me this whole journey.”
When did you first discover tattooing? And which artists first inspired you?
I became interested in tattoos at around 14 years old and got my first one when I was 15. I collected all of the tattoo magazines and started trying to draw in that late 90s tattoo style. I loved the style but never thought about being a tattoo artist. When I turned 18, I got a bunch of tattoos and spent a lot of time hanging out at tattoo and piercing shops. Being in that environment and watching tattoo artists at work changed my idea of what a career in the arts could be. After being told no twice, but asked a third time, I apprenticed for about a year under a tattoo artist named Matt Green at Classic Tattoo in Upland, California. I started officially tattooing in 2001.
As a young tattoo artist, I was eager to learn and was inspired by just about everyone's work I saw. I was surrounded by some of the greatest tattoo artists in the world and learned from anyone who would let me watch. The tattoo gods have been very kind and have looked after me this whole journey.
I've worked in some really incredible shops in California and New York. I've done a lot of traveling over the years, doing guest spots in the States and around the world.
“I find a lot of happiness and inspiration seeing where artists work.”
What about your time in New York? Who did you hang around with at the time?
My wife Brooke and I moved to Brooklyn in January 2008. I was invited to work at a shop called Invisible in the Lower East Side. From 2008 to 2015, I worked at several tattoo shops in Brooklyn, including NYAdorned and ThreeKings. I have many great memories from each shop and an endless line of people wanting tattoos.
Outside of the tattoo shop, my move to NY was heavily influenced by my hopes to show some paintings in world-famous NYC galleries. As soon as we arrived, I started painting a lot, using the inspiration of being surrounded by good art and artists and turning that into making my own art. I immediately made friends with a group of very talented artists that I'm still close with today. It was and still is an endless inspiration and motivation to see all my friends consistently make next-level work.
How was life in Brooklyn, and what ultimately became the catalyst to move to LA?
We had an amazing time living in Brooklyn, and I felt like I accomplished what I had set out to do. I worked with some of the best tattooers in the country, got my foot in the door of the art world, and was showing work regularly. I had a great group of friends who were all artists/creative people. I feel like I grew up and became an adult during those years. They were some of the funnest times of my life. By 2014, Brook and I both decided we wanted to change things up and started saving some money to move back to CA. Our siblings were all having kids that we wanted to be present for in their lives, but also, honestly, we were over the snow.
Can you tell me about your studio visit series? When did it start and how has it evolved over the years?
Moving to New York started my practice of doing studio visits and taking photos of artists. I had been taking photos (film and digital) since I was pretty young but didn't have any purpose previously. Within the first few months of living in Brooklyn, I met the artist/musician Genesis P-Orridge. S/he was the first studio visit I did, and the plan was to take photos of and do paintings of h/er gold teeth. Something happened during that visit, and I finally saw a new purpose in my photography: photographing artists and their workspace. We both realized we were supposed to be working together in some capacity and started planning things immediately. We ended up having a couple of split exhibitions and collaborated regularly on projects until h/er passing in 2020. The support from Genesis and this studio visit gave me all the confidence I needed to approach other artists about doing studio visits and taking their portraits as well.
It's still one of my favorite things to do, and I'm still regularly meeting new artists and photographing them in their studio space. I find a lot of happiness and inspiration seeing where artists work. Being invited in to take photos always feels very special and intimate to me.
How and when did you first meet Raymond Pettibon? How did your relationship evolve during the multiple studio visits? What was your favorite moment during these visits?
I found Raymond Pettibon on Twitter in 2015. We had a couple of back-and-forth interactions, but honestly, I made a joke about his account looking like a 10-year-old was in charge, and he started following me. After I saw him following my account, I DM'd him, asking if it would be possible to photograph him in the studio sometime. He replied with his studio address, telling me to stop by sometime.
Inside Raymond's studio, I saw an overwhelming amount of sports equipment in every corner of the studio and felt drawn to have Raymond take me through that collection. He lit up and started taking me through his collection of game-used baseball bats, gloves, and all kinds of random equipment. The time flew by that day, and he invited me back for another visit since there was so much to cover. I sensed right away that he was into the documentation of his collection. I ended up at his studio 4-5 times to get all the photos I wanted. Raymond was very supportive and easy to work with. After his suggestion that I should do something with these photos, I'm putting a book out on this series of visits with him. "Number One Sports" with an intro poem by Raymond (hopefully out this year).
Your studio visits are all photographic, so how and when did your work expand into both drawings and paintings? And can you tell me about the process and how each medium is interconnected?
The first studio visit I did in NYC with Genesis P-Orridge altered my reality and my future. It was the first time I realized the true potential of taking photos in artists' studios and using them as a reference for oil paintings. I've done realism painting my whole life, but this felt different and something I wanted to explore. I've always loved doing still life and landscape paintings; this felt like a natural avenue for me to take. My photos of artists and their studios serve as a reference for my still life, portrait, or landscape paintings.
Inspiration is a hell of a thing too, so when I wasn't motivated to paint, I'd lean heavily into photography, and vice versa. I could be productive even if I wasn't inspired to work in either one at any moment.
You've already had some notable works exhibited and helped to curate group shows, so how have you found dabbling in the art world and any future ambitions here?
Honestly, I'm just happy to be painting and showing work. It's my life dream to show art in galleries and museums, and I'm doing it. I'm just trying to put in work and leave something here when I'm gone. I try not to force any interactions anymore, so I let things happen more naturally now. If there's a good connection, I'm always willing to explore it. I've had stoned thoughts about opening a gallery since I have so many talented friends to fill a program, but right now, that's still a pipe dream haha.
What about your recent exhibition 'Set Break' at 2-3 Fair? How did this come about, and what was the series of drawings you displayed?
'Set Break' was a very special show for me. My first solo show with all Ink Paintings. The gallery owner, Stevie, is a good friend of mine, and as soon as I saw he opened a gallery, I approached him about working together. The term 'Set Break' for me is when the Grateful Dead stops playing, and the house lights come back up at a show, an untethered 45min break from the music and time to hang out. For me, it's time to find all my friends I came with and see how their show is going. A reunion of friends on a psycho journey.
I take film photos of friends at every dead show I go to, so I pulled mostly from these for this exhibition. There are other works in the show that go beyond dead shows, but the recurring theme is it's all portraits of friends and family.
Now, you obviously have a strong following when it comes to tattooing and have also created a very unique style. Can you explain how this came about?
I have never found one style of tattooing that I wanted to do forever, so I kind of just let things grow and evolve naturally. I’ve had a few different styles in my 20+ years of tattooing, and right now I'm at my most comfortable and happiest place. I pull from a lot of sources, but lately, I’ve been tattooing a lot of crude late 70s/80s designs. After a couple of decades of trying to make perfect tattoos, it feels good to do designs that are less than perfect on purpose. My tattooing can be whatever I want it to be, and it feels good to let it change over time. Be a nice person that takes chances, and you’ll have a long line of clients wanting that magic from you.
Lastly, I know you’re an avid art collector, so maybe you can mention your last two favorite acquisitions?
I can’t narrow it down to two!! The last handful of artists I’ve collected work from are Genesis P-Orridge, Sharif Farrag, Chris Suarez, Eric Elms, Dash Snow, Pedro Alejandro Verdin & Ed Donohue.
Oh... and your love of fishing which I guess is a welcome break from the multitude of creative outlets you’ve got going on?
I’m very thankful that my dad got us fishing very young and made it fun. My brothers and I fly fish and ocean fish regularly throughout the year. Our favorite time of year is the annual Fall Sierra Nevada trout fishing trip. I’ve found over the years that most of my hobbies are creative too, so fishing is the ultimate reset for me. No tattoo clients, no paint, no deadlines, just fresh air, cold water, and beautiful views.
I’ll admit I usually have a camera with me there too haha. So much for non-creative hobbies!"
Number One Sport
I first encountered Daniel Albrigo at his solo exhibition, titled 'Set Break,' held at the 2-3 Fair Gallery in Los Angeles. Intrigued by his work, I promptly reached out to inquire about the possibility of visiting his studio. While I initially knew him as a tattoo artist, I soon discovered that his artistic repertoire extended far beyond that, encompassing photography, painting, and diverse drawing techniques.
One aspect that captivated me about Daniel's artistry is his self-taught background, as he delves into both classical and contemporary themes of realism, drawing inspiration from both appropriated sources and his own observations. Particularly fascinating are his oil paintings and ink drawings, all of which originate from photographs he personally captured.
If you're in Los Angeles, I highly recommend checking out his latest exhibition, 'Flora,' currently on display at Over the Influence. This collection showcases a series of hyper-realist oil paintings that truly demonstrate his artistic prowess.
Could you please share with me some details about your upbringing and family life during your early years?
I was born in 1982 and spent my formative years in LaVerne, California, in close proximity to the LA County Fair Grounds. My family was divorced and remarried, resulting in five siblings between the two families.
As a teenager, what were your interests and hobbies?
During my teenage years, there was a thriving skate and music scene in my area, and I was heavily involved in both. My friends and I would frequent iconic skate spots in the area, and I even landed my first job at a skate shop called Utility Board Shop. In addition to skating, my brother and I were music enthusiasts and would attend punk shows, reggae and ska concerts, raves, and any other party we heard about at school. We were always on the lookout for new and exciting experiences.
“The tattoo gods have been very kind and have looked after me this whole journey.”
When did you first discover tattooing? And which artists first inspired you?
I became interested in tattoos at around 14 years old and got my first one when I was 15. I collected all of the tattoo magazines and started trying to draw in that late 90s tattoo style. I loved the style but never thought about being a tattoo artist. When I turned 18, I got a bunch of tattoos and spent a lot of time hanging out at tattoo and piercing shops. Being in that environment and watching tattoo artists at work changed my idea of what a career in the arts could be. After being told no twice, but asked a third time, I apprenticed for about a year under a tattoo artist named Matt Green at Classic Tattoo in Upland, California. I started officially tattooing in 2001.
As a young tattoo artist, I was eager to learn and was inspired by just about everyone's work I saw. I was surrounded by some of the greatest tattoo artists in the world and learned from anyone who would let me watch. The tattoo gods have been very kind and have looked after me this whole journey.
I've worked in some really incredible shops in California and New York. I've done a lot of traveling over the years, doing guest spots in the States and around the world.
“I find a lot of happiness and inspiration seeing where artists work.”
What about your time in New York? Who did you hang around with at the time?
My wife Brooke and I moved to Brooklyn in January 2008. I was invited to work at a shop called Invisible in the Lower East Side. From 2008 to 2015, I worked at several tattoo shops in Brooklyn, including NYAdorned and ThreeKings. I have many great memories from each shop and an endless line of people wanting tattoos.
Outside of the tattoo shop, my move to NY was heavily influenced by my hopes to show some paintings in world-famous NYC galleries. As soon as we arrived, I started painting a lot, using the inspiration of being surrounded by good art and artists and turning that into making my own art. I immediately made friends with a group of very talented artists that I'm still close with today. It was and still is an endless inspiration and motivation to see all my friends consistently make next-level work.
How was life in Brooklyn, and what ultimately became the catalyst to move to LA?
We had an amazing time living in Brooklyn, and I felt like I accomplished what I had set out to do. I worked with some of the best tattooers in the country, got my foot in the door of the art world, and was showing work regularly. I had a great group of friends who were all artists/creative people. I feel like I grew up and became an adult during those years. They were some of the funnest times of my life. By 2014, Brook and I both decided we wanted to change things up and started saving some money to move back to CA. Our siblings were all having kids that we wanted to be present for in their lives, but also, honestly, we were over the snow.
Can you tell me about your studio visit series? When did it start and how has it evolved over the years?
Moving to New York started my practice of doing studio visits and taking photos of artists. I had been taking photos (film and digital) since I was pretty young but didn't have any purpose previously. Within the first few months of living in Brooklyn, I met the artist/musician Genesis P-Orridge. S/he was the first studio visit I did, and the plan was to take photos of and do paintings of h/er gold teeth. Something happened during that visit, and I finally saw a new purpose in my photography: photographing artists and their workspace. We both realized we were supposed to be working together in some capacity and started planning things immediately. We ended up having a couple of split exhibitions and collaborated regularly on projects until h/er passing in 2020. The support from Genesis and this studio visit gave me all the confidence I needed to approach other artists about doing studio visits and taking their portraits as well.
It's still one of my favorite things to do, and I'm still regularly meeting new artists and photographing them in their studio space. I find a lot of happiness and inspiration seeing where artists work. Being invited in to take photos always feels very special and intimate to me.
How and when did you first meet Raymond Pettibon? How did your relationship evolve during the multiple studio visits? What was your favorite moment during these visits?
I found Raymond Pettibon on Twitter in 2015. We had a couple of back-and-forth interactions, but honestly, I made a joke about his account looking like a 10-year-old was in charge, and he started following me. After I saw him following my account, I DM'd him, asking if it would be possible to photograph him in the studio sometime. He replied with his studio address, telling me to stop by sometime.
Inside Raymond's studio, I saw an overwhelming amount of sports equipment in every corner of the studio and felt drawn to have Raymond take me through that collection. He lit up and started taking me through his collection of game-used baseball bats, gloves, and all kinds of random equipment. The time flew by that day, and he invited me back for another visit since there was so much to cover. I sensed right away that he was into the documentation of his collection. I ended up at his studio 4-5 times to get all the photos I wanted. Raymond was very supportive and easy to work with. After his suggestion that I should do something with these photos, I'm putting a book out on this series of visits with him. "Number One Sports" with an intro poem by Raymond (hopefully out this year).
Your studio visits are all photographic, so how and when did your work expand into both drawings and paintings? And can you tell me about the process and how each medium is interconnected?
The first studio visit I did in NYC with Genesis P-Orridge altered my reality and my future. It was the first time I realized the true potential of taking photos in artists' studios and using them as a reference for oil paintings. I've done realism painting my whole life, but this felt different and something I wanted to explore. I've always loved doing still life and landscape paintings; this felt like a natural avenue for me to take. My photos of artists and their studios serve as a reference for my still life, portrait, or landscape paintings.
Inspiration is a hell of a thing too, so when I wasn't motivated to paint, I'd lean heavily into photography, and vice versa. I could be productive even if I wasn't inspired to work in either one at any moment.
You've already had some notable works exhibited and helped to curate group shows, so how have you found dabbling in the art world and any future ambitions here?
Honestly, I'm just happy to be painting and showing work. It's my life dream to show art in galleries and museums, and I'm doing it. I'm just trying to put in work and leave something here when I'm gone. I try not to force any interactions anymore, so I let things happen more naturally now. If there's a good connection, I'm always willing to explore it. I've had stoned thoughts about opening a gallery since I have so many talented friends to fill a program, but right now, that's still a pipe dream haha.
What about your recent exhibition 'Set Break' at 2-3 Fair? How did this come about, and what was the series of drawings you displayed?
'Set Break' was a very special show for me. My first solo show with all Ink Paintings. The gallery owner, Stevie, is a good friend of mine, and as soon as I saw he opened a gallery, I approached him about working together. The term 'Set Break' for me is when the Grateful Dead stops playing, and the house lights come back up at a show, an untethered 45min break from the music and time to hang out. For me, it's time to find all my friends I came with and see how their show is going. A reunion of friends on a psycho journey.
I take film photos of friends at every dead show I go to, so I pulled mostly from these for this exhibition. There are other works in the show that go beyond dead shows, but the recurring theme is it's all portraits of friends and family.
Now, you obviously have a strong following when it comes to tattooing and have also created a very unique style. Can you explain how this came about?
I have never found one style of tattooing that I wanted to do forever, so I kind of just let things grow and evolve naturally. I’ve had a few different styles in my 20+ years of tattooing, and right now I'm at my most comfortable and happiest place. I pull from a lot of sources, but lately, I’ve been tattooing a lot of crude late 70s/80s designs. After a couple of decades of trying to make perfect tattoos, it feels good to do designs that are less than perfect on purpose. My tattooing can be whatever I want it to be, and it feels good to let it change over time. Be a nice person that takes chances, and you’ll have a long line of clients wanting that magic from you.
Lastly, I know you’re an avid art collector, so maybe you can mention your last two favorite acquisitions?
I can’t narrow it down to two!! The last handful of artists I’ve collected work from are Genesis P-Orridge, Sharif Farrag, Chris Suarez, Eric Elms, Dash Snow, Pedro Alejandro Verdin & Ed Donohue.
Oh... and your love of fishing which I guess is a welcome break from the multitude of creative outlets you’ve got going on?
I’m very thankful that my dad got us fishing very young and made it fun. My brothers and I fly fish and ocean fish regularly throughout the year. Our favorite time of year is the annual Fall Sierra Nevada trout fishing trip. I’ve found over the years that most of my hobbies are creative too, so fishing is the ultimate reset for me. No tattoo clients, no paint, no deadlines, just fresh air, cold water, and beautiful views.
I’ll admit I usually have a camera with me there too haha. So much for non-creative hobbies!"
ALL CULTURE IS A CONVERSATION LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA © MR. WREN 2025
ALL CULTURE IS A CONVERSATION – LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
© MR. WREN 2025