Tattoo artist finds his calling

Looking for a place to get a tattoo? Look no further than Dark Side of the Moon.

There you will find Jorge Aguirre, a 26-year-old tattoo artist from Monterrey Mexico, whose designs are getting attention here and around the state.

“Ever since I was 8, I wanted a tattoo,” Aguirre said. “I got my first tattoo when I was 13.”

Later, Aguirre started experimenting on his own and realized he had a gift. Aguirre got his first job at Quetzalcoatl Tattoo Shop in Monterey in 2000. In 2001 he became a professional.

“At first I would do it for free,” said Aguirre. “Then I became a professional. After a year, I saw that other people would do cheese tattoos and I was like ‘I can do better.”

In 2003, Aguirre received a phone call from Dark Side of the Moon owner Agapito Castro.

“Dark Side of the Moon invited me to come to America,” said Aguirre. “At first I just wanted to make some cash, but people really liked my stuff.”

Aguirre has been at Dark Side of the Moon, 2227 Central Blvd., ever since. He averages 15 tattoos a week, the cheapest being $45, and the most expensive having no limit. The most he has ever charged for a single tattoo is $1,300.

“Someone recommended him to me, they told me his work was really good,” said Castro who has owned the shop for seven years. “He does really good work. He is on top with the best in Texas.”

Aguirre’s first moment of national recognition was when one of his designs was published in Flash magazine.

“It was crazy,” Aguirre said of the moment when he discovered his design in the magazine. “I was looking at the magazine and then I saw the design on the person I had done the tattoo on. It was so cool.”

He has had three other designs published in magazines such as Savage and Crave. Aguire said he received $50 for each design published.

Aguirre claims to have customers coming from Austin and other parts of the state.

“People have come from other cities just to get tattoos by me,” he said. “When that happens I try to lower the price because they took the trip from so far.”

Aguirre hopes to one day be as good as Guy Aitchinson, who he said one of the best tattoo designers in the world.

“I want to be like the famous guys, being next to a great artist is priceless,” he said.

“I love tattoos; it’s a part of my life.”