Seriously, we could not have been more honored and elated by the turnout for the opening reception. Thanks to everyone who came out to see what we did. It took a lot of work and the final production came right down to the wire! The process itself was a richer experience than either of us could have imagined, and working with this many different materials taught us a lot of new techniques and approaches.
If anyone has photos from the reception they would like to share please send them to us!
DIDN’T MAKE THE OPENING??
The show hangs until August 13th. EYE lounge is open every weekend:
Saturday, July 16th: 1pm - 5pm
Sunday, July 17th: 11am - 3pm
Friday, July 22nd: 6pm - 9pm
Saturday, July 23rd: 1pm - 5pm
Sunday, July 24th: 11am - 3pm
Friday, July 29th: 6pm - 9pm
Saturday, July 30th: 1pm - 5pm
Sunday, July 31st: 11am - 3pm
Friday, August 5th: 6pm - 10pm
Saturday, August 6th: 1pm - 5pm
Sunday, August 7th: 11am - 3pm
Friday, August 12th: 6pm - 9pm
Saturday, August 13th: 1pm - 5pm
Photo by Danielle Lorti
Thanks again to everyone that came out last Friday for the opening of Interdependent! If you weren’t able to make it, the show hangs through August 13th…
Every week Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday from Fri., July 15 until Sat., August 13
By Wynter Holden
Tattoo artists aren’t exactly known for playing well with others – just peep a few episodes of L.A. Ink and you’ll see the backstabbing, drama and general bitchery that can go on at a tat shop.
But not all inkers are created equal, either in skill or in lack of people skills. Local tattooists Taylor Ryan and Alex Empty of Golden Rule Tattoo prove that they can mesh seamlessly in “Interdependent,” a dual art exhibition at eye lounge.
The show features collaborative mixed-media works that pay homage to their background in tattoo art without the kitschy flash look of Ed Hardy. “We were creating art long before we were tattooing,” says Empty. “Both Taylor and I had rich experiences with art as kids, painting and drawing from early on. When you look at the work we have created for this show, you will see ingredients and imagery from tattooing, but you will not see ‘tattoos’.”
INTERDEPENDENT is hung (Taken with Instagram at eye lounge)
Currently hanging INTERDEPENDENT (Taken with instagram)
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/jackalope/2011/07/sitting_down_with_interdepende.php
Categories: Interviews, Visual Art 
Kholood EidAlex Empty and Taylor Ryan at Ryan’s home in Phoenix.
This Friday, two local tattoo artists are opening the doors of eye lounge in downtown Phoenix — without an ink needle in sight.
Alex Empty and Taylor Ryanare debuting Interdependent, their first collaborative art exhibition of designs in paint, wood, acrylics, and dyes that they’ve been working on since December 2009.
“We both have a long history in art,” says Ryan. “This particular project is a ‘together thing,’ obviously, but where we were at before definitely is the reason we are where we are now, why we did the project and why we work so well together.” 
Kholood EidAlex Empty and Taylor Ryan go over their work for the upcoming Interdependent exhibit.
Ryan and Empty have a long (and oddly parallel) history in the local tattoo scene. Years ago, the two worked at the same tattoo shop in Phoenix, but missed each other by a few months. They also both left Phoenix for a short time on opposite sides of the country and eventually found their way back.
Now, they work side by side at the Golden Rule in Phoenix, where they currently decorate the shop’s customers (and walls) with their artwork.
Kholood EidA wooden table inspired by Japanese folklore, created by Taylor Ryan (in the background). “I think that the way that we work together is more than just style … we push one another and the way that we pull from one another,” says Ryan. “The fact that we can be incredibly neurotic artists who can work together without the desire to stab anybody — that, in itself, is an amazing thing.”
The two also have very different styles — Ryan says his tends to be more intricate and heavily inspired by Japanese culture while Empty opts for more simplistic designs. 
Kholood EidAlex Empty According to Empty, the exhibition’s title, Interdependent, stems from a Buddhist concept of the dynamic of being responsible to one another: ”If a person can realize that no part of their existence is disconnected from the rest of the world, then generally they’re on the right track”
Ryan says that while the looming date of their show feels like a “commencement,” Interdependent will be the first of many collaborative projects to come.
“We live in downtown,” says Empty. “This is our hood. We want people to know what we do and show them kind of a cross section of what we’re capable of because we want to be a part of the community … these types of opportunities are really what I want to do. For me, to be able to walk [my daughters] down to a public space that has art that represents the community, and to take them to something I helped do, or to raise them in an environment with art and community … that’s cool, man.”
Interdependent will open at the eye lounge, 419 E. Roosevelt St., along with work by local artist Ingrid Wells and Molly Mendoza from July 15 to August 13. For more information, check out the show’s invitation.
Kholood EidInterdependent artists Alex Empty and Taylor Ryan.
Taken with instagram
Taken with instagram
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