Ink Master season 11 interview: Austin Rose on elimination, tattoos and bonding
Through his time on Ink Master season 11, Austin Rose was one of the more notable personalities. He fought hard for Cleen Rock One’s team, he wasn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with other artists, and he brought a lot to the table for an entertainment perspective. He also survived a face-off showdown with Stacy Smith at one point. Unfortunately, he was eliminated earlier this month in the midst of a galaxy-themed elimination tattoo challenge.
So what does Austin think about his time this season looking back, and what does he wish that he did differently leading up to it? Check out what Austin told CarterMatt in our exclusive exit interview below!
CarterMatt: Looking back at your time in the competition, what was your proudest moment?
Austin Rose: I had such a great experience on Ink Master. There were so many fun and exciting things going on as well as a super stressful time, but all in all it was an amazing time in my life and I’m proud of the whole experience, but if I had to pick one moment it would be when Oliver mentioned me for TATTOO OF THE DAY (even though it didn’t air it was an honor just being nominated).
What did being on Ink Master: Angels teach you in preparation for this season?
Hahhahahahaha I wish I would have learned more from that experience. I will say it was a good primer for the pressures of tattooing on a timer, but to be honest the experiences were completely different. I had never watched either show, and I wish I had, so I was completely unprepared for both competitions.
Did you think your tattoo was better than some of the others on [your elimination] episode?
The tattoo that got me eliminated (panther and galaxy) was by far better than Angel Rose’s wolf and galaxy, but in the competition it’s not just about the best tattoos – it’s about playing a strategy and team Christian played a good game that day.
What sort of bonds did you make with the other members of Team Cleen?
I actually bonded with everyone on Team Cleen. In the beginning I was not really liked by anyone on the team and no one liked me because of my “I don’t give a f**k” attitude, but by the end of my time in the competition I earned the respect of my whole team as well as the respect you my competition on team Christian. The one person I felt the strongest bonds with were Jimmy and Tony. Tony is just a real-ass dude solid all the way through and Jimmy …. well Jimmy and I had such similar backgrounds and struggles, so we just clicked. He’s a strong dude and was there for me when some s**t was going on back home.
Are there any more styles you wish you had a chance to tattoo on the show?
I had a chance to do a couple of styles I’m not familiar with like trash polka. I would love a chance to redeem myself on that one since I didn’t even know what it was before attempting it. I would have loved to do more dark Illustrative work and maybe even some traditional. Really I try to be well rounded so I just love doing tattoos.
After this particular Ink Master experience, are you hoping to have a chance to go back in the future?
Absolutely if I am ever offered the opportunity to come back and redeem myself I would not hesitate. Now that I’ve been through the competition and have watched the show I would approach the competition from a completely different angle and I would be leaving with the title and the money!! I am grateful for the experience and would love to try again.
A special thanks to Austin for his time! Be sure to check out some of our other Ink Master coverage and if you missed it be sure to Check out our exclusive interviews with Christian Buckingham and Cleen Rock One! (Photo: Paramount Network)