From the top of the stairs on Court Street, Unified Studios looks artsy and provocative, not unlike most tattoo parlors. From the bottom of the stairs, the view splits - half tattoo parlor, half art gallery.
Placing art galleries in tattoo parlors is becoming a trend in Athens. After Art Apocalypse moved to its new location at 14 W. Union St. last summer, it cleared space to make room for paintings and other art along the walls in the front half of the parlor.
Josh Lucy, a tattoo artist at Unified, said the art gallery and tattoo parlor are a package deal. The two do not simply share space - they complement each other.
I like to think this is nice and relaxing. When you say tattoo 'gallery' or art 'gallery
' it kind of puts the mind at ease. Tattoos are (seen as) risky and dangerous but people see an art gallery in there and it seems more approachable Lucy said.
This approachable feeling might also help attract a larger clientele. Lucy said he has seen unexpected customers come in to see the art gallery. Other customers come in to get a tattoo and are inspired by the art they see on the walls only five or 10 feet away.
The presence of the art, most of which is for sale, also inspires Lucy while he works, even though he sees it every day.
It kind of bridges that gap between tattooing and the other art world
if you will
Lucy said.
Decorative Injections Tattooing and Body Piercing, which has been open for 12 years, does not have an art gallery but does have art hanging on its walls.
I own the place
so I've tried to display things that would set a vibe that is more stuff that I like and stuff that is ... more unique
James Kisor of Decorative Injections said.
All of the art displayed is the work of either Kisor or Aaron Creamer, another tattoo artist in the studio.
The art is not for sale at Decorative Injections but for people to enjoy.
Other artists who have come through here have even given us art ... college students who we've become friends with have ... made things for us and we've done the same for them
said Kisor. It's always shared ideas - the art world is nothing but shared inspiration from one thing to the next.
The presence of an art gallery in the studio is not a necessity in a tattoo parlor, but it also probably does not harm the business, said Kisor, if it makes money.
Inspiration is a key factor in the tattoo business, especially since tattooing is just another art form and the skin another medium, Lucy said.
I figure if I feel inspired constantly
it's going to make my tattoos better (and) the thing that I like the most is that people are willing to trust me to put something on them forever
Lucy said, adding that getting a tattoo can make people feel better about themselves. Saving lives and selling dreams ... it's awesome.
