STYLE

POINT,

PAIN

I know I want a tattoo, but I'm not sure what I want to get." For the casual tattoo collector or firsttime recipient of that indelible mark, this question can cause torment and discontent. The demographic for tattoo services is now skewed heavily toward mainstream customers. Fact: With approximately 15,000 tattoo studios operating in the U. S., the industry is rated as the sixthfastest-growing retail business. Less amazing but just as interesting: the fastest-growing group seeking this service is middle-class suburbanites. If a subject that was once so taboo is now warmly embraced by a legion of SUV-driving Ameritrade fanatics, is it possible to make tattooing any more high-tech and accessible?

Yes. With its savvy LoDo location and sleek interior decor, Celebrity Tattoo presents an atmosphere as eyecatching and inspiring as tattoo flash itself. Here's the spin on it: the framed flash (previews of tattoo art) that lines the walls of the traditional tattoo studio are displayed at Celebrity as a slideshow presentation on monitors at each artist's station. The idea to digitize the flash was a collaborative one that was kicked around in some heads and was finally put into action out of necessity (simple lack of space). Flash is essential to any street shop, and with such a trendy and prestigious address, why not implement a new, more efficient system for its exhibition? The workstations scattered throughout the shop only add to the professional, cuttingedge ambience.

Flash not only aids a client's selection of wearable art, but serves as a trail of history for the craft. The term 'flash' was adopted by early tattoo artists from the lingo of travelling carnivals, where it described something aesthetically rousing and appealing. Original flash designs from worldrenowned artists of the early to mid-1900s-- such as Sailor Jerry, Augustus Coleman and Doc Forbes-- are pricey and coveted items featured in museums and galleries worldwide. Sailor Jerry and similarly styled flash has experienced a recent resurgence on skin, in fashion, and kitsch home accessories.

At Celebrity, the client is able to sit down with the artist and scroll through some 1,000-plus sheets of digitized flash images, from the simple to the serpentine. Catalogued into 12 main categories, this computer-aided meeting of the minds eradicates guesswork and lends professional input to what is, ultimately, a permanent decision. You pick, you click, you print. In catering to a computer-literate generation, this system creates a more knowledgeable clientÑ asking more questions, getting more answers, and most importantly having more input in a process that was once as mindless and impersonal as pointing to a design on the wall and asking, "How much is that one?"

"We try not to use flash directly off the screen," states Mike Pinto, one of the many friendly staff members at Celebrity's LoDo location. "We try to use the chosen design as a base idea, then hash out what the customer really wants." With 85-90% of the daily work chosen from the flash database, the artists at Celebrity are able to customize the design using Adobe Photoshop or pen and paper to perfect an image to the client's specifications. "The majority of our clientele are first-timers," Pinto adds, "and allowing them that one-on-one interaction in the whole creative process makes the tattoo far more special." Celebrity's commitment to modern efficiency and friendly service will definitely impress you and put those first tattoo jitters to rest.

--Jenelise Pulliam

Check out www.celebritytattoo.com for more information on their locations and artists, or head down the stairs at 1623 Market St. in LoDo, or call 303-623-8282. First-timers should visit tattoo.about.com/style/tattoo/library/blfirsttattoo.htm
Think you're an expert? Test your tattoo knowledge with the quiz at www.vanishingtattoo.com

photos by Sean Hartgrove