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| Tattoo by Keet D'Arms |
Long regarded as the capital of the
south and widely known as Hate City, Atlanta has become one of the
leading areas for the tattooed arts over the last several decades.
Classically managed parlors and unique boutiques alike seem to appear
overnight in each of Atlanta's many neighborhoods, but are quality
tattoo artists still outshining their less proficient competitors?
With one look at Southern Star Tattoo – now with two locations in
the city – the answer is clearly yes.
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| Tattoo by Chris Howell |
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| Back piece by Eric Thrice |
Though Southern Star's first location
on Ponce de Leon did not come into fruition until 2010, the shop's
dedicated team members have well over 50 years of expert work and
patient styling on their side. But the men who tattoo at both
Southern Star locations are more than just employees of a business;
They're close friends who share a common vision in work ethic. Some
might just call this success, while others know it best as Ponce
Life. This original location, settled firmly in a strip of
trend-setting bars and clubs, gained such notoriety because it
represented the community so much. With a brightly painted wall on their prime Ponce de Leon real estate, Southern Star quickly became much
more than just a tattoo shop, and overnight they've become a
tattooing institution. They've adopted the motif “Hooked on Ponce,”
and one visit will have you hooked, as well. The artist lineup at
Ponce de Leon includes Demian Bouchon, Bill Conner, Brian Gattis and
Josh Haynes.
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| Tattoo by Keet D'Arms |
The same determination carries over
into the new location in Atlanta's Little 5 Points shopping district,
located less than two miles from the original shop. While the physical
locations of these two Southern Star parlors are relatively close to
one another, Atlanta's characteristic neighborhoods allow both
locations to cater to completely different clients. If you spend any
real time at either spot, you'll start to notice that even the bums
who slum around outside have a slightly different swagger than their
respective counterparts.
The idea for a second shop came about
when Colette, owner of Holy Mother Tattoo, offered up the space.
Despite Holy Mother's closing, the space was to remain a tattoo shop.
“The opportunity was there,” says
Keet D'Arms. “Colette offered it up, and since it was going to be a
tattoo shop anyway, it might as well be us.”
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| Back piece by Eric Thrice |
Situated right in the center of Findley
Plaza, the newer Little 5 Points location hosts Keet D'Arms, Chris
Howell, Eric Thrice and Tim McGrath. Much like the Ponce location,
the new L5P shop is adorned with brilliant flash artwork, original
paintings from the country's best tattoo artists and funky folk art
from around the world.
But the artwork and professionalism of
Southern Star are the two leading qualities in the brand's success.
No matter the artist and style, every member of the team is a studied
craftsman with careful attention to both detail and traditionalist
values. Whether you're looking for true Japanese artwork or want to
immortalize a passed family member with some simple script, Southern
Star Tattoo has you covered. All eight of the working artists between
the two shops has some connection to the old world of tattooing.
Bridging that gap between early 20th century sailor
imagery and today's needs is what puts Southern Star at the forefront
of Atlanta's tattooing scene.
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| Tattoo by Chris Howell |
Keet D'Arms, Brian Gattis and Chris
Howell
have each painted
their own flash for Jesse Gordon and Sean Baltzell's Eleven Fourteen
book project, now on sale and available for pre-order. The book features over 200 pages of the
country's finest tattoo artists from the very best shops, a great
representation on where Southern Star ranks among tattoo
establishments in the United States.
Both locations are open seven days a week and appointments and walk-ins are both welcome. For hours of operation and artist availability, visit their
website or call them to talk more about how they can turn your dream idea into a reality.
