One of the earliest forms of self-expression, the tattoo has been an ongoing theme for human beings the entire world ’round, even since before “the olden days”—to the uninitiated: this was totally before cell phones. Like in the Age of Dinosaurs, you ask? Absolutely. Just let that sink in for a moment.
Whether to remember, to represent, or to simply wear a bit more of yourself on your sleeve (quite literally), there aren’t many ways out there to get more intimate with a message or piece of art, as well as the artist rendering it, than sitting in a pleather chair and having a needle repeatedly jammed into your dermis at high speed. And being such a friendly place to the humanist, Corvallis has a strong collection of parlors and artists around to suit your needs.
High Priestess, part of a six-location chain that was founded back in the 90s in Eugene, has been hanging out in Corvallis for just over a decade and has made itself a part of local culture. With six tattoists and two piercing artists running a full-service studio at the Corvallis location, you’d be hard pressed to bring them a project that they couldn’t complete. You can find this branch of High Priestess on NW Monroe near 23rd Street. Visit them online at http://www.facebook.com/HP.Eugene.UO.
Another must-mention is Sacred Art, a local-only shop with an absolutely gorgeous portfolio of work for tattoo purists. As an artist with an appreciation for tattoo, I was really into the work they had available for show at their shop—it does the contemporary tradition a great justice in general, and if you’re even remotely interested I highly recommend stopping in and checking it out. Also located on Monroe (near 15th), they’ve been serving the Corvallis community since 1995. Check out their gorgeous work at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sacred-Art-Tattoo/136561814548.
And then there’s newcomer and self-described “jewelry spa” Sassified. They offer full tattoo and piercing services, but complement them with waxing, facials, a full hair salon and other services to sass you good and proper. One feature that might really pique the interest of some locals is the children’s play area. Nothing quite says “spa” like the ability to unload your little demons for some spontaneous social play while you sit back, relax, and have your hair done while your new ink settles in. Transplanted this year from the mall in Albany, Sassified can be found on the corner of NW Kings and Buchanan. Follow them on the web at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sassified-The-Jewelry-Spa-and-More/177157719004330.
Now, let’s say you’ve run this gamut and realized, “Hey, Chuck Norris isn’t as cool as he used to be. I probably shouldn’t have gotten his face on my neck.” It happens to the best of us. Skip the skin grafts and/or machete. Instead, visit downtown’s Image by Design, where in addition to more traditional cosmetic services and skin care, they offer tattoo removal services. As an added bonus, you can even walk out with a brand spanking new set of glorious cosmetic eyebrows. Hell, yes!
Whether you’ve just stolen (and sunk) a boat and want to memorialize it, or did so a few weeks ago and have since realized that its glorious image on your shoulder may be used as evidence against you in a court of law, Corvallis has your back.
by Johnny Beaver
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