POLLUTEME/POLLUTED EZINE/The New Shop On The Block
The New Shop On The Block
written by: Jacob Robison
Forget the music industry; tattooing is perhaps the most competitive of all the
artforms. Good bands come and go, but good (and bad) tatoos live forever. In the
Clarksville/Ft. Campbell area alone there are five shops that I know of, all
competing in one way or another for the rights to your skin. The new shop on the
block, Midnite Tattoos, just might have what it takes to be the best of them all.
Midnite opened in December of last year, so it is still fairly new to the area.
In fact, I've found that a lot of people don't know that it is here. I recently
got the chance to sit down with the staff at Midnite, and I walked away from the
meeting with a huge amount of respect for what they are trying to do.
Artist Mitchell Woodard and his two apprentices, Rick Sanchez and Jack Murphy,
along with the piercer Rico Drum, are out to clean up the way that tattoos and
body piercings are being done. All of the employees employ very stringent
sterilization procedures, as well as following a strict routine while both setting
up and breaking down (coincedentally, Midnite is one of the select few shops that
has scored 100 twice on state health inspections). Woodard, who has been slinging
ink for well over 25 years, believes that this philosophy - coupled with the
quality of talent that the staff possesses - sets them apart from the rest of the
shops in the area.
Woodard is the only licensed tattoo artist who works at Midnite Tattoos (he is
licensed in two states). He contributes Paul Booth and Guy Atchkinson as being his
two biggest influences. His favorite styles are Black and Grey, and Old School.
Rick Sanchez, one of the two apprentices, is in the final stage of his apprenticeship
(artists must spend a year as an apprentice in order to obtain their tattoo license
in Tennessee). His favorite style of tattoos is New School. The other apprentice,
Jack Murphy (who coincedentally owns the shop), enjoys Old School Color. The wide
range of tastes that the staff enjoys doing is a plus when dealing with a public
that can range in age from 18 to 60-something.
When asked about what kinds of changes that he would like to see happen in the way
tattooing is being done, Mitchell had this to say: "Quality of work, information
being given to the public about quality of work, and... there needs to be penalties
for messing people up. There's no recourse for people to take." Talking with Mitchell
about tattoos and the artform, you get a sense that this guy really takes pride in
the way that he practices his craft. Hell, if your good enough to sling ink for two
and a half decades, you have the right to take pride in doing your job.
The people at Midnite Tattoos are making a name for themselves through the quality
of work that walks out of the door. And the attitude that pervades a lot of the tattoo
shops that I've been in hasn't made it's way into Midnite. They have something for
everyone, whether your a hardcore tattoo fan or a virgin looking to get your first
one done. And the artists are good enough to take the image that you have in your
mind and make it a reality on your skin. I highly recommend checking Midnite Tattoos
out before you make a decision about who will do your tattoo. Remember this: tattoos
live forever.
