CT: Evidence of Art

A few weeks ago I got a new tattoo. It's not my first, but it was such a wildly different kind of experience than my first tattoo was. But let me back up a little bit. And get a little art theory-y.

In one of my hippie art classes in college, the professor presented us with the idea that what we call art (a painting, a song, a movie, etc) isn't actually art. It's evidence that art happened. You see, she was saying that the act of painting, of writing or performing a song, that's the art. The song or the painting or the movie, it's just evidence that art happened. Art is only a verb, not a noun.

I love, LOVE this concept. My roommates and I have run with it, and "art-ing" has been heavily used around our house.

So all of this brings me back to my new tattoo. My first tattoo was just a word and the most in-depth the artist and I got on the design was my picking a font. I love that tattoo, don't get me wrong, but it was more about the meaning of the word than the design itself.

This new tattoo is different. A friend introduced me to an artist named Justine Serebrin who had recently designed a tattoo for her. Justine just opened up her own studio in LA called The Tattoo Spa, which is a completely different kind of tattoo parlor. The space is warm, inviting, and more like, well, a spa than the average tattoo parlor. 

I went to Justine with an idea, a concept. I wanted a thistle, but not just a picture of a thistle. I wanted it to be pretty, darn it. And I definitely went to the right place. Justine is an artist, artist. She paints and draws as well as tattooing, and she has a wonderful sense of shape and color and style. We talked for a long time about what I was looking for, what the concept of a thistle meant to me, where I wanted my tattoo and why. 

And then she started drawing, and every stroke was a little cooler than the one before. She kept asking me if I liked what she was drawing or if I wanted something different, but the overall design was so beautiful that I just kept telling her to keep going. It was completely different than what I thought I wanted going in, but it was exactly what I really wanted all along. 

The result, obviously, is completely beautiful. It's unique and a little wild, and perfect. And the experience was an incredible one. I had the opportunity to watch an artist create something beautiful from thin air. And I get to keep the evidence on my body for the rest of my life. 

So LA friends, if you're looking for some new ink and you want a fantastic, creative environment, check out Justine's studio. You won't be disappointed. I'm linking to her everything below because I'm officially obsessed. 

Website: www.thetattoospa.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thetattoospaglendale

Much love!

CT