With art collectors paying mega bucks for back pieces, tattoo themes showing up in modern graphic styles, and clothing popping up all over with tattoo inspired motifs, it is not difficult to say the line between tattoo and mainstream art is growing thinner by the day.
Enter Churchfield and Seth Leibowitz, owners of Artform, a combination Tattoo Studio and Art Gallery in Lower Burrell, PA. These two entrepreneurs are determined to totally erase the line between tattoo art and so-called fine art once and for all.
The walls of the foyer are a gallery of art for sale that covers one of the widest range of tastes imaginable. Ranging from traditional oil and water colors to photography. The themes cover the usual round of landscapes to the decidedly more interesting “lowbrow” styles that have lent themselves so well to the art of tattoo over the ages.
Don’t expect the tattooing to be much in the way of traditional flash, either. Just like their gallery they make it a point to do the individualized custom work that has raised tattooing to such a lofty status over the past couple of decades. As Churchfield put it, “…there’s no straight lines on the human body. You need to design to fit onto the individual.”
The two are also self professed hygiene fanatics, and go the extra mile to ensure their clients safety from blood-born pathogens. Since Pennsylvania has few regulations Churchfield and Seth adhere3 to the regulations that govern Ohio, as well as the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards. Everything is disposable. Each client gets new, unused, needles and tubes.
Since it’s opening last year Artform has staged several fundraising events, including a benefit for animal rights activists, Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley in February that netted over $1000 in donations. A cancer benefit is planned for the 9th of May this year.
So if you are looking for that killer custom piece from a couple of artists who define the word, or just something cool to hang in the living room. Make some plans to give Artform a visit around May 9th. Either way you’ll be helping out a great cause, and get a gander at a true tattoo art gallery.