County Living Fall 2021

Page 50

Brandie Medina and her work

“Show Me a Man with a Tattoo and I’ll Show you a Man with an Interesting Past.”

G E TAWAYS

BY G E RRY MAN DE L

CLM

50

The attractive young waitress at a restaurant in The Grove welcomed us with a warm smile, handed us menus and took our drink orders. But my eyes were not on the menu nor her smile. I was looking at her left arm, between her shoulder and elbow. There, in bold lines and colors, rested a large tattoo featuring a flower and a cat’s head. When I asked her about the cat - “It was mine.” she showed me two more tattoos, equally artistic. Whatever your opinion may be about tattoos (aka “tatts”), be assured they are here to stay. In greater numbers than ever, and

– Jack London

with wider acceptance. The art of tattoos, and the demand for them, has come a long way in recent years. Even mothers, who might have warned their kids “you better not get a tattoo” are getting inked now. The younger generation in particular has embraced them, but many new customers are middle-aged or older. So here is the dilemma I faced. Which artist do I talk to for this article? How many? Which parlors? St.Louis has at least twenty tattoo studios and dozens of talented artists with a wide range of experience, styles and specialities. The names of the parlors intrigued me: Self-Inflicted, Enigma, Iron Age, AllStar, Threshold, Art Monster, Alchemy, to name a few. When in doubt, Google. I decided on two: Nate Strautkalns of AllStar Tattoo in University City (he’s co-owner) and Trader Bob’s on South

Jefferson in St. Louis; and Brandie Medina of Steel and Ink Studio in South County. One of the oldest continually operating tattoo shops in the U.S., Trader Bob’s opened in the 1930’s. It’s a part of local and national history. Nate has a commanding presence and passion, which became evident as he talked about his journey to tattoos and St. Louis. He’s 51 and has been tattooing for over 30 years. “I was born in 1970 in south Minneapolis. I was an average student, didn’t go to college, had a chaotic childhood, and realized I wasn’t cut out for a straight job.” He was into street art, album covers, graffiti. Gradually he discovered he had a natural talent for art, met someone who showed him some basics in tattooing, and began developing his technique. In 1998 he moved to St. Louis, where he met Brad Fink, an


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