Kirk and his girlfriend Melissa are two tattoo artists and collectors who both got into tattoos for the same reason; their toughness and rebellious symbolism that tattoos have withheld for many, many years. Based in Tacoma, Washington, their tattoo shop, Ink Spot Tattoo, is where they apply their work to many faces and personalities who wander into their parlor, most of whom are local, loyal clientele and military personnel. But it was punk rock, the biker scene and outlaws that got Kirk and Melissa (aka Meme Skulls) into tattoos. “When I was a little kid, the bikers really stick in my head. I knew I wanted tattoos. I loved the way they looked and the people that wore them,” Hjelmstad says, “I thought they looked tough as hell.” Even at the tender age of eight, Hjelmstad found tattoos to be fascinating and purely jaw-dropping. He recalls a family friend who showed off a fresh tattoo to him and his family, a Peter-
built truck running over a state patrolman. “I thought that was the coolest thing I ever saw in my life and I knew right then and there I wanted to do that to people.” Meme didn’t quite get into the tattoo scene until she was 19, with the mentality that rebellion is the way to go. Unlike her beau, who collects art that is as classic and tough as can be, Meme likes adding designs to her collection that just make her happy, such as her bro tats or numerous matching tattoos (and Bill Murray from Where the Buffalo Roam). And of course, the more color, the better. “I don’t get sad tattoos,” Meme says. Though they differ in what they add to their personal collections, they both are very versatile when it comes to their artistry. They both do a little bit of everything, and Meme says they keep it interesting with their clientele who usually keep them on their toes. Hjelmstad prefers American Traditional, but makes it a point that he tries to be good at everything.
For a couple who has been tattooing for a combined total of about 22 years, they have a tremendous appreciation for the past and the greats who revolutionized the tattoo industry, whether directly or indirectly. With so many up and coming artists, the actual art and value of tattoing seems to have faded, and that includes how artists are making it in the industry and how artists apply their ink. When it comes to the tattoo industry, Meme says she would bring back the old school way of earning your career and not having it all handed to you. “I think it’s overcrowded with artists that don’t seem to care about the past. How can we move forward without paying respect to the past?” As for Hjelmstad, he takes it a step further by saying tattoos should be outlawed, giving tattoos the defiance it once had which will make them “cool” again. Hm. While that may not be happening in the near future, Hjelmstad continues to develop as both an artist and a
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