24 | BOROMAG.COM | JULY 2014 SHOPS As the electronic needle rapidly drills at the skin, tiny beads of blood momentarily blend with the ink, reminding me of how permanent— and spiritual—the process of getting a tattoo can be. Some plan their art for weeks, months, even years. And some take the leap on a whim. “The first one is always the biggest one,” smiles Beans without looking up from his work. Beans is one of the tattoo artists at Fat Cat Tattoos, and he is presently focused on the bicep of one of his clients, whose skin is being dramatically altered from the light caramel epidermis to a rather ferocious growling lion in grayscale and shiny red from the punctured skin. And while the photograph Beans is replicating glows in vibrant colors from the iPad resting at his work station, there is almost more life in the feline he is drawing in black and white on this young man’s arm. The face is almost pulsing, and Beans periodically wipes away tiny garnet droplets of blood. Few things are as intimidating as the freshly bleeding face of an enraged lion, and yet there is an unbreakable calm between the artist and his subject. Hypnotized, I simply watch the scene unfold for nearly 30 minutes before Kevin Q and I step away to talk. “I took over the business in ’94,” he explains, “and we have been in this spot for almost 10 years.” He was born and raised in Astoria, and couldn’t imagine a life anywhere else. Formerly, the business was at Steinway and 20th Avenue—until tattoos were legalized again in New York City in 1997. “After that, we moved up Ditmars to one of the landmark Astoria record shops, Underground Sound. All my friends’ bands were playing in the store all of the time, and it was the best spot to be for us.” They stayed there for about five years, and then finally noticed a habit was forming. “Every five years we would find a dead space, open up shop, and stores would pop up around us. Then all of a sudden our rent would go up like two thousand dollars. We would always be out front playing hacky sack or soccer, and I was always painting in the backyard, while friends’ bands were coming in and out—and the landlords would always want us gone.” They moved again to 23rd Avenue across from Telly’s Taverna into a space that was about 450 square feet. Sure enough, when lease renewal rolled around, they found themselves being asked for $1200 more. He claims he finally got really lucky with his current landlord, with whom he has negotiated a lease for another 10 years. And beyond the remarkably clean space inside, they share a concrete walled backyard with one neighbor, with whom they often throw barbecues on holidays and special occasions. “When we first moved in, there was nothing here,” he recalls. Since they opened, the opposite side of the street has been developed into a building that houses the florist Petals and Roots as well as the Astoria Bookshop. “Even the souvlaki guy went from the cart to a truck,” he laughs. “I like that we are always just a little bit off the beaten path,” he explains with a grin, asserting that it all fits with the mysticism associated with tattoos. “I like that you have to search us out and we aren’t just on Steinway in the middle of a busy block.” The location also prevents random drunken passersby. “People who come find us are mostly serious, and that makes it fun for us, too.” FAT CAT TATTOOS NYC [email protected] (718) 267-1326 Fat Cat Tattoos 31-32 31st street Long island City, NY 11106 Open Monday through Saturday from 2PM – 10PM
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