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Home > Columns > Loud & Upfront in Columbus > High Street Tattoo's Giovani
High Street Tattoo: Five years of providing
'the mark of distinction that lasts a lifetime'
'the mark of distinction that lasts a lifetime'
I have a deep respect for the artistry that goes into a good tattoo. I don’t think
these artists get the recognition they deserve. After all, they work on a living
canvas that varies from person to person.
While gathering information on a truly talented artist named Gunnar Gaylord I
was thrilled to find that he works in a studio right here in the Short North of
Columbus. But I was shocked to find myself impressed with the studio he
works in: High Street Tattoo (HST).
You see I have only one tattoo, it's very little, but pretty. The reason I have only
one is because the experience I had having it done was not very pleasant. A
dingy little place with a kinda dirty tattoo guy who took forever to put the tiny
tattoo together and even longer to get ready for me, even though I was the only
customer in the place.
High Street Tattoo looked like a place I would be much more comfortable in.
So I immediately got in touch with the studio’s owner, Giovani, to get the story
behind his shop.
It turns out Giovani (just Giovani) was a corporate chef in Oregon before he
got into the tattoo business. “I got tattooed every time I got a paycheck,” he told
me. “I had a sketchbook of all of the designs I wanted and my artist suggested
that I might look into tattooing.”
“I was given a great opportunity by Dan 'Wes' Wesley at Body Language
Productions. Wes is a former chef as well and actually gave me my job,
despite my lack of experience, solely to save me from going back to cooking! I
worked for him for a few years and I owe him for both his great work ethic,
which he imparted onto me, but also his business sense, which is second to
none. The next step for me was Stained Skin, which was not only one of the
great honors of my life, but a serious kick in the face, artistically. Durb
Morrison (former owner of Stained Skin) is the person I credit with giving me
my true love of the tattoo process. Until this point, I simply wanted to do better
tattoos because I had always loved tattoos, those that had them, and the
culture associated with it. But Durb got me to understand that tattooing is a
thing of reverence, and that both the client and the tattoo process itself was
something to take very seriously. Durb (and Gunnar at the time) changed my
game artistically, esthetically and professionally--anything less than 140
percent was substandard and this was the only way to approach the subject.
When Durb decided to sell Stained Skin, I felt that would be the time to take
what I had learned and branch out; thus, High Street Tattoo was born.”
Giovani made a conscious effort to make his studio different. “It seemed
tattooing was lacking by-and-large a degree of professionalism,” he said.
“Clients were accustomed to poor service from anti-social artists, who were
usually running behind if they were there at all, the studio itself was a unkempt
shrine of subculture and subversion and the tattoo process itself was left up to
individual artists. I wanted to bring the elements of professionalism that I felt
the business was missing, and at the same time use the knowledge I had
gained previously in my tattoo career to create a unique system of operation
and develop a standard that would benefit both artist and client and hopefully
tattooing as a whole.”
The studio is about to enter its fifth year in business and Giovanni said, “I can
see where the work we have done has paid off and I feel like I played a part in
changing the game locally. I feel that from the time that we first developed the
concept of the studio, virtually everything that we do is different
characteristically from any studio currently out there, especially in Columbus.
At the time I opened we were the first and only studio to do a number of
things--from a full service concierge style manager to not only welcome and
acclimate clients, and the overall spa style atmosphere, to the uniform look
and education of all of my artists.”
The portfolios of his artists are available on the studio’s Web site:
highstreettattoo.com. After seeing the profiles it is obvious he is very selective
about who represents this shop.
Among other requirements, High Street Tattoo has a standard of five years
experience for any artist on the staff.
“First and foremost, they have to be professional. And I'm not talking about
their tattoos,” Giovani explained. “I find it unacceptable the way clients are
treated in a lot of studios. The norm these days as a tattoo artist, if you can
even get them to respond to e-mails or phone calls, is running at least an hour
behind. If you are lucky enough for him to have your drawing, it may have quite
a few elements that he has forcibly suggested he add, for your benefit, and to
give him more free range as an artist, then you will wait as he sets up,
smokes, eats, and calls his girl, and then when you are lucky enough to finally
sit down, he'll work for 45 minutes and take a break, and the whole process
begins again, all at the expense and time of the client.”
That definitely describes my personal tattooing experience. Giovani promises
something different. “Our overall goal is to develop artists that will not only do
knock-out work, but provide a whole experience to a client that will be
unmatchable at any other studio.”
The men responsible for the High Street Tattoo experience can best be
introduced to you by Giovani himself:
“It is a little known fact that Gunnar [Gaylord] is a limited partner in High Street
Tattoo and although he has not been with me as long as some of my other
artists, he brings something I have wanted in my business format for a while
and I believe his input to me is part of the reason that HST is so successful.
As an addition to the studio, Gunnar brings his massive bank of technical
knowledge and his overwhelming amount of dedication, as well as the shared
experience of having worked for and with some of the best in the business.
His work is known, as is he, and he is relentless in his pursuit to advance his
work and the work of those around him.”
“Dustin Hysell is my longest standing contractor and has been both a great
benefit to the studio and a great friend. Dustin has a smooth style, very fluid on
skin, and he is extremely versatile. Dustin has been with HST for nearly the
whole time and he has seen me at my best and worst, so I really value his
hard work and tenacity. This studio has been through some interesting times--
we were sued upon opening by a local studio that I had previously worked for;
incidentally, this was the first studio-to-studio lawsuit in Ohio. I had a large
majority of my artists quit and open a competing studio a block from me,
some of these artists have recently returned temporarily as the opportunity
they took did not pan out all that well. I have been divorced since opening and
the list goes on, so, my thanks to Dustin!”
these artists get the recognition they deserve. After all, they work on a living
canvas that varies from person to person.
While gathering information on a truly talented artist named Gunnar Gaylord I
was thrilled to find that he works in a studio right here in the Short North of
Columbus. But I was shocked to find myself impressed with the studio he
works in: High Street Tattoo (HST).
You see I have only one tattoo, it's very little, but pretty. The reason I have only
one is because the experience I had having it done was not very pleasant. A
dingy little place with a kinda dirty tattoo guy who took forever to put the tiny
tattoo together and even longer to get ready for me, even though I was the only
customer in the place.
High Street Tattoo looked like a place I would be much more comfortable in.
So I immediately got in touch with the studio’s owner, Giovani, to get the story
behind his shop.
It turns out Giovani (just Giovani) was a corporate chef in Oregon before he
got into the tattoo business. “I got tattooed every time I got a paycheck,” he told
me. “I had a sketchbook of all of the designs I wanted and my artist suggested
that I might look into tattooing.”
“I was given a great opportunity by Dan 'Wes' Wesley at Body Language
Productions. Wes is a former chef as well and actually gave me my job,
despite my lack of experience, solely to save me from going back to cooking! I
worked for him for a few years and I owe him for both his great work ethic,
which he imparted onto me, but also his business sense, which is second to
none. The next step for me was Stained Skin, which was not only one of the
great honors of my life, but a serious kick in the face, artistically. Durb
Morrison (former owner of Stained Skin) is the person I credit with giving me
my true love of the tattoo process. Until this point, I simply wanted to do better
tattoos because I had always loved tattoos, those that had them, and the
culture associated with it. But Durb got me to understand that tattooing is a
thing of reverence, and that both the client and the tattoo process itself was
something to take very seriously. Durb (and Gunnar at the time) changed my
game artistically, esthetically and professionally--anything less than 140
percent was substandard and this was the only way to approach the subject.
When Durb decided to sell Stained Skin, I felt that would be the time to take
what I had learned and branch out; thus, High Street Tattoo was born.”
Giovani made a conscious effort to make his studio different. “It seemed
tattooing was lacking by-and-large a degree of professionalism,” he said.
“Clients were accustomed to poor service from anti-social artists, who were
usually running behind if they were there at all, the studio itself was a unkempt
shrine of subculture and subversion and the tattoo process itself was left up to
individual artists. I wanted to bring the elements of professionalism that I felt
the business was missing, and at the same time use the knowledge I had
gained previously in my tattoo career to create a unique system of operation
and develop a standard that would benefit both artist and client and hopefully
tattooing as a whole.”
The studio is about to enter its fifth year in business and Giovanni said, “I can
see where the work we have done has paid off and I feel like I played a part in
changing the game locally. I feel that from the time that we first developed the
concept of the studio, virtually everything that we do is different
characteristically from any studio currently out there, especially in Columbus.
At the time I opened we were the first and only studio to do a number of
things--from a full service concierge style manager to not only welcome and
acclimate clients, and the overall spa style atmosphere, to the uniform look
and education of all of my artists.”
The portfolios of his artists are available on the studio’s Web site:
highstreettattoo.com. After seeing the profiles it is obvious he is very selective
about who represents this shop.
Among other requirements, High Street Tattoo has a standard of five years
experience for any artist on the staff.
“First and foremost, they have to be professional. And I'm not talking about
their tattoos,” Giovani explained. “I find it unacceptable the way clients are
treated in a lot of studios. The norm these days as a tattoo artist, if you can
even get them to respond to e-mails or phone calls, is running at least an hour
behind. If you are lucky enough for him to have your drawing, it may have quite
a few elements that he has forcibly suggested he add, for your benefit, and to
give him more free range as an artist, then you will wait as he sets up,
smokes, eats, and calls his girl, and then when you are lucky enough to finally
sit down, he'll work for 45 minutes and take a break, and the whole process
begins again, all at the expense and time of the client.”
That definitely describes my personal tattooing experience. Giovani promises
something different. “Our overall goal is to develop artists that will not only do
knock-out work, but provide a whole experience to a client that will be
unmatchable at any other studio.”
The men responsible for the High Street Tattoo experience can best be
introduced to you by Giovani himself:
“It is a little known fact that Gunnar [Gaylord] is a limited partner in High Street
Tattoo and although he has not been with me as long as some of my other
artists, he brings something I have wanted in my business format for a while
and I believe his input to me is part of the reason that HST is so successful.
As an addition to the studio, Gunnar brings his massive bank of technical
knowledge and his overwhelming amount of dedication, as well as the shared
experience of having worked for and with some of the best in the business.
His work is known, as is he, and he is relentless in his pursuit to advance his
work and the work of those around him.”
“Dustin Hysell is my longest standing contractor and has been both a great
benefit to the studio and a great friend. Dustin has a smooth style, very fluid on
skin, and he is extremely versatile. Dustin has been with HST for nearly the
whole time and he has seen me at my best and worst, so I really value his
hard work and tenacity. This studio has been through some interesting times--
we were sued upon opening by a local studio that I had previously worked for;
incidentally, this was the first studio-to-studio lawsuit in Ohio. I had a large
majority of my artists quit and open a competing studio a block from me,
some of these artists have recently returned temporarily as the opportunity
they took did not pan out all that well. I have been divorced since opening and
the list goes on, so, my thanks to Dustin!”
High Street Tattoo (HST) staff: Gunnar Gaylord, Dustin Hysell, A.J. McMillen, Giovani, Drew Foster,
Biggs, Craig Garret. HST is celebrating it's fifth year in business. Enlarge Photo All Photos Submitted
Biggs, Craig Garret. HST is celebrating it's fifth year in business. Enlarge Photo All Photos Submitted
Out Of The Blue ootb646.com
HST is located in the Short North district in Columbus at
872 N. High St. Phone: 614-294-8888. Business hours are:
12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Enlarge Photo
872 N. High St. Phone: 614-294-8888. Business hours are:
12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Enlarge Photo
Submitted work by HST's Jay. Enlarge Photo
Submitted work by HST's Giovani. Enlarge Photo
Submitted work by HST's Biggs. Enlarge Photo
Submitted work by HST's A.J. Enlarge Photo
Dustin shooting ink on a client. Enlarge Photo
Drew doing some work at HST. Enlarge Photo
A.J. working at High Street Tattoo. Enlarge Photo
An interview with owner Giovani
“A.J. McMillen is next. He is a workhorse, a real studio guy. He has been at HST for nearly four years and is the model of an
HST contractor. He is extremely well versed in a number of styles and executes them all well, he is punctual and professional
and extremely dedicated to our clientele. He also is a great self-promoter. You will find A.J. doing his best to get involved in as
many projects as possible. He’s a really hard worker. He also provides us all with some comic relief as he is always quick to
joke around.”
“I worked with Jay [Blevins] at Stained Skin when Durb still owned it. He was one of my favorite artists then and he continues
to be today. Jay could possibly win a 'most underrated' tattoo artist award, he is also extremely humble, which seems to be
another key to his genius. I really think that if more people knew about Jay and were willing to let him do his thing, that he
would be one of these artists you see in every publication that hits the streets. He also loves politics, which is something I am
big on as well, so we are always debating something.”
“Drew Foster came to me from a studio owned by a non-tattooist, which I find to be an abhorrent trend, by the way. Drew is in
a great position right now, he is young enough in tattooing to really develop with those around him, yet he is experienced
enough to take the info he gets and use it in his own way. Everything he does shows a unique, raw quality. He is a seriously
driven kid and I am very proud to have him around the studio. He is eager to develop and it shows in all of his work.”
“Biggs was the only artist I brought when I closed my south High Street location. I was tired of running two studios, so I packed
one in to focus on HST as it is now. Biggs has great, very mid-western neo-traditional work and is in a constant state of
upward development. He is the guy that will wear himself out getting people exactly what they want and his clients seem to
appreciate that, as they are extremely loyal to him.”
Of course Giovani also offers his own tattooing talents to his customers. On the Web site it mentions that he encourages
customers to give ammunition in lieu of his tips. I asked him why.
“I do everything I can to give back. High Street Tattoo does a lot of charity work, but soldiers are the nearest to my heart,"
Giovani said. "So I decided to make soldiers one of my prime demographics. I give a tattoo once a month, free of charge to a
random deployed or returning soldier, as well as doing benefit events for the USO and the wounded warrior project. As word of
this spread, I would get more soldiers coming to me for work. We would discuss guns and the next time I'd hear from them,
I'd get a photo of them on a tank or jet, or near a bomb or something, showing off their tattoos. When they came home they
would bring me some ammo, or some random military item--to date I have gotten everything from claymore training mines to
kevlar helmets. And so, to this day, I am extremely honored to be able to give back for those that sacrifice on our behalf. So I
encourage all of my clients to tip me this way, so I have reminder of why I give back. It's a nice way to relive the memories of
some of our best clients and occasionally those that have not returned.”
And there are other perks to having a unique, successful shop. He said: “I am now fortunate enough to say that High Street
Tattoo has tattooed some of the cities best known and most influential people--from famous ex-Buckeyes turned TV hosts, to
Olympic gymnasts, as well as several other prominent Columbus figures. I have had a long time periodic guest spot on The
Blitz radio station, we partner with local charities to raise seven figures a year for the less fortunate in and around Columbus
and we are constantly being offered new and exciting events and opportunities. I never thought that we would be in a position
where my dedication to simply being at work would provide me with such an amazing opportunity to help others while doing
the most challenging, fun job I've ever had.”
As part of it's 5-year-anniversary celebration, High Street Tattoo will be hosting 'a historical tattoo retrospective in conjunction
with Bicknee Tattoo Supply and the Ohio Tattoo History Museum.'
“I have been friends with Rich T. [owner of Bicknee and the Ohio Tattoo Museum] for years," Giovani said. "He has fostered
and furthered my love of the history of tattooing and I wanted to share this with those people that may not be exposed to this
part of tattooing, or even know that Ohio itself has a very rich tattoo history. The tattoo museum he runs is an hour south of
Columbus, so if you don't know about it, you most likely won't stumble upon it. So we decided to bring him and his artifacts to
Columbus. It will be Dec. 3 at the studio and will feature historical flash, vintage equipment and live, assembly line style
tattooing, as it was done in the past.”
Don't miss this unique gallery show! Check out the Web site for information, you'll need to get your own artwork done by these
guys. While you're there do not miss Giovani’s blog, it has lots of useful information and it's a great way to keep up with the
artists. Giovani will also begin co-hosting "The Metal Shop" radio show on 99.7 The Blitz airing Sundays at 11 p.m.
Speaking again of the artists, I will be interviewing Gunnar Gaylord from High Street Tattoo, who is in the process of finishing
up an extremely interesting tat for a Columbus burlesque dancer. I’ll include those pictures and maybe even a photo or two of
what he is doing for my very own daughter. Keep an eye out for that article coming soon!
HST contractor. He is extremely well versed in a number of styles and executes them all well, he is punctual and professional
and extremely dedicated to our clientele. He also is a great self-promoter. You will find A.J. doing his best to get involved in as
many projects as possible. He’s a really hard worker. He also provides us all with some comic relief as he is always quick to
joke around.”
“I worked with Jay [Blevins] at Stained Skin when Durb still owned it. He was one of my favorite artists then and he continues
to be today. Jay could possibly win a 'most underrated' tattoo artist award, he is also extremely humble, which seems to be
another key to his genius. I really think that if more people knew about Jay and were willing to let him do his thing, that he
would be one of these artists you see in every publication that hits the streets. He also loves politics, which is something I am
big on as well, so we are always debating something.”
“Drew Foster came to me from a studio owned by a non-tattooist, which I find to be an abhorrent trend, by the way. Drew is in
a great position right now, he is young enough in tattooing to really develop with those around him, yet he is experienced
enough to take the info he gets and use it in his own way. Everything he does shows a unique, raw quality. He is a seriously
driven kid and I am very proud to have him around the studio. He is eager to develop and it shows in all of his work.”
“Biggs was the only artist I brought when I closed my south High Street location. I was tired of running two studios, so I packed
one in to focus on HST as it is now. Biggs has great, very mid-western neo-traditional work and is in a constant state of
upward development. He is the guy that will wear himself out getting people exactly what they want and his clients seem to
appreciate that, as they are extremely loyal to him.”
Of course Giovani also offers his own tattooing talents to his customers. On the Web site it mentions that he encourages
customers to give ammunition in lieu of his tips. I asked him why.
“I do everything I can to give back. High Street Tattoo does a lot of charity work, but soldiers are the nearest to my heart,"
Giovani said. "So I decided to make soldiers one of my prime demographics. I give a tattoo once a month, free of charge to a
random deployed or returning soldier, as well as doing benefit events for the USO and the wounded warrior project. As word of
this spread, I would get more soldiers coming to me for work. We would discuss guns and the next time I'd hear from them,
I'd get a photo of them on a tank or jet, or near a bomb or something, showing off their tattoos. When they came home they
would bring me some ammo, or some random military item--to date I have gotten everything from claymore training mines to
kevlar helmets. And so, to this day, I am extremely honored to be able to give back for those that sacrifice on our behalf. So I
encourage all of my clients to tip me this way, so I have reminder of why I give back. It's a nice way to relive the memories of
some of our best clients and occasionally those that have not returned.”
And there are other perks to having a unique, successful shop. He said: “I am now fortunate enough to say that High Street
Tattoo has tattooed some of the cities best known and most influential people--from famous ex-Buckeyes turned TV hosts, to
Olympic gymnasts, as well as several other prominent Columbus figures. I have had a long time periodic guest spot on The
Blitz radio station, we partner with local charities to raise seven figures a year for the less fortunate in and around Columbus
and we are constantly being offered new and exciting events and opportunities. I never thought that we would be in a position
where my dedication to simply being at work would provide me with such an amazing opportunity to help others while doing
the most challenging, fun job I've ever had.”
As part of it's 5-year-anniversary celebration, High Street Tattoo will be hosting 'a historical tattoo retrospective in conjunction
with Bicknee Tattoo Supply and the Ohio Tattoo History Museum.'
“I have been friends with Rich T. [owner of Bicknee and the Ohio Tattoo Museum] for years," Giovani said. "He has fostered
and furthered my love of the history of tattooing and I wanted to share this with those people that may not be exposed to this
part of tattooing, or even know that Ohio itself has a very rich tattoo history. The tattoo museum he runs is an hour south of
Columbus, so if you don't know about it, you most likely won't stumble upon it. So we decided to bring him and his artifacts to
Columbus. It will be Dec. 3 at the studio and will feature historical flash, vintage equipment and live, assembly line style
tattooing, as it was done in the past.”
Don't miss this unique gallery show! Check out the Web site for information, you'll need to get your own artwork done by these
guys. While you're there do not miss Giovani’s blog, it has lots of useful information and it's a great way to keep up with the
artists. Giovani will also begin co-hosting "The Metal Shop" radio show on 99.7 The Blitz airing Sundays at 11 p.m.
Speaking again of the artists, I will be interviewing Gunnar Gaylord from High Street Tattoo, who is in the process of finishing
up an extremely interesting tat for a Columbus burlesque dancer. I’ll include those pictures and maybe even a photo or two of
what he is doing for my very own daughter. Keep an eye out for that article coming soon!
