SCAN Fall 2013

SCAD ATLANTA’S STUDENT MAGAZINE FALL 2013 | VOL. 5. NO. 3.

ABOUT SCAN

SCAN is a quarterly student magazine of the Atlanta location of the Savannah College of Art and Design. All editorial content is determined by student editors. Opinions expressed in SCAN are not necessarily those of the college. Š 2013 SCAN Magazine. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

ART OF HUSTLING Learn how you, too, can be a hustler.

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SAVE ATL ART Tour Atlanta’s independent art scene.

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WHO ARE YOU IN CRITIQUE? Are you “that guy” during critique?

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GEORGIA ON YOUR PLATE Farm-to-Table restaurant, Saltyard, opens in Buckhead.

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KURT The challenges and rewards of being a custom tattoo artist.

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STYLE Retro fashion is in for fall.

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STUDENT SHOWCASE 34 Candace Caston and Holly Spahr.

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ERIN WHITE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

JAY BOWMAN CREATIVE DIRECTOR

CAITLIN R. KEENAN COPY EDITOR

NIKKI IGBO OPINIONS EDITOR

JONATHAN O’CONNOR PR DIRECTOR

PAULA PETERS GRAPHIC DESIGNER

JORDAN BAILEY PHOTO EDITOR

COVER Photographer: Alex Hadjidakis SAVE ATL ART Writer: Yves Jeffcoat CRITIQUE Illustrator: Morgen Billingslea STYLE Photographer: Alexis “Lex” Gaines

GEORGIA ON YOUR PLATE Writer: Hally Joseph Farm Photographer: Karen Pagano Table Photographer: Emily Schultz KURT Writer: Briana Almeida Interior: Arianna Marin Portraits: Alex Hadjidakis

Email Erin White at editor@scadconnector.com or stop by the Spring House computer lab at 11 a.m. on Fridays.

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LIFESTYLE

The of

Art Hustling

Nikki Igbo Jay Bowman

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e’ve all heard the adages about life’s winners and losers and how cream never settles for the bottom bunk. All of our lives, we’ve been told that races are won by the fastest, beauty contests by the prettiest and spelling bees by the smartest. If that were truly the case then Oprah Winfrey, Sean Carter, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and the entire Kardashian family wouldn’t be household names. They’re not the best looking, nor are they geniuses or Olympic athletes. Yet, they still manage to have fame, fortune and perceived expertise in their individual fields.

Most of us believe that these people, and others like them, are the few and the lucky.

We think that they are endowed with some special gift or some unique twist in their DNA’s double helix. The one things these folks have in common is their ability to hustle.

They do it for real. They do it every day. Nary a soul can knock it.

Hustling isn’t difficult. There’s no special school for it. No license is required. Hustling is something that every human is capable of doing. Like gym membership to a triathlete or plastic poo bags to a dog owner, it’s just a way of life. All it takes is practice, a little elbow grease, a bit of consistency and the following five steps.

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Be honest with yourself.

While others are busy sizing up the competition, hustlers understand that their only true competition are themselves.

They take a hard look in the mirror and make a decision to be and find more within.

Therefore, look inward and be real with and to yourself. It’s imperative to understand who you are and what drives you. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Recognize your talents and faults. While it’s okay to be inspired and motivated by others, don’t be a poser or a copycat. You are you and there will never be another. Period. True hustling is about accepting yourself, owning your individuality and loving it.

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Be open.

Real hustlers not only acknowledge that they don’t know everything, they also take the time to go back and edit, relearn, adapt and improve upon what they already know. They are students of life and you should be as well. Always be ready, willing and able to learn. Look for mentors and listen to them. Take advantage of educational resources such as workshops and conferences. Visit museums and get a library card.

But don’t just stop there. Hustlers are open to any new experiences that may broaden their perspectives. Read books you normally wouldn’t read. Watch foreign films. Make friends with folks outside of your usual crowd or circle. If you’re into rock and hip-hop, try listening to jazz, country or classical. If you love Vietnamese food, try Ethiopian. Visit new cities, states, countries. In all things, aim to get out of your box.

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Be hungry.

The best hustlers know that no matter how comfortable they are, they can always be, get or do better. As stated in step one, hustlers compete with themselves. And if they are following step two, they know there is a whole world of experiences and challenges just waiting to be tasted. Therefore, work up an appetite for success and get cooking. Look for opportunities to test your skills and abilities.

Always seek ways to build and grow your personal brand. Know that you’ve got something to prove and then prove it.

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Be willing to do what others won’t.

No hustler is a miracle-maker, nor do they perform impossible feats. They just pay attention to details and take time to do the little things. They simply say “yes” when others say “no.” So, if the difference between an A paper and a B+ paper is an hour’s sleep, stay up for another hour. Dress properly for every occasion. Send a “thank you” card after an interview. Don’t forget your friends, co-workers and supporters. Remember birthdays and anniversaries. Apologize when you’re wrong and don’t gloat when you’re right. Be slow to anger and quick to forgive.

Give credit where it is due.

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Be patient.

Any authentic hustler is aware that success takes time. They know how many hours, days and nights they put into honing their craft, making the right connections and building key relationships.

They know that achievement is a process and not an event. Keep planting the seeds for your victory and have faith that over time they will grow and blossom. Don’t just be patient with yourself and your virtues, be patient with others around you. Know that everything that happens to you, for you and with you is happening for a reason, even if that reason takes a little time to reveal itself.

Stand still and know that you’re hustling with a purpose.

What do you want in life? What are your goals? What are your dreams? Have you achieved them? Are you working towards them? If so, how are you doing it? If not, why? Are you being driven by what’s around you? Or are you motivated by what’s inside of you? Do you make excuses for what’s happening in your life? Or do you make moves? Do you focus on obstacles? Or do you concentrate on opportunities? Who are you? Who do you think you are? Are you a hustler? Is it in you?

There’s no great secret to success. There’s no magic spell or incantation. There’s no special gene or scientific explanation. Most of all, history teaches that there are never any real excuses for a lack of achievement.

Real success is about the hustle. While no two hustlers are alike, the art of hustling is pretty standard. Believe in yourself. Never stop learning. Never stop building. Show love in everything you do. Have faith that your perseverance and determination will pay off. That’s really all it takes. Call it art or call it a way of life. Call it whatever you want.

Just hustle hard.

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tlanta’s eclectic character inspires a sprawling and versatile art scene.

The city plays host to a variety of exhibition spaces. Although people recognize the southern city as an epicenter of art and culture, giants like the Woodruff Arts Center overshadow many of Atlanta’s smaller, emerging creative spaces. Tourists and residents alike throng to the larger attractions and miss out on other galleries and art organizations that the city has to offer. By supporting local artists and bringing in artists from around the country, these spaces help establish Atlanta as an oasis of artistic progression, growth, and talent.

Nestled in West Midtown, The Goat Farm Arts Center plays a major part in the escalating excitement about art in Atlanta.

Thanks to the recent surge of filming in the city, The Goat Farm was a location of choice for productions such as “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and “The Walking Dead.”

The twelve-acre former cotton gin factory is a spot on the Atlanta Movie Tours route.

Upon first impression, a visitor to The Goat Farm may mistake the gravel road, 19th century machinery, roaming animals – yes, there really are goats – and abandoned brick buildings for an abandoned Industrial Era town.

Although the space is a piece of history, signs proclaiming the current performances and exhibitions remind you that you didn’t come just for urban exploration. The Goat Farm has performance spaces, a café/ library, organic farm, education center, contemporary dance studio and artist studios and workspaces. It is home to two artist-inresidence programs and several acclaimed performance collaboratives including gloATL and Saiah Arts International.

A notable aspect of The Goat Farm is the diversity of its projects as well as its ability to support local art and garner national attention. Recent endeavors at The Goat Farm include The Sketchbook Project’s mobile library, monthly Naked City literary performance variety shows, gloATL’s Liquid Culture, Tanz Farm, and many performances that take place at its satellite location in Castleberry Hill, Erikson Clock. Since only a small percentage of the state’s money is allocated to funding the arts, The Goat Farm’s contributions to Atlanta’s art scene – its Arts Investment Package invests hundreds of thousands of dollars in the arts each year – brings much-needed resources to the 50,000 artists that make up Georgia’s workforce.

Yves Jeffcoat

Jordan Bailey

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Although WonderRoot’s space may be smaller than The Goat Farm’s, its mission, “to unite artists and community to inspire positive social change,” is just as big. WonderRoot is a nonprofit organization that gives back to the community by offering gallery exhibitions, youth programs, workshops, a literary magazine, music performances, a community garden, production spaces for artists and many other resources. Check out a book from its community library, use its darkroom to develop your latest photographic series or take a ceramics class all in the comfort of small, renovated home in Reynoldstown.

Unlike many larger galleries in town, WonderRoot does not focus only on the visual and fine arts. The organization’s calendar is full of events that merge art exhibition, education and community service, including freestyle cyphers, art classes for children, family-friendly comedy shows, music workshops, music shows and programs with other community service organizations around the city. WonderRoot fosters community engagement by encouraging people to volunteer or teach classes, offering low to no cost classes and giving incentive to become a member.

In 2012, WonderRoot launched the Walthall Artist Fellowship, a year-long program developed to help “The Goat Farm was a location of Atlanta-based artists advance their careers choice for productions such as through a series of “The Hunger Games: Catching seminars, roundtables, Fire” and “The Walking Dead.” an island retreat and a closing exhibition displaying the 12 fellows’ work. The arts center unites community and artistry in a way that helps create a more active and nurturing arts scene, inspiring social and cultural change in Atlanta.

The proliferation of Atlanta’s nonprofit arts organizations is a sign of a prospering and supportive art community. Eyedrum, a staple of Atlanta’s emerging art scene, recently settled down in C4 Atlanta’s space at the FUSE Arts Center. After moving from its original location on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in 2010, the organization that previously hosted its offbeat art and music shows in a large warehouse space began showing in satellite locations like The Goat Farm and Nelson Street Gallery. Although Eyedrum does not have a permanent location, the spirit and legacy of the free-spirited alternative art organization served as inspiration to the numerous arts nonprofits and small exhibition spaces around town.

Eyedrum’s history of giving underground artists a place to show their work and garnering support for local art makes it a symbol for progression and versatility in the arts. Perhaps Eyedrum’s original guerrilla-like approach to curating its shows gave the organization experience in staying afloat during tough economic times, because its partnership with C4 Atlanta seems to be a perfect pairing. Together, the nonprofits promote a spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship and experimentation. The organization recently unveiled Eyedrum Periodically, an online art and literature publication and hosts an experimental music series at The Goat Farm.

Eyedrum’s perseverance and willingness to take risks is a good model for other up-andcoming art organizations and demonstrates the resilience of Atlanta’s arts organizations.

The Arts Exchange, similar to other alternative art spaces in the city, is commitment to social change and prides itself on its AfricanAmerican leadership and progressive artistry.

Artists and activists founded the center in 1984 and community participation remains

an integral part of its operations. Originally a renowned center for innovative musicians, the Arts Exchange houses a theater, a gallery space, a student exhibition space and studios for working artists for a range of artistic and aesthetic forms. The space recently hosted artists Lisa Alembik, Ann Rowles, Elyse Defoor and Lisa Tuttle and boasts the residency of Guggenheim Fellows Beverly Buchanan, Rocio Rodriquez and Allen Loehle as well as The African Dance Ensemble and Freddie Hendricks’ Youth Ensemble of Atlanta. The elementary school turned cultural center is a good place to stop when looking for a diverse showing of visual and performance art from local and regional professional artists.

BURNAWAY, a nonprofit online arts magazine, is a go-to for everything arts related in the Atlanta area and other cities in the southeast region. The publication’s name comes from Faulkner’s “Requiem for a Dream,” “So vast, so limitless in capacity is man’s imagination to disperse and burn away the rubble-dross of fact and probability, leaving only truth and dream.” It’s a fitting choice for a city filled with creative talent and potential. With over 2,600 followers on Facebook, the magazine informs a large audience of what’s happening on the Atlanta art scene by providing interviews, podcasts, reviews, columns and covering special events. Since its 2008 inception, BURNAWAY has given Atlanta a forum to discuss and explore local art. The magazine continues to gain momentum because of its active presence on the Atlanta arts scene and its continual growth.

as well as a new monthly podcast series and an annual print issue. If all the added programming did not extend its reach, BURNAWAY formed a partnership with WonderRoot for the WonderRoot Podcast, a writers residency program that brought in Cameron Shaw from Louisiana arts publication Pelican Bomb and an arts “BURNAWAY has given writing competition Atlanta a forum to discuss for student and and explore local art.” professional writers.

The magazine is an Atlanta favorite because it realizes the importance of staying close to its audience and community. It is successful because it realizes the importance of updating its content and furthering its scope.

Although it receives most of its funding from benevolent members of the community and grants, BURNAWAY gives back by hosting workshops, art auctions, art educational activities and sponsoring local events. Its online platform, engaging content, connection to art spaces and artists and ability to initiate arts dialogue ensures its continued success and Atlanta’s rapid artistic growth.

If the Atlanta art scene can teach anything, it’s that art flourishes with the support of the community. Check out an exhibition at WonderRoot or a performance at The Goat Farm. These organizations and spaces have put Atlanta on the map by producing highly commended, innovative art that receives national buzz, so non-Atlantans know there’s more to the city than just peaches and heat.

This year, BURNAWAY added a columns that cover art in cities within a 500 Mile Radius of Atlanta, book arts, permanent artwork in the city, artists’ recommended reading lists

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WHO ARE YOU IN CRITIQUE? Erin White

Morgen Billingslea

SCHOOL The Underachiever How to identify them: Often spotted early in the quarter, they slump into class, late, at a suspiciously slow pace. Too lazy to even formulate an apologetic grimace. They use all of their absences before midterms.

During: You’re embarrassed for them, yet they are incredibly smug for their smeared, unmeasured foam-core mountings and confusing presentation remarks. You don’t know what they’re talking about. They don’t know what they’re taking about.

The Teacher’s Assistant Who: These people are equivalent to comedian hecklers. Whatever they have to say is way more important than that of any other student, at any time, no matter what.

Qualities: The Teacher’s Assistant possesses the unique talent of knowing everything about everything. They grace your class every so often, offering words of condescending encouragement for your failed project. You’re totally lucky to have class with them.

Trademark: Snickering and smirking or blocking your few of the project.

First Time All-Nighter What they sound like: A five-year-old that’s been put on timeout. The First-Time All-Nighter is almost impossible to miss because they’re really up-front with how many hours they’ve slept. In a delirious babel, they’ll whine about the 3 a.m. hot glue incident, the debacle at FedEx-Kinkos and the external hard drive with amnesia.

Uniform: Clothes can be new or old; either way, they look like they’ve been worn forever. Accessorized with ambiguous stains, cat hair, charcoal/plaster/acrylics and Cheetos dust.

How to tell if you’re this person: Do you feel victimized by the evil injustices of hard work and practice? Are you unfamiliar with when the nearest Starbucks opens? Do you remember what being “well-rested” feels like?

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S Hot Air Balloon Opening statement: “Well, the idea behind this series was bestowed on me by our Lord, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Queen Marina [Abramović] during a recent R.E.M cycle.”

Type of project: It’s pivotal that this person expresses everything they’ve felt and every idea they’ve had during this project. Everything. Matters. This includes their projects of unrealistic size and scope, regardless if it takes all class to explain what we’re even looking at. Each critique is like watching a misunderstood youth melodrama.

Degrassi Does Art School.

Closing remarks: “I plan on showing 47 photographs in my [non-existent] show.” “No, I NEED this many pieces. It’s perfect.”

The Crybaby How to identify them: Listen for heavy sighs and slimy sniffles.

Critique position: Can be found hunched on a stool in the rear of the classroom or fidgeting with the presentation board and staring at the ground. They’re very easy to critique because they usually tell you what sucks beforehand.

Trademark: Teary eyes and paper-thin skin.

The Fake-Out Lies on lies: “Nah, nowhere near done” Paranoid Android: You can never tell if they’re simply modest or sneaky little turds. Slight evasions of truth. Clever turns of phrases.

What they meant by, “nowhere near done” really means, “Basically done.”

Come critique: They whip out something something that, first, embarrasses you, second, infuriates you, third marvels you. You’re pissed that they’ve built a gum-ball machine using handmade toothpicks and you made a picture frame. Just the frame, no picture or glass covering.

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FOOD & DRINK

Georgia

Plate

Hally Joseph [Farm] Karen Pagano [Table] Emily Schultz

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he couple that eats together opens a restaurant together. This June, Atlanta foodies Christian Favalli and Kristy Jones-Favalli opened Saltyard, a handsome farm-to-table restaurant on the ground floor of Buckhead’s Brookwood building. Saltyard is in good company, just steps away from the recently transplanted Watershed, an Atlanta farm-to-table pioneer that is co-owned by Emily Saliers of the Grammy Award-winning Indigo Girls.

“A crisp balance between sophisticated and homey.”

The husband and wife team are restaurant people by nature: Kristy has been in the industry since she was old enough to legally work, while Christian’s career started even earlier at his family’s Italian restaurant and Buckhead favorite, La Grotta. Christian’s first restaurant gig was as La Grotta’s sevenyear-old coat check, standing on his tiptoes to reach the coat racks. It’s no surprise that the couple met while working at Two Urban Licks. When it came to opening Saltyard, the pair knew what they wanted from years of learning how they liked to be treated, how an ambiance can make a meal and what types of food create a lively social experience.

“The vision for our own restaurant came more from being customers in other people’s restaurants,” says Kristy. Thus Saltyard was born, taking its name from an ancient custom, where salt – then a rare commodity – was given to guests as a sign of hospitality and friendship. The restaurant is a beautiful with paneled walls, reclaimed wood rafters and cozy banquette seating create a dreamy interior that strikes a crisp balance between sophisticated and homey. From the cool charcoal color palette to the natural wood accents, the open concept kitchen and dining room look straight out of HGTV (and may make you head home to your own kitchen with “ideas”). A patio spills outside and around the building corner, privy to the hustle of Peachtree Street.

not being pretentious as it is about creating honest, good food.

However, despite the swanky implications of Saltyard’s Buckhead location (at the foot of a luxury condo building in a luxury neighborhood), Christian and Kristy are adamant that the restaurant not be one thing: pretentious. The word shows up twice on Saltyard’s website and twice again when Kristy describes their creating the ideal restaurant. Saltyard is almost as much about

From the dishes to the drinks, Saltyard sources its ingredients locally. Kristy says, “We really wanted to highlight American cuisine as the melting pot that it is in both our food and beverage programs. Our wine, beer and cocktail offerings are mostly domestic and our food is sourced as locally as possible.”

The sleek social room isn’t trying to scare you with new techniques or big price tags.

Instead, executive chef and partner, Nick Leahy, serves up simple and recognizable dishes typically ranging from $4 to $11.

Kristy says, “We wanted something that was a damn good value for the area and we wanted our space to be comfortable and oozing positive energy, a space where people wanted to be.” Guests will find twists on familiar favorites with dishes like roasted Brussels sprouts, tender grilled octopus and sweet fig and blue cheese bruschetta. But that doesn’t mean the ingredients aren’t their own brand of luxurious.

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F&D

Part of the restaurant’s philosophy is to make a human connection between what is on the plate and in the glass, including building relationships with Georgia farmers and artisanal purveyors. As Kristy describes the cast of characters that populate the selection of fresh vegetables, meat and cheeses, it begins to sound like a Southern-hued food fairy tale.

Local vegetable farmer, Bobby Britt, handpicks the vegetables straight from the soil, meaning that veggies served at Saltyard often go from picked to plate in a single day. Tom “The Trout Man,” from Enchanted Springs, delivers fresh fish in a truck that is powered by the restaurant’s used fryer oil. His dog, a huge Mastiff named Juvia, works as assistant and security system in all deliveries, barking when anyone comes too close to the truck while Tom is inside the restaurant. Though all Saltyard’s cheeses are from Georgia, their WayPoint “Camembert” is made right in Atlanta by Robin Schick, owner of CalyRoad Creamery off Roswell Road.

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The beer menu is an ode to Georgia breweries; Sweetwater’s 420, Terrapin’s Hopsecutioner and Wild Heaven’s Let There Be Light stud the list of the six draft beers.

The mostly domestic wine list includes 20 wines by the glass and 75 by the bottle. The cocktail list sparkles with its out-there names and unusual pairings, such as the Handlebar Mustache, composed of Jack Daniels, fresh lemon sour and orange bitters. Other drink offers include A Step in the Right Direction, Swift Kick in the Tito and Short Commute (surely a hit for Atlantans).

The food menu is also dedicated to highlighting the ingredients, categorizing over 30 dishes by carbs, charcuterie and cheese, vegetables, seafood and meats.

Though mainly devoted to shareable small plates of varying proportions, Saltyard does dish up four entrées (called “biggie smalls”): pan roasted Georgia trout, hangar steak “frites,” lemon and ale braised chicken thighs and duck confit with beluga lentils. All entrées are under $18 and fit right into the mix-andmatch small plates eating, depending on the appetite of the table.

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Sweet treats round out the meal, including desserts such as mixed berry parfait, Meyer lemon polenta cake, chocolate nemesis and ricotta zeppolis. Once more, freshness highlights the menu: many of the desserts are accompanied by honey and fruit.

Curious to have another bite of this pretention-free “good food first” philosophy, Atlantans flock to Saltyard even in humid early August, the patio spilling over with Buckhead residents sharing plates of ricotta gnocchi and burrata with heirloom tomatoes.

When eating out in Atlanta, Christian and Kristy enjoy restaurants without too much pizzazz but with plenty of staying power. “Atlanta is such a great network of restaurants and restaurateurs,” says Kristy, noting the couple’s citywide favorites of Ecco in Midtown, Holy Taco in East Atlanta and Serpas True Food in Old Fourth Ward. “All are solid restaurants that are not trying to be too cutting edge.”

Critics, however, have poked at Saltyard’s potential to evolve. Stephanie Dazey of Creative Loafing calls the menu a “culinary greatest-hits list” that errs toward too expansive, from Southern to French to Asian to Mediterranean, citing that the restaurant could use some focus to eliminate a barrage of lackluster dishes. Customers, however, aren’t complaining. At the time of print, Saltyard ranks a 90 percent on Urbanspoon and has a rating of 3.5 stars on Yelp. All agree: the price is right.

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F&D

Sharing a meal on a weekday night, I leaned towards the critics’ point of view.

My favorite tapas restaurant in the Atlanta area is Decatur’s Iberian Pig, where a fairly large array of dishes are given a Spanish twist. Like painting from the same color family, each dish complements the next with its Spanish flavor profiles so that when you leave it’s almost as though the restaurant has a taste, and that taste is delicious. With such a broad perspective as Saltyard, the dishes felt hit-or-miss, each plate jarring you from the experience as a whole. When you attend a bad party, you go home discussing all the odd characters you met instead of just saying, “I had so much fun.” I left Saltyard discussing all the dishes I met, and which ones weren’t such good company.

With a steady stream of business, Saltyard doesn’t need to heed the opinions of critics quite yet, but it may be something they consider as the restaurant cycles through its first year. Even now, some dishes are claiming their menu real state as frontrunners, beloved by both guests and owners.

When asked her favorite dish at Saltyard, Kristy says, “That’s like asking me to pick my favorite child. I do ‘taste test’ the grilled octopus more often than the rest. And if I’m feeling especially sinful, I will have the fried Brussels leaves, which are an off-menu item

that our guests are quickly requesting with more and more frequency. They are truly to die for! The chocolate nemesis can’t be missed for dessert.”

Like most farm-to-tables, Saltyard’s menu will change with the seasons, highlighting the best in produce as the weather transitions from hot months to cool. One thing that won’t change? The owners’ dedication “Like painting from the same to good food grown color family, each dish locally. It might complements the next.” take another year or two for Saltyard to develop a more streamlined persona, but the commitment to Georgia ingredients and beverages is here to stay. Like the logo states: “dig in,” and see for yourself.

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LOCAL

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Briana Almeida

KURT Alex Hadjidakis Arianna Marin

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hat makes a great tattoo? Some would say skill, the careful application of linework. Others, the years of professionalism and experience. While these factors have a bearing on any great tattoo, they are not the main component. What makes a great tattoo is a great tattoo artist.

Any decent tattooer can apply a stencil to work a design. In fact, most apprentices spend hours inking flash (predetermined designs, usually from posters) into the dermis of willing patrons just for experience with the machine. Many artists make an hourly living this way, adhering flash and predetermined stencils, mastering even linework and clean script. Nothing wrong with a well done Sailor Jerry ship.

Few, however, are given the chance to create custom design work and even fewer wish to do so. Why?

Time and again artists become therapist-like.

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Custom work comes with certain clientele, so the designer is at the mercy of the customer. Tattooers are rarely given total creative license, which can be limiting. If that weren’t enough, clients often request work that must be taken home to sketch and resketch over endless cups of coffee late into the night. No hourly rates here.

Custom work, although freeing from the monotony of flash, is demanding of the tattooer, of the artist. It requires a dedication motivated by passion, not just talent or experience.

A custom artist isn’t in it just for the money. A custom artist is in it for that fifth cup of Folgers at 3 a.m., for going back to the drawing board again, and again, and again, for the right design flowing in just the right way. They aren’t in it just for the portfolio, but for the clients as well, for the honor of marking a triumph over cancer or the loss of a close love. Time and again artists become therapist-like, sitting patient with drawing pad to memorize childhood memories and memorialize them in ink. It is no small feat, translating the mood of an idea into something tangible and permanent.

Kurt Fagerland, of Memorial Tattoo in Cabbagetown, has been passionate about ink for eight years. Strictly a custom artist, he started out as an apprentice under Cort Bengston at Corts Royal Ink in New York.

“I wouldn’t think of trying to get into the business any other way. Getting a real apprenticeship from a skilled tattooer is the best way to learn. It can greatly impact your future in the business. Same as trying to get into a good college.” Tattoos are just as often marks of triumph as they are an indelible manifestation of the soul, as evidenced by the popularity of character-like designs.

“My first tattoo is actually a small punk rock guy with a mohawk, that I tattooed myself with a sewing needle when I was 16. I still have it.” says Fagerland.

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His passion stems from a love of creating custom artwork that will be with the client wherever they go. “It’s an honor as an artist to be chosen to leave a permanent mark.”

Though he describes his style as illustrative realism, he enjoys working with everything from more traditional types to realistic portraits. As with many artists, he works in more than one medium, “I used to do a lot of painting. More recently, I’ve been working with graphite. I have a series of ghost story illustrations I’ve been playing with.

I’ve also been carving custom rings and casting them in silver. There’s something really satisfying about wearing your own designs. One of a kind.”

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The mark of a great custom artist is not only dedication but a lust for growth. Though Kurt’s probably tattooed everything on patrons that he has ever wanted to, he enjoys every opportunity to revisit ideas that he’s worked with previously.“There is always something I want to improve in the art. I think a lot of the images people get are icons somehow rooted in the human subconscious....cultural symbols, spiritual, or maybe just ideas that are tied to our unique view of the world.”

“When I started tattooing, I was working in a busy street shop. I did flash designs all day.

I dreamed of being a strictly custom artist.

There is a great sense of pride that comes with being a custom artist. And honestly, I made more money doing flash. As a custom artist I put hours and hours into drawings in preparation for a tattoo. I don’t get paid for time spent drawing, and my hourly rate is the same as any good street shop.

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I spend hours reading extensive emails from clients describing their dream tattoo.

Some people really write short novels that start with their childhood history. It is a lot, and it is very taxing. At the end of the day, I still love working on custom tattoos and I am confident the personal rewards have been greater creating unique designs for my clients. There is a lot of heart that goes into the work. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Passion sets an artist apart from the rest, often paving their path to success. Kurt’s extensive following is evidence of this.

Everything in moderation, however: “What do I think about tattoo reality shows?

I hate them.

Passion sets an artist apart forom the rest.

Atlantic Station/ATM 171 17th St. N.W. 404-214-6120 Woodruff Arts Center ATM Only 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. One Atlantic/ATM 1201 W. Peachtree St. 404-865-4990

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Lex Gaines Hair: Jewel Vixen & Angie McCall Styling: C. Q. Perry Make-up: Lester Bailey Jr.

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SHOWCASE

CANDACE CASTON

Student Showcase Fourth-year, painting

What was the first artistic thing you made?

When I lived in New Orleans, I remember taking this art class everyday after school. I can remember making a lot of my first “paintings� there. I did this one portrait when I was five there. It was a pastel drawing of me and my dog. It was about 6 feet tall, and I sold it in an art show for like $150 or something.

Who was the first person to acknowledge your art?

I think my dad. That was probably the reason I started taking classes after school.

I think that after school art program made me, it was kind of intense for how old I was.

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LET’S

What’s your work pattern? Do you have a favorite time to work?

My work pattern is to work when I can.

Sometimes I leave my job at 2 or 3 a.m. and come work at the school. I’m less distracted if I come in at night. It makes my sleep schedule all out of whack, but as long as it gets done.

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SHOWCASE

HOLLY SPAHR

Fourth-year, sculpture

Student Showcase

What was the first artistic thing you made?

I know I was always a scribbler. Stacks of old family pictures show me awkwardly grasping a piece of sidewalk chalk or big Crayola markers. But the first artistic thing I remember being proud of was copying the cover image to a 101 Dalmatians coloring book. Three misshapen poke-a-dot dogs with spindly legs done in green and pink pen, and I knew I had joined the big leagues.

Who was the first person to acknowledge your art?

It wasn’t until my sophomore year in high school that I’d try my first fine arts class instead. It was my high school art teacher, Mrs. Palmer, who really acknowledged me and pushed me. I started producing better and better work until the point I decided to go to art school. Mrs. Palmer is still one of my heroes and person who really influenced my life.

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What’s your work pattern? Do you have a favorite time to work?

I have a huge imagination, and it never shuts off. I make sure I have a small journal or sketchbook with me everywhere incase I have an idea and need to jot it down. I can’t say my work bides by a pattern at all. It’s just when ideas come to my brain they get written down, and when I have the materials and time, the best ones get produced.

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CODE #11396 VALID 10/23/13 - 11/9/13

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Offer good only towards purchase of complete printing order. Not valid with any other discounts or previously placed orders. Offer valid only at Blick locations.

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