Slave to the Needle: 20 Years of Original Art from a Celebrated Seattle Tattoo Shop

A 20th—anniversary retrospective of a famous Seattle tattoo shop and its crew and customers— included over 500 images of bodysuits, sleeves, and tattoo—inspired paintings.

This celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the original Slave to the Needle tattoo shop in Seattle, Washington starts with an illustrated history of how the shop came to be—during the “Tattoo Renaissance” of the mid—’90s.

Professional tattoo artists of the shop, and their clients, showcase tattoo imagery in various forms, featuring traditional and neo traditional Americana, Japanese themes, and New School designs. Find geishas, sugarskulls, dragons, and more executed with the utmost care and precision in this unique display of tattoo art that goes beyond the ordinary flash book to convey how inspiration makes its way from mind to skin.

There is a section dedicated to paintings and ink drawings of surreal and fantasy art and vibrant flash, followed by a collection of stunning sleeve, backpiece, and bodysuit designs created by the shop's owner, crew, and guests. This retrospective is a vital component to any serious tattoo artist or collector's library.