Robbie Crisp working on a new arm piece for a client at Born and Raised Tattoo parlor in Sylva. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)
It’s Monday evening. A heavy rain is soaking Sylva and greater Jackson County. Passing by the Sylva Shopping Area, the empty parking lot is illuminated by the bright lights of Harold’s Supermarket. The rest of the plaza is closed and dark, save for one bright light at the end of the row, a large window with the word “tattoo” emblazoned on it.
“I was 8 years old when I knew I wanted to be a tattoo artist. You know how some kids have lemonade stands? Well, I asked my dad to build me a little shack in front of the house so I could draw temporary tattoos,” Robbie Crisp chuckled, taking a long pull from his cigarette in front of the shop. “I used to look at my dad’s biker magazines and there were all these tattoos underneath the skin of the people in the photos something about it fascinated me.”