I started tattooing in 1996 with Bill and Juni Salmon at San Francisco’s legendary Diamond Club,.
At the time, the shop was a very private, custom only kind of place where lots of time and detail were devoted to the clients. It was almost like being in the living room of the coolest house you’ve ever been in. I was lucky to have them as my teachers and to be able to learn from the many guest artists who came through, whether for a few days or a few weeks. Horitoshi I, Jack Rudy, Brian Everett, Mick from Zurich, Horisho, Horisakura…and countless others.
San Francisco in the 90 ‘s was the epic-enter of the so called “tattoo renaissance” which finally saw tattooing elevated to a respected art form. Artists like Marcus Pacheco, Grime, Tim Lehi, Mike Davis, Troy Denning, Freddy Corban and Jeff Rasier were pushing the levels and boundaries of the art while working side by side with some of the best know “older tattooers” . Ed Hardy, Henry Goldfield, Erno Szabody and Bill Salmon were the last generation of San Francisco tattooers to be in touch with the old time masters. The tough hard tattooers who kept our art alive… ecking out a living at Cony Island or the Long Beach Pike. I found myself in the middle of this incredible ferment…forced to keep in touch with the history and traditions that were important for making a great tattoo, while at the same time learning to use these traditions as a foundation for advancing the craft.
Bill and Juni were very adamant that I need not only master the techniques of my craft, but were constantly drilling me on the importance of respecting the history… for all great tattoo artists today are truly standing on the shoulders of giants.
I opened Door Number Four with this in mind. Simply to do “nice tattoos for nice people” in a professional creative atmosphere, maintaining a strong sense of MY link to the past. I’m proud to continue in a long line of professional tattoo artists.
At Door Number Four our tattoos say a lot about who we are. Solid, Bold, Bright and Modern. We avoid “fashion victim” tattoos and refuse to jump on the latest bandwagons. I’ve been tattooing long enough to see how silly “trends” look after a few years…not to mention how badly some of these tattoos will age.
Think “tramp stamp” and disco.
There are plenty of shops eager to take your money for this…
We believe in our art enough not to.
We strive to make tattoos that are “old as yesterday, modern as tomorrow”…because STYLE NEVER GOES OUT OF FASHION.
So whether you are looking for a full Japanese backpiece or something small, we think you will find Door Number Four to be the friendliest, most helpful and most beautiful shop on the planet. We certainly do.
Feel free to call, email, or simply drop by in person…we don’t bite and are more than happy to help you out.
Needless to say we are a fully licensed and health inspected shop, maintaining the strictest hygienic standards and are happy to answer any questions regarding this matter. Hope to see you soon!
