Starting in an old house on Ralph D. Abernathy Blvd. in the West End of Atlanta, Lord Yatta and Dan the Man began a partnership that has lasted through two moves and five years. Vantage Pointe Studios is not your ordinary tattoo shop; it is also an art gallery and graphic design studio.

Yatta knew he wanted to be a tattoo artist after getting his first tattoo. "I was watching them cats working and I thought ‘Damn this is artistic. I could do this too.’ I have been drawing all of my life. I ran across West End Tattoo a year later and took in my portfolio. Started there right after." After apprenticing at West End Tattoo under Julia Alfonso for a few years, Yatta left the shop to join another ex-West End artist who had opened his own studio. Dan, who had been apprenticing at West End only a few weeks, moved to the new establishment shortly thereafter to finish out his apprenticeship.

At the beginning, the new studio was great - the art was good and everyone was making money. Yatta helped the new spot establish a name for itself, but they were only doing the flash off the wall, nothing original. Conflicting interests with the owner ultimately ended their two year stint at the studio. It was then that Dan the Man and Lord Yatta decided it was time to do their own thing.

On Sept. 5, 1997, Vantage Pointe Studios was born. From the outset, the Vantage Pointe crew knew that they wanted to be different. They had an idea to be more than a tattoo shop. They also wanted to provide services that the neighborhood needed. Seeing the lack of art galleries in their area, they began to showcase local painters and photographers at the space. Their Trinity parties are always held on the cusp of the new zodiac. The parties include music and drinks, and, of course, art and tattoos.





Starting with a crew of four, Vantage Pointe immediately gained a reputation for their concentration on ethnic pieces. After years of doing flash, the staff decided that they would only do custom pieces, nothing out of books, just an original idea. Dan, drawing upon his heritage (born in Southern California to Catholic Mexican immigrants), his love of comic books, muscle magazines, as well as his strong religious background, incorporates all these influences to develop his own style. Yatta, who is originally from Rockford, Illinois, by way of Chicago, initially studied magazines and tried to emulate what he saw. "Now I would say I’m best at black and gray work, portraits," he says.

All of the hard work has paid off for both Dan and Yatta. Five years in the Atlanta market, their new shop is in a prime location, situated on one of the city’s busiest streets and between some very popular neighborhoods. You can find out the latest info about all the events at the shop like the monthly art show or quarterly Trinity Party at www.vantagepointestudios.com. Go show some love and check out Five Year Anniversary Party to be held on Sept. 6 at the new studio beginning at 9:00 p.m.

Vantage Pointe Studios is located at 736 Ponce De Leon Ave., just across the street from Green’s Liquor store and down from Dugan’s. For fine custom pieces, you call them at (404) 817-8183.

For more visit www.vantagepointestudios.com


back to top