Art of Tattoo Style

Art museum reaches out to the inked community with 'Marking Portland: The Art of Tattoo'

As the Portland Art Museum focuses on the art of tattoo through September, it will highlight the tattoos of Portlanders such as Storm Large, pictured here. (Laura Domela)

A woman walks into a shop. Thinks maybe it's a head shop because of all the whacked-out art in the window. But then she spies the sign: TATTOO.

It's 1977. She's on her lunch hour, passing through Old Town. Paralegal. Pantyhose and heels. Dress-for-Success suit.

On the other side of the door, she finds a little old man and a little old lady sitting at a table eating sandwiches, drinking tumblers full of what looks like iced tea, but which turns out to be whiskey. A toothless poodle with a stained, ancient face eats with them.