As you drive down Haywood Road you may remember them as the tattoo shop in the corner of the Regency Square Plaza (near The Melting Pot) by the name of Physical Graffiti South. But over the last month a lot has changed. They’ve rebranded and officially moved to the opposite side of the plaza into a brand new 3,000+ square foot shop. Their new name… Reckless Heart Tattoo! Most importantly, their talented team of tattoo artists and their owners have stayed the same. Recently we got the chance to sit down with their manager and got the full story on the new location and lots more. Let’s go meet Steve Cochran of Reckless Heart Tattoo.
360: How did you become a tattoo artist?
Steve: I was first introduced to tattooing in the late 90s. Most of what was popular then was kinda lowbrow New School stuff that I wasn’t really into. It wasn’t until I saw the work of Tom Renshaw that I understood it was possible to render wildlife and landscapes in a realistic way using tattoo needles. At the time, I was much more into realistic pencil and charcoal realism- the love for traditional tattoos came later. I finally got an apprenticeship in 2005, and moved to South Carolina the following year.
360: What do you love most about your job?
Steve: Oh man, it’s definitely people. I am blessed to be able to work with people from radically differing backgrounds, with their own preferences in style and subject matter. I get to create pieces in a ton of different styles, while getting to know people I might not always have met through different channels. Things are rarely the same from one day to the next. I’m incredibly passionate about the art itself, but each individual “canvas” gets to live in each creation forever. This means that tattoo education, from design composition to after- and long-term care, becomes an integral part of the service. The building of relationships is definitely what I am most grateful for in this business.
360: Tell us about the new name and the meaning behind it.
Steve: The new name, Reckless Heart, comes from the idea of “going all in” and “holding nothing back”. Instead of viewing “reckless” as something negative, we view it as a statement of committing the heart, without reserve, to what we love; tattooing, creating art, and serving each client by giving them something beautiful that they will have with them forever.
360: Now how about your awesome new and improved location! Tell us about some of the upgrades.
Steve: Man is it awesome! We’re still in Regency Square Plaza on Haywood Road, but we recently built out a brand-new 3000+ square foot shop on the opposite end of the plaza (477 Haywood Road Suite K, at the corner of Airport Road, behind the Kangaroo Gas Station.) We built this to improve visibility and accommodate growth, and we now have a total of 8 tattoo stations. We chose to retain the full privacy rooms and the gallery feel. We will rotate guest artists in from around the world, and will continue to add more resident artists as the opportunity provides. This shop feels a lot different than the average street tattoo shop, and it’s important that everyone working here shares our values of service. Feel free to come check us out, we’re open 7 days at 12pm!
360: When you’re not tattooing, what do you love to do?
Steve: Being a husband and a father! I work a lot, so it’s important to spend as much time as possible with my family when I’m off. We serve at our local church, and I have a lifelong passion for music and the outdoors.
360: Awesome. Thanks, Steve! Congrats on the expansion and keep enjoying the new digs.
You can keep following along in their world of body art and see all their past work via Instagram and Facebook or follow Steve directly via Instagram here. We can honestly say from first hand experience (got our first tattoo this past February!) that Steve, his team and Reckless Heart are top notch! Two thumbs way up. If you have any questions for Steve, you can reach him at tattoosteve.cochran@gmail.com, call the shop at (864) 991-8564 or visit their website here.
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