Thom DeVita, Revolutionized the Art of Tattooing, DEAD @ 85

His specialty was one-of-a-kind tattoos. The sample art you saw, often times, was not what ended up being the finished product on your body. Taking different style such as classic Americana, high art, primitivism, and Japanese designs Thom DeVita was different.  

Through trial and error Mr. DeVita learned his craft.  Without formal training he simply observed other tattoo artists who inked his body. 

In the late 1960s, after spending some time in prison, he had moved to the East Village, where he worked as a live model for art schools. He began creating art to impress a potential girlfriend.  That lead to selling his artwork in Washington Square Park.

nytimes.com/2018/05/04/obituaries/thom-devita-85-dies-revolutionized-the-art-of-tattooing.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fobituaries