Tattoo artist Jeff Hayes named his shop Rival because he said it excels over the competition with a wide variety of media beyond skin ink.
Rival Tattoo Art Studios has a photography room, a screen-printing press and a clothing line called M80.
The 3,000 square-foot shop doubles as an art gallery, Hayes said, and he rotates the artists every two months.
"We have other artists from around the country show here, too. We've had huge-name people such as Mitch O'Connell that draws for Newsweek," Hayes said.
In the warmer months, the shop puts on catered gallery openings with live music, Hayes said.
He said Rival's gallery gives street artists an opportunity to show their work in a gallery.
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"There are amazing artists out there who can't show their work because it doesn't fit within the constraints of some gallery owner's perspective of what art is," he said.
Rival's most recent endeavor lies in a screen-printing machine and clothing line. Hayes said he worked as a designer for skateboard and snowboard companies before turning to tattoos. All the design ideas come from the artists at Rival.
"I tried to eliminate the necessity to rely on anybody else and do everything in-house," he said. "It's more rivaling what has been done in the industry as far as bringing as many mediums of art in together."
Hayes works with locals Daniel Vanzzini and Erin Burns. Hayes said he decided to hire the artists based on their experience and what they had in their portfolios. He said that with the growth of Rival, he has been able to stay in New Mexico and travel less.
"I used to do more conventions than I do now," he said. "I like tattooing in the comfort of my own shop. I'm spoiled."
Throughout his 11 years of tattooing, Hayes said he has expanded his stylistic techniques from neo-traditional to Japanese art along with designing shirts, skateboards and snowboards.
Hayes said that when he began tattooing he was hesitant about the permanence of the medium and had to overcome some anxiety.
"Now it's more of 'What can I pull off given the location? How is it going to work? What's the longevity? How is this project going to hold up over time?'" he said. "I still push myself to learn different styles of artwork and the history of them."
Hayes said owning his own label has enabled him to oversee each part of the process, from the designing to the printing.
"I'm fortunate that I can print it, draw it and go out and rep it," he said. "A lot of people that have clothing lines, they don't draw it. So the visual aesthetic of the product you're making will vary from artist to artist in its style," Hayes said. "For me, I think that the line should have a direction."
Designing and printing inside the studio has made the process easier and more enjoyable, Hayes said. Owning a print machine enabled him to experiment with his designs and tweak the shirts to fit men and women.
"I'm kind of a go-getter. Some mornings I'll be in here at 7 or 8," he said. "So I don't want to wait two weeks for someone to print my shirt; I want to come down and do it."
Rival is taking its line to other vendors and trade shows for snowboarding and skating. Hayes is also making designs for other clothing lines such as the one owned by UFC fighter Keith Jardine.
The line is available for purchase at Rival, as well as at Tokyo Hardcore, 4D's Board Shop, the Board Room and Sport Systems.
