Don Ed Hardy from christian audigier

Don Ed Hardy is an American tattoo artist born in Iowa in 1945, and raised in Southern California. A pupil of Sailor Jerry, Hardy is recognized for incorporating Japanese tattoo aesthetic and technique into his work and is an accomplished fine artist, as well.

Biography

Southern Californian born in 1945, Don Hardy revived a childhood determination to become a tattoo artist and underwent a tattoo apprenticeship while simultaneously receiving a B.F.A. degree in printmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1967. Tattooing professionally since then, he developed the fine art potential of the medium with emphasis on its Asian heritage. In 1973 he lived in Japan, studying with a traditional tattoo master he was introduced to by his primary mentor in the medium, Sailor Jerry Collins of Honolulu. He resumed these studies in Japan throughout the 1980s. Since 1974 he pioneered the emphasis on unique tattoo commissions at his San Francisco studio.

In 1982 he and his wife, Francesca Passalacqua, formed Hardy Marks Publications and have written, edited and published over twenty-five books on alternative art.

They moved their primary household to Honolulu in 1986, where Hardy resumed painting, drawing, and printmaking. He maintains the studio Tattoo City in San Francisco, with younger artists continuing to evolve and carry on his work format. Hardy's primary focus is on creating and exhibiting works in more traditional mediums, including porcelain painting. He began developing this body of work in 2006 in a traditional Japanese setting.

In addition to showing his own works, Hardy has curated a number of exhibitions for both galleries and nonprofit spaces and frequently lectures at museums and universities. His work has appeared in numerous periodicals, books, and films internationally. In 2004 "Ed Hardy", a major fashion line featuring his artwork, was launched internationally. Hardy and his wife now divide their time between Honolulu and the San Francisco Bay area.

Tattootime & other publications

In 1981 Hardy and his wife formed Hardy Marks Publications. Under this marque, they began publishing the five book series Tattootime. Tattootime was one of several publications, which along with later publications by others, such as Modern Primitives (ReSearch Publications, San Francisco) and Body Art, did much to promote and popularize tattooing with new audiences. Hardy Marks publications include catalogs of Hardy's work and that of Sailor Jerry Collins, as well as other alternative art subjects.

Career today

Today Hardy is retired from doing actual tattoos, but oversees and mentors the artists at his San Francisco studio, Tattoo City. Since the 1980s, he has concentrated heavily on non-tattoo based art forms, especially printmaking, drawing and painting.

Artistic career and influence

Hardy pioneered the pop-culture tattoo-as-art space decades before the worldwide boom in tattoo art that permeates popular culture. In addition to showing his own works, Hardy has curated a number of exhibitions for both galleries and nonprofit spaces and lectures at museums and universities. His work has appeared in numerous periodicals, books, films internationally and clothing line. In 2000, he was appointed by Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown to that city's Cultural Arts Commission, and awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the San Francisco Art Institute.

Don Ed Hardy Brands

In 2002 Hardy was approached by Ku USA, Inc. to produce a line of clothing based on Hardy's art and a licence agreement was signed. Within two years, the collection had drawn the interest of Saks companies. Hardy and Ku USA formed Hardy Life LLC, which holds the trademark ownership as well as the copyrights to all his images.

In 2004 Christian Audigier licensed the rights to produce the high-end Ed Hardy clothing line, which is based on Hardy's imagery. Prior to the Ed Hardy clothing line, Audigier was the Head Designer at Von Dutch Originals, which marketed the imagery of Kenny HowardVon Dutch. Audigier has attempted to replicate the marketing techniques employed by Von Dutch Originals, by marketing directly to celebrity clients and by opening stores in high profile fashion districts. There are currently at least twelve Ed Hardy stores, located in Waikiki, Dubai, Kuwait, Tel Aviv, Dallas, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Tucson, Houston, New York, Tokyo, Singapore, Noosa on The Sunshine Coast, Melbourne, Sydney Riga and Gold Coast which opened slightly earlier than expected in late 2007. Stores were opened in Johannesburg, South Africa in early 2007 and Cape Town, South Africa in late 2007. He opened another store in San Francisco in March 2008 as well as a store in Hamburg. Christian Audigier launched Ed Hardy Fragrances in 2008. In August of 2008 Ed Hardy Brands signed an exclusive contract with the mall clothing retailer, BUCKLE to carry limited designs of his clothing.