Don Ed Hardy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section does not cite sources or references that appear in a credible, third-party publication. The sources provided are primary sources, such as websites and publications affiliated with the subject of the article. You can help Wikipedia by including appropriate citations from reliable sources.This article has been tagged since November 2006.

This article or section reads like an advertisement.
Please help rewrite this article from a neutral point of view per Wikipedia policy. Mark blatant advertising for speedy deletion with {{db-spam}}. (help, talk)

"Don Ed Hardy, 2005"

Tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy was born in Costa Mesa, California in 1945. 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 & popularized the fine art potential of the tattoo medium with emphasis on its Asian heritage. In 1973 he lived in Japan, studying with a traditional Japanese tattoo master (Oguri Horihide) — the first non-Asian to gain access to the world of irezumi. He resumed these studies in Japan throughout the 1980s.

1 Publications & Tattootime
2 Artistic & Cultural Influence
3 Don Ed Hardy Brands
4 Notes

[edit] Publications & Tattootime

In 1982 he and his wife, Francesca Passalacqua, formed Hardy Marks Publications and have written, edited and published over twenty books on tattoo and alternative art. The publication series "Tattootime" Vols. 1-5 offered the first in-depth and art-historical discussion of tattooing to a growing audience in the 1980's and 1990's, influencing tattoo artists around the world. Hardy maintains the studio Tattoo City in San Francisco and accepts limited tattoo commissions though his primary focus is on creating and exhibiting works in more traditional mediums.

[edit] Artistic & Cultural Influence

Hardy is most notable as a fine artist for his enduring exploration of the intersection between the graphical traditions of “low culture” tattoo art and refined sensibilities of “high art” aesthetics, a common feature of postmodernism. 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 frequently lectures at museums and universities. His work has appeared in numerous periodicals, books, and films internationally. 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. In 2004 “Ed Hardy”, a major fashion line & independent brand featuring his artwork, was launched internationally cementing his status as a “popular culture icon“; similarly, his name has been used to advertise the Ed Hardy Tattoo energy drink.

"Still Life. 1993"

[edit] Don Ed Hardy Brands

In 2004 Christian Audigier^[1], designer, acquired the rights to produce the Ed Hardy clothing line. Based off of Don Ed Hardy's rock 'n roll tattoo designs, Christian also gave it a touch of his own. Marketing to major celebrities such as Madonna, Adrien Brody, Tony Hawk, Orlando Bloom, Jared Leto, Paris Hilton, Brad Pitt, Christina Aguilera, Jamie Foxx and more made this Ed Hardy line irresistible to all trend setters world wide. There are currently 3 stores located all over the US including Los Angeles, Tuscon and most recently New York. Several more locations will be opening within the next two years. Click here to view the Ed Hardy clothing line.

To compete with Red Bull and Rockstar, Ed Hardy designs also came out with an Energy Drink. This energy drink comes in several different flavors, most popular being Apple. The Ed Hardy Energy Drink is sold all over clubs and gyms in the Los Angeles area and is expanding as the company becomes more widely known.

In November of 2006 Don Ed Hardy^[2] paired up with Andrew Sutton to produce safe, non-toxic, FDA Certified temporary tattoos including all of Don Ed Hardy's most famous designs. Some of the most popular designs are: Love Kills Slowly, Open Mouth Tiger, Geisha Tattoo and Gold Koi Tattoo^[3]. These original tattoos can be found in major retailers and little boutiques across the world.