Don Ed Hardy | |
|---|---|
 Don Ed Hardy speaking at the second World Tattoo Convention in Reno, Nevada, 1977. | |
| Born | January 1945 (age 79) |
| Known for | Painting, Drawing, Tattoo |
| Movement | Body art, Postmodern art |
Don Ed Hardy (born 1945) is an American tattoo artist known for his tattoos, strong influence on the development of modern tattoo styles, and his eponymous brand.
Hardy was born on January 5, 1945, in Des Moines, Iowa. [1] He grew up in Corona del Mar, in Newport Beach, California. [2] As a preteen a young Ed Hardy was interested in tattoos: one of his friends' fathers had Army tattoos, and it intrigued him so much that he took pens and colored pencils to draw on other neighborhood kids. [3] Hardy also credits his mother, who supported his work and encouraged him to follow his passions. [4]
Hardy had his first art exhibit at the Laguna Beach Art Festival after graduating from high school. [4] He attended the San Francisco Art Institute and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking. [5] While there, Hardy learned drawing from Joan Brown, etching from Gordon Cook, and sculpting from Manuel Neri. [3] He was later offered a full scholarship and graduate position for a Master of Fine Arts program at Yale. [4] [6] He declined and instead pursued his interest in tattoos. [4]
Hardy was mentored by several famous and prolific tattoo artists, including Samuel Steward (also known by his nickname “Professor” Phil Sparrow), a former college professor. [3] As a child, Hardy had copied Steward's designs. [3] Steward showed Hardy a book of Japanese tattoos. [3] Hardy, who had already been interested in Japanese history, culture and woodblock prints, had an epiphany; he described it as being struck by “lightning.” [3]
After Hardy finished his apprenticeship with Steward, he studied with the tattoo artists Zeke Owen in Seattle and Doc Webb in San Diego. [3]
Eventually Hardy formed a relationship with one of the pioneers of modern tattoo culture, Sailor Jerry Collins, who had a major impact on Hardy's work. He met with and began a long correspondence with Sailor Jerry, which paved the way for an introduction into a world previously closed off to outsiders. [4] Through Jerry’s connections, Hardy began an association, in 1973, with the classical tattoo master Horihide . [7] Hardy studied and tattooed in Japan off and on through the '70s and '80s. According to Hardy, his clientele at the time included bikers and Yakuza members. Hardy soon became recognized for being the main influence and driver in incorporating Japanese tattoo aesthetics and techniques into American styles of work. [8]
One of the defining characteristics of Hardy’s work is the elevation of tattoos from flash, preset and preformed tattoos, to customized and personalized work. Before this, it was very common for individuals, often those in the U.S. Navy, to walk into studios/or the back of other businesses and select artwork off of a wall. Hardy’s motivations were more aesthetically simple: to focus on one's self-expression, the resulting tattoos reflecting the individual's taste and preferences. This would be collaborative, done in consultation between tattoo artists and client. For Hardy this was about customization and personalization, thus the wearer would have an emotional connection. This fine art mentality helped elevate tattoos from a subculture to pop culture, taking it from fringe culture to main culture. [9]
In 1982, Hardy and his wife Francesca Passalacqua formed Hardy Marks Publications. [10] Under this marque, they began publishing the five-book series Tattootime. [5] Hardy Marks has published more than 25 books about alternative art, [10] including catalogs of Hardy's work and that of Sailor Jerry Collins. EEE Productions (Ed Hardy, Ed Nolte, and Ernie Carafa) put together an influential tattoo convention on the Queen Mary in 1982, [11] as well as organizing many other tattoo conventions and expos. Hardy's work consisted of a particular 2000's fashion style that carried on to the next generation and is beginning to make a rise in popularity once again.
In 2000, he was appointed by Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown to the city's Cultural Arts Commission. [12]
By 2009, Hardy had retired from tattooing. [13] He owns Tattoo City, a studio in San Francisco. [14] In August 2024, Tattoo City announced plans to close by the end of 2024 and said that Hardy has Alzheimer’s disease. [15]
In the early 2000s, Hardy licensed Ku USA, Inc. to produce a clothing line based on his artwork. [4] Hardy and Ku USA formed Hardy Life, now Hardy Way LLC, [16] which owns the Ed Hardy brand and trademarks. [17] [18] The brand has subsequently been extensively licensed, at one point having 70 sublicensees, [19] selling clothing, accessories, lighters, perfume, hair styling tools, [20] [21] [9] and condoms. [22]
The most famous licensee was Christian Audigier, previously of Von Dutch Originals, which marketed the imagery of Kenny Howard (aka Von Dutch), another noted American subculture artist. Audigier licensed the worldwide rights to the Ed Hardy brand in 2005 through his holding company, Nervous Tattoo, and employed the marketing techniques employed by Von Dutch Originals, marketing directly to celebrity clients and by opening stores in high-profile fashion districts. Ed Hardy stores were located in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle, Minneapolis, Honolulu, Scottsdale, Tucson, Vancouver, Dubai, Johannesburg, Kuwait, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Gurgaon, Delhi, Mumbai, and Qatar. [7]
The face of the brand (from 2008) was Sarah Larson. [23] The brand gained significant popularity under Audigier, peaking at more than $700 million in gross revenue in 2009, [19] but collapsed quickly in the following two years, leading to the closure of many stores. Among others, the Australian sublicensee of Ed Hardy (owned and operated by Gary Berman) entered administration and closed in 2010. [24]
Hardy blamed the collapse on creative and marketing decisions by Audigier, such as Audigier featuring his own name prominently on branded items (on one item 14 times, compared to Hardy's once), and prominent association with short-lived reality TV celebrity Jon Gosselin. Following legal battles, Hardy regained control of the brand in 2010, though as part of the settlement Nervous remained a licensee for T-shirts, hats, and hoodies. [17] [18]
In May 2009, Iconix Brand Group announced it had acquired a 50 percent interest in Hardy Way, LLC, the owner of the Ed Hardy brand and trademarks, [25] which it increased to 85% in 2011. Hardy retains a 15% minority stake. [17]
In 2018, the brand successfully relaunched in Europe, and collaborations were presented with Missguided and Illustrated People amongst other brands, the latter sold via Selfridges, Asos and Topshop. In 2019, the brand carried out a further global collaboration with Rose In Good Faith. [26]
In LA in 2024, Ed Hardy held its first fashion show. [27]
Von Dutch is an American multinational fashion brand posthumously named after Kenny Howard, a.k.a. "Von Dutch", an American artist and pinstriper of the Kustom Kulture movement. After Howard's death in 1992, his daughters allowed Ed Boswell to produce items using the Von Dutch trademark logo. The trademark rights were sold in 1996 to Mike Cassell who, with Robert Vaughn, used the logo for an apparel line named Von Dutch Originals. French designer Christian Audigier helped popularize the brand in the early 2000s. Von Dutch was repurchased in 2009 by Groupe Royer S.A., through its Luxembourg subsidiary Royer brands International S.a.r.l. In 2024, WSG purchased the global rights from Groupe Royer S.A. and plans to continue the journey of bringing Von Dutch back in a compelling way.
Samuel Morris Steward, also known as Phil Andros, Phil Sparrow, was an American tattoo artist and pornographer.
Mark Machado, better known as Mister Cartoon or more commonly just Cartoon or Toon, is an American tattoo artist and graffiti artist based in Los Angeles, California. He has been described by the New York Times as an "instrumental figure in the Los Angeles hip-hop scene" and by the BBC as "one of the greatest living tattoo artists in the US". Growing up in the Harbor area of Los Angeles County, young Cartoon began doing illustrations and graffiti then going on to airbrushing clothing and lowrider custom cars. Machado then moved on to working in the music industry doing album covers, tour merchandise and later tattooing recording artists and other celebrities.
Sharper Image is an American brand that offers consumers home electronics, air purifiers, gifts, and other lifestyle products through its website, catalog, and third-party retailers. The brand is owned by ThreeSixty Group, with the U.S. catalog and website owned and operated by Michigan-based Camelot Venture Group.
Norman Keith Collins, known popularly as Sailor Jerry, was a prominent American tattoo artist in Hawaii who was well known for his tattoo designs.
Ocean Pacific Apparel Corp. is a clothing company based in Irvine, California, United States. It produces T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, shoes and beverage mugs.
The fashions of the 2000s were often described as a global mash up, where trends saw the fusion of vintage styles, global and ethnic clothing, as well as the fashions of numerous music-based subcultures. Hip-hop fashion generally was the most popular among young people of both sexes, followed by the retro-inspired indie look later in the decade.
PONY is an American brand of footwear and clothing headquartered in New York City under the company name PONY International. It was acquired by Iconix Brand Group in 2015.
Mark Bodē ( born February 18, 1963) is an American cartoonist. The son of underground comics legend Vaughn Bodē, Mark shares the Bodē family style and perpetuates many of his late father's creations as well as his own works. He is best known for his work on Cobalt-60, Miami Mice, and The Lizard of Oz. Bodē has also worked for Heavy Metal magazine and on The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Vyvyn Lazonga is a tattoo artist who began her career in Seattle in the early 1970s and was trained by Danny Danzl. She was the first woman to work for herself in the industry, not her husband or another male shop owner. She worked in San Francisco and was tattooed by Ed Hardy in the 70s. She won the award for Best Tattooed Female in 1978 for his work. Later she was fortunate enough to meet Horiyoshi II at one of Lyle Tuttle's parties before returning in 1989 to open her studio in Seattle.
Christian Audigier was a French fashion designer known for the Ed Hardy and Von Dutch clothing lines.
Tribal Gear, Tribal Streetwear or simply Tribal was launched in 1989 by Bobby Ruiz and his brother Joey as a Southern California lifestyle-inspired clothing brand.
K8 Hardy is an American artist and filmmaker. Hardy's work spans painting, sculpture, video, and photography and her work has been exhibited internationally at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Tate Modern, Tensta Konsthalle, Karma International, and the Dallas Contemporary. Hardy's work is included in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art. She is a founding member of the queer feminist artist collective and journal LTTR. She lives and works in New York, New York.
Cliff Raven Ingram was one of a handful of tattoo artists who pioneered the adoption of the Japanese tattoo aesthetic in the United States. Born in Indiana as "Clifford H. Ingram," Cliff later shortened his first name and adopted his business name of "Raven" as his legal middle name, largely to facilitate mail delivery.
American traditional, Western traditional or simply traditional is a tattoo style featuring bold black outlines and a limited color palette, with common motifs influenced by sailor tattoos. The style is sometimes called old school and contrasted with "new school" tattoos, which it influenced, and which use a wider range of colors, shading, and subjects.
Leo Zulueta is an American tattoo artist. He is known as the "father of modern tribal tattooing."
Sailor tattoos are traditions of tattooing among sailors, including images with symbolic meanings. These practices date back to at least the 16th century among European sailors, and since colonial times among American sailors. People participating in these traditions have included military service members in national navies, seafarers in whaling and fishing fleets, and civilian mariners on merchant ships and research vessels. Sailor tattoos have served as protective talismans in sailors' superstitions, records of important experiences, markers of identity, and means of self-expression.
Ben Corday (1875–1938) was an American tattoo artist and actor. He is known for being a prolific tattoo flash artist and a progenitor of modern tattooing.
Amund Dietzel was an early American tattoo artist who tattooed tens of thousands of people in Milwaukee between 1913 and 1967. He developed a substantial amount of flash art, influenced many other tattoo artists, and helped to define the American traditional tattoo style. He was known as the "Master of Milwaukee" and "Master in Milwaukee".
Ed Hardy is an American fashion brand based on the work of American tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy. It is owned by Iconix Brand Group, while Don Ed Hardy retains a 15% minority stake.
| Brands |
|  | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
