Don Ed Hardy tattoos are high art and big business

An innovative and historian of tattoo that has expanded the range and possibilities of pictorial Custom Body Art, Hardy, who will discuss his work in reaching a program of free slide lecture at Mills College, on Wednesday, is also a prolific lithographer A painter and engraver. His images of fire demons, dragons, bearded ladies and Buddhas – informed by old master prints from the 12th century Japanese "Hell" and woodcuts from the 19th century moved, Southern California hot-rod scratches and funk and humor of the Bay Area art – are widely exhibited and collected. And for the year past images of tattoos in the first instance, the "retro" skulls, sailor girls and derby at the top dragon in vogue today, have appeared on shirts, jackets, motorbikes and even energy drinks sold worldwide under the brand Ed Hardy.

There are now Ed Hardy stores New York, Los Angeles, Tucson and Dubai. The $ 20 million a year business, Hardy gets a small part of the licensing their names and their art is the work of French Christian Audigier marketing of ACE, which pushed the Von Dutch and now everyone from Madonna to Larry King wrapped in Hardy. This is a nice twist of events an artist who did the heart of your tattoo daggered bones and anchors at sea in San Diego in the days before the old rogue body art became respectable. However, seems almost as if there is a Starbucks and a tattoo parlor on every corner.

"Why do people get tattoos? Not. I think that is a necessity completely original, "said Hardy, 61. He lost count of how much he had put his body since he made his first tattoo, a rose on the left shoulder, Frisco Bob in Oakland for four decades. "It's one of those mysterious things. Based on the evidence, Frozen mummies, the most senior members of our species had tattoos. I think that preceded the rock art.

An obsessive from picturemaker 3 years, Hardy now divides his time between San Francisco, where his tattoo shop on North Beach Town is booming, and Honolulu, where he painted and prints. He also spends time in Japan, where his images are hand painted on porcelain products made paper factory, and where it will create a huge dragon – King of the mythical creatures in Asia – on the roof of an ancient Buddhist temple in Kyoto.

"I had all Goin '" said Hardy, a modest and honest and funny, which in 1973 became the first artist to tattoo West to study with a master's prodigious Horihide traditional Japanese in Gifu City, where Hardy drilled and painted the skin of a Japanese yakuza gangster series known As. Dressed in a green plaid shirt, khaki and sneakers without laces mint green on the signature Ed Hardy and his views on the Tex Avery wolf drooling 1940, Hardy recalled its colorful history, the other day in the city of tattoo.

"Aesthetically, it's good. I am not ashamed of things" says Hardy. The first was associated with the fashion company KU USA. Audigier changed when he saw the work of Hardy and concluded an agreement with KU for the market. Hardy knew nothing of it until Audigier looked on Google and read about a party organized "in some secret place with Puff Daddy and all these people." Called one of his companions and said: "This man is zero everything wrong with contemporary civilization. However, if you want to make money with my art, not going to be completely negative, then what the hell. "

Cash flow has had time to go over Hardy and his wife, Francesca Passalacqua and their boxer, Ruby, and concentrate on his painting. She does occasional small souvenir tattoo – which cost $ 500 to $ 1,000 – but "I have no tattoos so much," Hardy said. "I was in my 40 years of tattooing."

He helped transform the environment, creating carefully designed and custom colored tattoos that often took weeks. He inspired young tattoo artists, from Australia to Europe, many of whom came to San Francisco Hardy get on your skin.

Today you can see Ed Hardy stores here and there, especially in the world. If you choose a product ED Hardy as a gift for their families and friends, you can buy online, simply visit the online store Ed Hardy (http://www.edjeans.com) for more discounts and savings your money immediately! Good luck!

About the Author

Today, you can see Ed Hardy stores here and there especially all over the world. If you’re planning to choose a Ed Hardy Product as a gift for your families and friends, you can also purchase online, just please visit the Ed Hardy online store(/www.edjeans.com) for more discounts and save your money immediately! Good luck!

fiesty bearded dragon