World renowned tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy has long been retired, but his influence on the tattoo world remains burning brightly in the Bay Area and beyond. 

Hardy ushered in a new era of tattoo art during the boom of the 1970s and 80s that resulted in a seismic cultural shift that meant more widespread acceptance from wider society. 

Hardy took the classical American flash tattoo of mentor Norman ‘Sailor Jerry Collins’ and fellow San Francisco legend Lyle Tuttle – then applied his artistic bona fides to create charismatic custom tattoo art fusing the best of east and west. 

These days most people read the words Ed Hardy and think of a gaudy fashion brand that peaked around 2010. Those with a love for tattoo history recognize the power and passion for the art form Don Ed Hardy represents. 

Read on to learn more about Don Ed Hardy, his life, and commitment tattooing and to art. 

 

   
   
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A post shared by Don Ed Hardy (@donedhardyart) on Sep 5, 2018 at 2:53pm PDT

Early Life and Career 

 

   
   
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A post shared by Don Ed Hardy (@donedhardyart) on Nov 14, 2017 at 6:08pm PST

“I was first mesmerized by the world of tattooing at the age of ten and began obsessively drawing tattoo flash then,” Hardy stated on his website.  

Don Ed Hardy was pictured in the local newspaper, barely a teen, tattooing neighborhood boys on their arms and chests with black wax markers for his version of a first tattoo. He’d seen sailors and soldiers return to coastal Costa Mesa, California, and was drawn to their collection of skin art souvenirs.