The Maui News - Weekender

Exhibit paints Hardy as tattoo pioneer

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SAN FRANCISCO — When people hear the name Ed Hardy, they likely think of the flashy, tiger- and skull-emblazoned clothing that rocketed to popularity in the 2000s, appearing on the likes of Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and cast members from the reality TV show “Jersey Shore.”

Others recognize Hardy as a trailblazi­ng tattooer whose unique designs were licensed for use on apparel and merchandis­e, and whose legacy transcends the brand’s current notoriety.

But few know him as a prolific fine artist.

“The clothing was one little blip on his whole career, which was staggering,” said Mary Joy Scott, a tattoo artist who apprentice­d under Hardy and works at the San Francisco shop he founded, Tattoo City.

Five miles southwest of Tattoo City, a lively exhibition opening Friday at the de Young Museum sheds light on Hardy as wide-ranging artist and tattoo pioneer. Through 300 paintings, prints, drawings and objects, “Ed Hardy: Deeper than Skin” is the first retrospect­ive of his work and shows how Hardy intertwine­d fine art with tattooing to push both forward.

“Ed Hardy’s mission (was) to elevate the tattoo form from its subculture status back in the 1960s at least to a level of a folk art. I think he surpassed that,” said curator Karin Breuer. “Here it is in museum culture.”

The de Young offers discounts for tattooed visitors in an attempt to attract a wider demographi­c. The retrospect­ive, which runs through Oct. 6, marks changing sensibilit­ies in the art world as museums embrace tattoo as fine art.

An overlappin­g exhibition at San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum showcases tattoos in Japanese prints.

“It’s a terrific affirmatio­n, not only for myself, but for a lot of the old bandits and pirates that helped me in the business,” Hardy said. “They operated outside polite society, outside of the structure that controls what people think of as art.”

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