Hardly Hardy

I've become obsessed. It's not hard to do, really. I find new and interesting things and I want to immerse myself in them. Learn all about them. I think that's an Aquarian tendency. I do it well.

At least 3 years ago I stumbled on some Converse high-tops decorated with vintage tattoo art. After I dug around a bit I found the art was from a guy named Sailor Jerry.

I was in love!

I don't know what it is...maybe it's the art of it, the vintage feel, the pin-up quality. All things I seem to be drawn too. Then I read a bit about "Jerry" and found out he was a WWII serviceman when he was stationed in Hawaii and got his first tattoo, like many servicemen of his time. But instead of getting his tat and a story to go with it, he decided to take up the art form and after the war, set up shop on the seedy side of the island and create the tattoos that started them all!

I'm not a tattoo freak. I have one that marked my passage into my 30's. I had designed it myself and carried it around for a few years quizzing folks on the best place to put it, what place would hurt less, and where to go to actually get it. Folks drowning in ink are not very attractive to me. While I've seen tattoos that were gorgeous art, I've seen more collections of cartoon characters and crossed out ex-lovers to say that a lot of the tatts are NOT great.

And while I'm usually ahead of the curve of what's hot, but usually not the one to pull it off, tattoo fashion exploded a short time later with a dude named Don Ed Hardy. Now I have to say I was sticking to my Jerry and felt Hardy was just exploiting Jerry. Then, like I do when I get a lil interested (re: obsessed) I started nosing around.

It seems that Hardy and two others were students of Jerry's. Hardy's specialty was adding the Asian influence to what Jerry had taught him. Then he sold his "flash" to Christian Audigier, who did what he did so well to Von Dutch, he EXPLODED the Hardy name on the scene by jacking up the price so high it was impossible and only giving out freebies to stars, like Madonna, Zack Efron and Mick Jagger.

So now, after I'm well past the tattoo fashion curve, I'm obsessed with finding Ed Hardy stuff at a price a lowly artist like myself can afford, of course. I consider it working with my new years resolution to try and expand my creativity through many forms of art...and if that's what I have to tell myself to justify my Ed Hardy neon clock....so be it.