Tat That

Come meet the man behind the T-shirts — you’ve seen his John Hancock next to skulls, butterflies, and koi on sweater vests, baby clothes, and windbreakers. You’ve seen this in great abundance at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas! Don Ed Hardy’s artwork developed over the course of a much-lauded career as a tattoo artist, though he now focuses on non-human–based projects such as painting and printmaking. His Japanese-influenced aesthetic has made a significant mark on the San Francisco landscape, from the legions of people he tattooed himself (he’s currently on hiatus from tattooing) to the artists he mentors at Tattoo City in North Beach. When a man is as aggressively merchandised as Hardy is, it can be hard to recall the thrill of first seeing his work, either on paper or your neighbor’s neck. But with his new book, Ed Hardy: Art for Life, erstwhile fans are reminded that his renderings of dragons and ladies with torpedo tits are exquisite classics.
Thu., July 9, 6:30 p.m., 2009