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Don Ed Hardy’s name will always be related to some ghastly things that came out of the early 21st century, like Jersey Shore and hot chicks with douchebags, but it only takes a little bit of research to find out that the man behind the name has been cutting his teeth in the tattoo world for over 50 years, carving his name into the rich history of American tattooing. Our interview with him will give a better insight into the life of a character that’s no stranger to inking skin.

You have been in the tattooing world for nearly half a century, and during that period, tattooing has transformed from an underground taboo lifestyle to an accepted mainstream fascination. Why do you think this has become the case?

There’s no one reason people are drawn to tattoos, but over the last ten years or so tattoos have become a popular way for people to express themselves. When I first started out, tattooing was a black art but as pop culture expanded through the sixties and seventies we started to see more acceptance. Nowadays, there are as many cops and teachers with tattoos as there are bikers and sailors.

When you initially wanted to become a tattooist back in school did you ever think tattooing would explode as much as it did in the last decade?

I always thought that the potential was there, but I really had no concept of the scale that “commercial” tattooing would achieve. Tattooing and body marking go back thousands of years and have deep societal roots but I don’t think any of us expected the range of people getting tattooed to be so broad.

In your documentary, you said initially it was very hard to convince people to do large pieces, were people more concerned about the social stigma attached to large tattoos or the actual pain in getting a large piece done?

It was a bit of both—some people definitely felt the pressure of the social stigma, but also the fact that there just weren’t many heavily tattooed people walking around made it hard for customers to conceive how large pieces would look.

Also in the doco you said you prefer tattooing women to men, were there many tattooed women during your earlier years of tattooing?

There were a fair number of women getting tattooed, but they mostly got very small pieces. I always preferred working on women as they generally were cleaner, not drunk and handled the pain of the tattoo better.

Do you think tattooing has lost its badass edge since everyone and their mum is getting inked up these days?

I’ve always said that the best tattoo is the one that makes the owner happy, so I have no real concern about losing edge. If anything, we’ve gained an edge with so many art-sophisticated tattooers taking their work into new directions that are both technically proficient and highly artistic.

Sailor Jerry was a mentor to you and a major influence for countless others, why do you think his art will stand the test of time?

Sailor Jerry’s images are so iconic because they communicate something different to everyone who wears them. The subtle boldness of the artwork is extremely difficult to achieve and has a visual appeal that remains unparalleled. Jerry was also the first American tattooer to bring in the Japanese aesthetic that became a big influence on me and countless others.

Japan was a big influence for you because of the “exotic” nature of the rich history and mythology. But a lot of people in Japan are constantly influenced by parts of Americana for the same reasons. Do you think it’s just that the grass is always greener on the other side where ever you are?

The grass is definitely always greener, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to be gained through the study of other cultures. And for me, Japan was such an influence from a young age and then into my tattooing career it remains a very important part of my work.

Travelling seems to be a big part of your life, do you recommend travelling to other artists?

I recommend travelling to everyone—not just other artists. It’s really the only way to immerse yourself in a culture. Artists in particular have a lot to gain by understanding the history of an influence and seeing people, places and art in real life is hugely rewarding.

Do you find it funny that a lot of people know more about Ed Hardy the fashion brand rather than Ed Hardy the person?

It was never a goal for me to be famous from the brand and I take it all in stride. I’m just happy that people remain excited and interesting in the classic tattoo imagery.

What do you think the future holds for the tattoo world?

I just attended a tattoo convention in San Francisco and the tattoo world continues to expand—especially internationally. And, the quality of work keeps on getting better, so I expect to see this continue apace.

What’s next for Ed Hardy?

These days I spend most of my time working on art in my studio in San Francisco—painting, drawing and some ceramic work as well. My wife and I continue to publish books through our Hardy Marks publishing company and my son Doug manages our shop, Tattoo City, in San Francisco.

Ed Hardy: Tattoo the World will be showing at the ACMI’s Mediatheque from the 01-30 November. For more information on the First Look program, visit ACMI.