His focus now is on painting, printmaking, and works in other media that have been exhibited in galleries and museums internationally. It shocked me because I didn't let him get tattooed when he was underage. And SF was so alternative anyway. Francesca Passalacqua Don Ed Hardy/Wife In 1982 he and his wife, Francesca Passalacqua, formed Hardy Marks Publications and have written, edited, and published over twenty-five books on alternative art. (Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images) PURCHASE A LICENSE Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you want to use this asset. I knew I could make it work in San Francisco or New York or LA because my feeling in those days was that a certain percentage of the populace would be interested in getting a tattoo. memories, spirits (sometimes tricksters), the seen and unseen that are informed by her past and her personal transformation. I took up the practice out of a combination of economic necessity and artistic curiosity. My best friend's dad had been in WWII, and he had a bunch of tattoos. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. [Points to the markings on his left hand] Before this, it was very common for individuals, often those in the U.S. Navy, to walk into studios/or the back of other businesses and select artwork off of a wall. But it's a little weird now that it's so accepted. [3] Hardy, who had already been interested in Japanese history, culture and woodblock prints, had an epiphany; he described it as being struck by lightning.[3], After Hardy finished his apprenticeship with Steward, he studied with the tattoo artists Zeke Owen in Seattle and Doc Webb in San Diego. . Hardy Marks has published more than 40 books about tattoos, tattoo art and tattoo history, many of which are highly sought-after collectors items. Site by Bill Russell Design. I wanted to fight that fight, [to say] that the amount of ink in your skin didn't automatically reduce your brain cells. America's first Black president had just taken office. Site by Bill Russell Design. You could keep an intellectual life going, and do this. His focus now is on painting, printmaking, and works in other media that have been exhibited in galleries and museums internationally. When Hardy wrote down his own version of the Ed Hardy years in his memoir, I was still experiencing shell shock from an image of an Ed Hardy model in L.A.