Ed Hardy: Visionary Subversive presented by Varnish Fine Art

Co-curated by Hardy’s assistant Trevor Ewald and presented by Varnish Fine Art at The Midway in San Francisco, this month-long art show includes Ed Hardy’s self-described “Automatic”, “Crazy Animal”, “Eyecon” and “Rose of No Man’s Land” paintings alongside the debut of his porcelain “Paños” inspired by jailhouse handkerchief art. With a half-century of fierce dedication as an artist, art historian and writer, Hardy seamlessly fuses disparate artistic elements to his own personal history, telling the story of his life in art.

During the counterculture revolution of 1960’s San Francisco, Ed Hardy began subverting notions of what art is, and elevated tattoo from a marginalized craft to the vital contemporary art form as it is known today. He continues to look beyond cultural boundaries to inspire his personal art and inform the public, promoting art world underdogs to Sailor Jerry infamy. Artists from Ed Hardy’s hometown of San Francisco and tattoo artists from around the world participating in the Bay Area Tattoo Convention will join him for special events from 7pm to 11pm on Thursday October 29 and Monday November 2 in the gallery at the Midway located at 900 Marin Street in San Francisco.

The Ed Hardy: Visionary Subversive art exhibition is on view at the Midway from October 5 to November 2, 2015.

About Ed Hardy

A Southern California native born in 1945, Hardy began tattooing in 1966 while completing a B.F.A. degree in printmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute. He went on to develop the fine art potential of the medium with emphasis on its Asian heritage, frequently studying and working in Japan. In 2000 he received an honorary doctorate from SFAI. Although still maintaining his San Francisco tattoo studio Tattoo City, Hardy no longer tattoos. His focus now is on painting, printmaking, and works in other media that have been exhibited in galleries and museums internationally. In addition to curating several shows, he has written and published more than thirty books on alternative art under the Hardy Marks imprint. Hardy’s various works form the basis of the global fashion line Ed Hardy, that became an international phenomenon. His life and works are documented in a variety of books and films.

About Trevor Ewald

As Ed Hardy’s assistant, Trevor Ewald divides his time between Tattoo City and travelling internationally for Hardy’s art events. Trevor is also a sculptor, and collaborated with Ed Hardy to create the porcelain “Paño” sculptures in this exhibition.

About Varnish Fine Art

Since founding Varnish Fine Art in 2003, Jen Rogers and Kerri Stephens have become respected art dealers curating provocative and skillfully executed contemporary exhibitions. Both Jen and Kerri are co-curators of Ed Hardy: Visionary Subversive, and they are members of the San Francisco Art Dealers Association. The Varnish Fine Art office located in downtown San Francisco is open to collectors by appointment only. Varnish is also an art industry source for giclée print services.

More information: http://varnishfineart.com