Don Ed Hardy

 Hardy later developed a relationship with Sailor Jerry Collins who was a pioneer in contemporary tattooing. This friendship had a significant impact on Hardy's work. He began a lengthy correspondence with Sailor Jerry, which paved the way for an entry into a world previously closed to the outside world. Hardy began to develop a connection with Horihide, the classic tattoo master, through Jerry's connections. Hardy was a tattoo artist in Japan in the 1970s until the 1980s. According to Hardy his clients was primarily bikers as well as Yakuza members. Hardy quickly became famous for being the primary influencer and the driving force behind integrating Japanese tattoo designs and aesthetics in American designs of work.One one of the most distinctive features of his work is the advancement of tattoos from preset, flash and preformed tattoos, to custom-designed and personalised work. Prior to this, it was very popular for individuals, especially members of the U.S. Navy, to go into studios or in the back of other businesses and select artwork off of the walls. Hardy's motives were simpler aesthetically. They wanted to emphasise one's self-expression and the tattoos that were created represent the individual's taste and preferences. This collaboration would take place between the tattoo artist and the customer. For Hardy this was about customizing and personalization, thus the wearer would experience the feeling of having a personal connection. This fine art mentality has helped to elevate tattoos from a subculture to mainstream culture, taking it from the fringe to main culture