– Tattoo Flash Project | Flash Artist
Sailor Jerry
Norman Keith Collins – 1911-1973 – Honolulu, Hawaii
“There used to be more sailors in the world.”
The father of the deftly crafted, boldly lined Old School tattoo, fueled by the devil-may-care appetites of men far away from home.
Norman Keith Collins began distancing himself from normalcy at 19 when he became a sailor. He traveled around the world, gaining exposure to the art and imagery of Southeast Asia. His first shop was opened in Honolulu’s Chinatown.
Along with Brooklyn Joe Lieber, Tom Berg, and George Burchett, Collins was among the first to incorporate Japanese aesthetics into American flash. His images are simplified, stylized, and at the same time extremely elegant – capturing with a minimum of lines the essence of whatever he depicted.
About the Flash
Painted flash sheets. Mid-1940s through 1960s. Old School / American Traditional.
Born
19111, Reno NV
Base
Honolulu, Hawaii
Style
American Tradition
IInfluence
Japanese Irezumi
– The Flash
Original Flash Sheets.
click images to view full-size
