Tattoo legend Sailor Jerry inspires art show

NORMAN COLLINS (better known as Sailor Jerry) was a pioneer in the world of tattoo art, not only in terms of his colorful aesthetics, but also with his innovations with technique and sterilization. An actual sailor in the U.S. Navy, Sailor Jerry operated out of Honolulu and became known for Asian-inspired images of hula girls, palm trees and mischievous monkeys, as well as nautical symbols like anchors and pirate ships.

Today, his legacy lives on not only through the traditional tattoo flash that has inspired countless other artists, but also through a company that produces a clothing line emblazoned with his artwork and a spiced rum reminiscent of the kind sailors would infuse themselves with while at sea (with one of Jerry's signature hula girls on the label).

This week, Sailor Jerry Spiced Navy Rum hosts "Shipwrecked," an art show at Graveyard Tavern inspired by Jerry's traditional tattoo designs. The show features works by artists from local shops including 13 Roses, Memorial Tattoo, Liberty Tattoo, Ink & Dagger Tattoo and Overlord Tattoo. There will also be pieces by Atlanta artists such as Tyson McAdoo, Brian Pittman and John Hinkemeyer, all of whom are inspired by skin art despite not practicing it themselves. Many of the pieces will remain on display at Graveyard after this one-night show is over.