This is officially the 1st intended Self Portrait in my career. After hitting the half-century mark in life, I started to reflect on my artistic journey and am now entering the next half of my existence. I wanted to document the turning of the page. The background consists of layered graffiti tags that represent my start in the artistic expressionism via graffiti writing - paying tribute to my roots. My skin tone is purple to represent the City where I self-made a name. In the piece I purposely stand behind the spray can to partially obscure my identity. This represents the fine line I walked as a graffiti artist and the work I created. The spray can is a tribute to pop art and its relationship with the graffiti art and expressive movement, specifically the “Campbell’s Soup” Subway train painted by Fab Five Freddy in 1981. My hand is positioned in front of my face so that my index finger becomes my “nose”, reminiscent of the Muppet character Gonzo, and transforms me into my alter ego: GONZO247. The “247” is emblazoned on my hat, which representing how graffiti lived in my mind, constantly. I'm wearing my iconic, signature necklace titled, “My Life Around My Neck”, which has been a part of my identity since 1990 and is my personal talisman. The image on my shirt is also another icon that shows up in my work, the fetus, representing “The Birth of Creativity”.

Size: 36" x 48"

Medium: spray paint and acrylic on gallery-wrapped stretched canvas

Year: 2022

To schedule an in-person studio visit to see the artwork in person please email info@gonzo247.com.