Barry McGee (born 1966) is an American artist. He is known for graffiti art, and a pioneer of theMission School art movement.[1] McGee is known by hismonikers:Twist,[2]Ray Fong,[3]Bernon Vernon,[4] andP.Kin.
Barry McGee was born in 1966 in San Francisco, California.[2] He is of Chinese and Irish descent.[5] His father worked at an auto body repair shop.[5] McGee graduated fromEl Camino High School inSouth San Francisco, California.
He attended theSan Francisco Art Institute, where he graduated in 1991 with a concentration in painting and printmaking.[6]
McGee was married to the artistMargaret Kilgallen in 1999, who later died of breast cancer in 2001.[7] They have a daughter named Asha.[7][5] After Kilgallen's death, McGee married artistClare Rojas in 2005.[5]
"Acclaimed for his work in the street as a graffiti artist and for his painted installations in galleries, museums and art festivals around the world, Barry McGee crafts a visual language that makes itself understood. It is public, addressing social concerns of urban life, and very private, elaborating a unique personal style that focuses on humanity, one painstakingly detailed, fine brush-painted image at a time.[8]"
Commissioned murals typical of Barry McGee's earlier work and graffiti in theLACMA parking garage (now torn down)
Barry McGee has exhibited, both solo and group, in galleries internationally.
McGee was a central figure in thegraffiti art scene in San Francisco from the late 1980s and into the 1990s.[9] As Twist, he became well known nationally by his stylized black and whitepictographicflathead screwgraffiti 'throw ups'. Later he was part of theMission School art movement based in the aesthetics of theMission District of San Francisco.[10] His work is founded on a pessimistic view of theurban experience, which he describes as, "urban ills, over-stimulations, frustrations, addictions & trying to maintain a level head under the constant bombardment of advertising". He was also an artist in residence atinner-cityMcClymonds High School inOakland, California, in the early '90s. Although his artistic origins lie inNew York subway graffiti he has been included as a member of thestreet art movement[citation needed].
Installation,Xe Biennale de Lyon
McGee's installations consist of simple bold paintings which are influenced byIslamic patterns ontiles, vernacularsign painting, or usecaricatures of the destitute. These paintings are clustered together in combination with photographs of other graffiti writers. Older work included layering of shapes, andbuff marks, backgrounds of drips painted directly on the gallery wall. He has painted stylized portraits on empty bottles ofliquor, flattened spray cans, and wrecked vehicles for art shows. He has collaborated frequently with Amaze, allowing him to paint the exterior and interior of the galleries exhibiting McGee's work. They have also utilized realistic moving mechanical human figures that appear to betagging gallery walls.
The market value of his work rose considerably after 2001 as a result of his being included in theVenice Biennale and other major exhibitions. As a result, much of his San Franciscostreet art has been scavenged or stolen.[11][12]
In September 1999, a 64-foot-long, 8-foot-high mural made up of 300 pieces, made by Barry McGee and financially sponsored by theLuggage Store Gallery and the Creative Work Fund, was stolen off a vacant commercial building in theSouth of Market neighborhood of San Francisco.[13] It was never recovered.[14]
In 2004, as part of an exhibit atSan Francisco's City Hall,[15] McGee spray-painted "Smash the State" on the walls of SupervisorMatt Gonzalez's office.SFGate wrote: "The timing and placement of the artwork are interesting, seeing how City Hall is a registered historical landmark, and you need approval just to hang a bulletin board". Gonzalez told the press that he knew his office would be repainted for the next occupant.[16]
McGee was involved in a controversy regarding theAdidas Y1 HUF, a shoe for which he provided the artwork. This gave rise to a protest campaign by some Asian-Americans who claimed that the picture on the shoe's tongue depicts a raciststereotype.[3] McGee responded to the controversy in a March 2006 press release.[17] He stated that the drawing was a portrait of himself as an 8-year-old child.
McGee, Barry, Ellen Robinson, and Katya Tylevich.Barry McGee. Bologna: Damiani, (2018).ISBN978-8862086165
Boas, Natasha.Energy that is all around: Mission School: Chris Johanson, Margaret Kilgallen, Alicia McCarthy, Barry McGee, Ruby Neri. San Francisco: San Francisco Art Institute Chronicle Books, (2014).ISBN978-1452142180
Rinder, Lawrence, and Barry McGee.Barry McGee. Berkeley & New York: University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, Inc, (2012).ISBN978-1935202851
Kilgallen, Margaret, et al.Margaret kilgallen : in the sweet bye & bye. Los Angeles: California Institute of the Arts/REDCAT, (2006).ISBN978-0974983165
Bertelli, Patrizio, Barry McGee. Fondazione Prada, (2002).ISBN978-8887029215
Kawachi, Taka,Street Market: Barry McGee, Stephen Powers, Todd James. Little More, (2000).ISBN978-4898150399
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