IZ the Wiz RTW TMB TPA | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Martin November 8, 1958 Queens, New York |
| Died | June 17, 2009 (aged 50) Spring Hill, Florida |
| Known for | All-city bombing, throw-up king |
| Notable work | John Lennon withLady Pink &Mare (1980),[1]Hell IZ for Children (1982) |
| Movement | Graffiti |
| Spouse | Katherine M. Lucev |
| Website | http://www.izthewiz.com |
Michael "IZ the Wiz" Martin (November 8, 1958 – June 17, 2009, aged 50)[2] was one of the most prominentgraffiti writers of theNew York graffiti movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Martin was from theNew York City borough ofQueens, aRockaway Beach native. Beginning in 1972, he became a long reigningall-city king ofNew York, known primarily for his quick, simple two letter tag, 'IZ'.[3] IZ represented a new breed of fame-obsessed writers concerned with finding the perfect balance between quantity and quality. He also wrote "CI" (for Crazy IZ), and "Ike", (short for Mike).[4] He was a member of various crews, the most notable being TMB (The Master Blasters),[4] RTW (Rolling Thunder Writers),[5] and TPA (The Public Animals).[6] He wrote graffiti on every train line in New York City.IZ THE WIZ first started writing with Evil 13and FI 1 (aka VINNY). After going through a variety of names, including BENZ, CLICK2, and SCAT, he wrote his name Mike then dropped the first letter and chose IKE327. He began to write IZ first with VINNY. In 1976 when the movieThe Wiz came out, advertising posters on the subway stations stated 'the Wiz is a Wow'. So IZ thought if the wiz is a wow why can't IZ be THE WIZ. So was born the name IZ THE WIZ.[citation needed]
On September 29, 1990, Martin married Katherine M. Lucev, also from the Rockaways, in St. Rose of Lima Church in Rockaway Beach, New York.[citation needed]
Martin was diagnosed with kidney failure in 1996 after years of using toxic aerosol products without any type of protective mask. In early 2000, in an interview forStyle Wars revisited, he commented that he would give up all his past fame for full health.[7]
IZ was prominently featured in the 1983 documentaryStyle Wars.[8] His work, which appeared in the bookSubway Art, has been credited with inspiring European graffiti in particular; Martin's pieceHell IZ for Children became influential in Europe where the use of his tag to form a sentence and his freeform style has been incorporated and adapted by contemporary graffiti artists.[9]
In 1993 Martin founded the Phun Phactory in New York which would become the5 Pointz art gallery.[10] In August 2003 he self-curated a solo gallery exhibition in New York City showcasing his legal artwork.[citation needed]
IZ had his art appear in video games such asMarc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure andThe Warriors. His tag is also featured in the 1979 cult movieThe Warriors, and his work is mentioned inLauren Wilkinson's novelAmerican Spy in a scene where the protagonist is walking down a NYC street covered by IZ tags.
In 2013 the artistsRevok andPose incorporated Martin's tag into a mural painted on theBowery Wall in tribute to deceased New York graffiti artists.[11]
Martin died of aheart attack on June 17, 2009, inSpring Hill,Florida.[2][12]
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