You may know Barry McGee by another name (his tag name to be more specific), Twist. McGee has been doing graffiti art for a very long time and is a big part of his works. Some of the media he uses are acrylic and spray-paint, and pretty much anything you can find on the street such as empty liquor bottles, tagged signs, spray-paint cans, scrap wood, metal, and wrenches.
A lot of McGee's pieces have to do with urban culture. He believes graffiti (which many perceive as vandalism and destructive) is "closer to the truth" than the billboards (which many believe are acceptable) that bombard you with advertisements with subliminal messages everyday. McGee also likes the reputation he gets form doing graffiti art and finds this art form as an integral way to communicate.
The subject matter that dominates McGee's pieces are these highly stylized characters. These characters are mostly men with dark circles under their eyes with blah expressions. McGee also does these large-scale paintings on walls for art galleries. His pieces are mostly black and white and can be found anywhere (even on trains) in San Francisco since graffiti is what McGee mainly does.
McGee not only creates two-dimensional works, but also constructs three-dimensional sculptural forms. McGee frequently works with items that are thrown away and no longer wanted. After he's through with them, though, he makes them a treasured and wanted item again in a process that's reminiscent of a second chance.
Information provided by:
"Barry McGee." Art21. PBS, n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2014.
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