Received Artist Grant from Paint The Void, and Creative Corps (The City of SF and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts), painting in The Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco. Part of a city wide beautification project, on a dining parklet for Ungrafted wine shop, bar and restaurant.

BACK IN 1996, I STARTED WRITING “PROPS” AFTER YEARS OF WRITING “PHARMACY” IN NEW YORK CITY. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A HIP HOP HEAD SINCE I CAN REMEMBER, THE MUSIC INSPIRES ME TO NO END, AND MAKES MY BOOTY SHAKE. THE NAME JUST CLICKED AS I ENJOY GIVING “PROPS” AND ALSO HAVE A LOT OF STUFF. MY OLD ROOMY USED TO MAKE ART FILMS AND I DID A LOT OF “PROPS” SO THAT JUST CONFIRMED THINGS! ALSO BREAKDANCING CAME NATURALLY, AS MY LOVE OF RAP GREW AND GREW, GIVING “PROPS” TO THAT ART FORM. I AM AN UPROCKER WITH SOME FOOTWORK MOVES. THE GYMNASTICS PART OF IT WAS ALWAYS AN ADMIRATION, BUT I JUST LIKE TO STRIKE A POSE AND FREEZEFRAME, SO FUN! GIVE THANKS, GIVE “PROPS”!!!

“PROPS STRIKE” CAME ABOUT AS AN EPIPHANY WHILE SIPPING A COCKTAIL WITH MY BESTIE MARIA. WE USED TO GO LISTEN TO REGGAE AT SWIM, A BAR IN THE LOWER EAST SIDE OF NYC. WEEKLY THEY DID AN AMAZING NIGHT OF JAH RHYTHMS AND WE FREQUENTED IT OFTEN. WHILE SITTING AT THE BAR ONE NIGHT, I NOTICED ALL OF THE “LUCKY STRIKE” PARAPHENALIA, AND REALIZED THAT BOTH “PROPS” AND “LUCKY” WERE 5 LETTERS, IT WAS THE PERFECT STICKER IDEA!! MY MOM AND DAD GREW UP IN THE ERA OF “LUCKY STRIKE” NO FILTER CIGS, DAD QUIT BUT MOM CONTINUED. THAT LOGO MADE A DEEP AND LONG LASTING IMPRESSION ON ME. I GRAVITATE TOWARD THAT ERA OF GRAPHIC DESIGN AND IT STILL EVER PRESENT IN MY WORK. I AM STILL PUTTING UP STICKERS AND LOVING IT, “WHEREVER I GO I STRIKE”

ART BASEL MIAMI 2014

ART BASEL MIAMI 2014

ART BASEL MIAMI

ART BASEL MIAMI 2014