Gary John

"Surf" Acrylic and Collage on Korean newsprint

2018

Gary John's passion for street art began in 1985 when he started creating eye-catching works that would eventually captivate audiences around the world. Originally from Seattle, he made his way to Venice Beach in 2003, where he started selling his drawings on the Venice Boardwalk. After almost ten years of selling his work on the boardwalk and experiencing “a bout with homelessness,” John first exploded onto the international art scene during Art Basel Miami in 2013. John’s playfully bold work quickly gained attention and he was named one of 20 standout artists at the 2014 New York Affordable Art Fair. His artworks continue to be exhibited at galleries and major international art fairs in the United States, Asia, and Europe. Notable collectors include Kelly Clarkson. John cites Pablo Picasso, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat as his artistic inspirations. Other influences are comic books and American Pop Culture, which he infuses with emotional and impulsive gestures. His mixed media works blur the boundaries between Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism with Street Art elements.