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An independent Harrogate art gallery is highlighting the work of one of New York’s greatest pioneers from the early years of street art.
Labelled the “Godfather of Graffiti”, Richie Mirando aka ‘SEEN’ was born in 1961 in the Bronx in New York City.
Still relatively unknown to the general public in Britain, SEEN started to participate in early forms of graffiti at the age of 11, and his rise to prominence coincided with the golden age of the movement in New York.
From subway trains and city walls to canvas, galleries and museums, SEEN’s paintings have been exhibited internationally, including the Grand Palais Paris, The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh and the Power House Arena, New York.
Now ultra-cool RedHouse gallery on Cheltenham Mount in Harrogate is previewing a selection of this cult artist’s dynamic and colourful original paintings on canvas direct from the archive.
SEEN first started to paint on the New York City Subway system in 1973 as part of the United Artists (UA) crew, alongside Duster, Sin and Mad.
UA painted across the city, and SEEN’s vibrant lettering and masterful depictions of mass-media cartoon characters created some of the most iconic images of the time.
During the early 1980s Seen started producing work on canvas and in 1983 was featured in the seminal graffiti and hip hop documentary Style Wars produced by Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant.
His work has been published in numerous acclaimed books including Subway Art by Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant, and American Graffiti by Margo Thompson.
During the course of the decade he exhibited alongside Keith Haring, Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat though would always return to the subways and urban environment.
RedHouse Originals Gallery was launched in 2008 and has built a long track record of showcasing international bluechip artists in contemporary, Pop and Street art, as well as emerging painters, printmakers and sculptors.
Renowned artists and photographers not only exhibit at the Harrogate gallery, they often turn up in person, including Sir Peter Blake, Jim Moir (Vic Reeves), Gered Mankowitz, Sharon Lathum, Pete McKee and The Coral.
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