Barry McGee

Untitled

€600

Artwork

Edition of 43078.0 (H) × 50.0 (W) cm

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Neon-hued esoterica from the mind of Barry McGee.

Our first collaboration with Barry McGee is a greatest hits style montage of his life in San Francisco. From disgruntled looking Everyman heads – an allegory for the city’s ‘invisible’ homeless population – to acronyms for the graffiti crews he tags with, the untitled print rewards those familiar with the artist’s expansive and experimental practice. Improvised abstract geometries fill the gaps, providing “areas to rest the eye” and loading the print with McGee's distinct aesthetic code.

Used iteratively across his paintings and installations, once-specific symbols take on looser meanings. Letters become “mantras of some sort” and floating heads “placeholders or punctuation.”

Finished with fluorescent pink silkscreen details and a layer of matte varnish, the edition will be printed post-launch at Make-Ready in London.

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Behind the scenes

Barry McGee walking away from a wall – the image is partially-obscured by 4 sky blue circles

Barry McGee3 collaborationsBarry McGee has lived in San Francisco his whole life. He's travelled across the world to exhibit at prestigious galleries and museums but still finds inspiration in the unexpected beauty of his home. His journey to becoming an artist started back in the 1980s. "We were on the fringe," says McGee, talking about the friends he used to do graffiti with as a teenager. "It's the outcasts, all of the straggly kids that figure out how to work the system." After finishing art school in 1991, Barry became a key member of the Mission School. The group's low-fi aesthetic drew from the grittiness and beauty of city life. "It's kind of dirty, kind of broken," says McGee. "It's basically the whole mess of it that makes it work."

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Reviews from Avant collectors

Beautifully printed piece. Nice touch on the bag and gloves. Thank you for your efficiency and timely updates.
Review of Actual Size
first class experience from start to finish. really impressed with the work and with the Avant Arte process. 💯
Review of Guardian
Excellent service from Avant Arte! Thank you!
Review of Inner Love
As a longtime buyer of prints and editions I am extremely impressed with my first Avant Arte experience. The attention to quality, detail, packaging and the customer experience are among the best Ive seen.
Review of Untitled
I'm thrilled with the two pieces I've bought from you all. I look forward to collecting more in the future.
Review of Guardian
The artwork is amazing, the quality of the printing is sublime, I am totally amazed, Thank you
Review of Guardian
Great experience. I appreciate the great care with which the piece was packaged and shipped as well.
Review of Actual Size
Great experience to buy from you. Felt like I was someone you valued as a customer. Great quality on artwork and packaging
Review of HOPE (126-250)

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