Seen (artist)

Graffiti artist Richard Mirando, aka Seen

Richard "Richie" Mirando, known as Seen UA, born 1961 in The Bronx, New York, is one of the most well known graffiti artists in the world, often referred to as the Godfather of Graffiti, although he did not pioneer the movement.

Seen first started to paint on New York's subway in 1973. His crew United Artists (or simply UA) quickly gained the reputation for producing full-color throw-ups on whole cars with members such as Pjay, Duster, Sin, and his brother Mad.

Life

For the next 16 years his pieces were running across the city and on all lines, but they were especially prominent on the 2, 5, and 6 lines. He was responsible for dozens of whole-car top-to-bottoms, many of which have become iconic images of the time.

It was during the very early 1980s that Seen started producing work on canvas, shown by galleries and bought by museums and private collectors across the globe. These included not only solo exhibitions but also group shows with artists such as Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Dondi, Quik, Blade, and Lee Quinones. Despite the high demand for his work in Europe and constant world travel, Seen continued to hit the New York subway trains until 1989, long after increased pressure from the MTA had stopped many from doing so. He was also featured prominently in the 1983 PBS documentary Style Wars.

In the late 1980s Seen also turned his talent to tattoo art, opening Tattoo Seen, which quickly became one of the most successful studios in New York. Seen's recent work includes three-dimensional sculpture, mixed media work with reclaimed or discarded materials (often found in the street), and a series of hand-painted, limited-edition MTA New York subway maps. He continues to exhibit worldwide and produce work with and alongside artists such as Banksy.

In 2009 SEEN GALLERY opens in Paris, France. He also has been exhibited at the Fondation Cartier.

In 2010, he has shown at the Magda Danysz Gallery with a solo show on the three floors of the gallery.

In 2011, he signed on with Opera Gallery (12 locations worldwide), and the Paris location featured his work.

Seen's Throw ups/pieces can be seen in digital video-games like The Warriors and Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure

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Individual Exhibitions

• 1982, 1983, 1985 : The Yaki Kornblitt Gallery, Amsterdam
• 1983 : Stellweg-Seguy gallery, New York
• 1985 : Suntory company, Tokyo
• 1995 : Clayton Gallery, New York
• 2001 : Twenty-four Gallery, Vancouver. Bob's Gallery, New York
• 2003 : Toy Tokyo Gallery, New York. STIP Gallery, Amsterdam. Stussy SF Gallery, San Francisco. Concrete Vibes Gallery, New York. Marco Art Gallery, New York
• 2005 : Rocket World Gallery, San Francisco. Outside Institute Space, Londres. Prosper Gallery, Tokyo. Mc Caigwelles Gallery, New York
• 2006 : Stolen Space gallery, London
• 2007 : Seen City, MYM, Paris [5]
• 2009 : The 1st SEEN Pop-Up Show, Lyon [6]
• 2009 : Carhartt Gallery, Weil am Rhein [7]
• 2009 : Kleerup Gallery, Stockholm [8]
• 2010 : PleaSE ENjoy @ Magda Danysz Gallery, Paris [9]
• 2011 : Seen, Opera Gallery, Paris

Collective exhibitions

• 1980 : New York, New Wave, P.S.1, New York
• 1984 : Graffiti, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (Danemark)
• 1991 : Graffiti Art, Musée national des monuments français, Paris
• 2007 : That 70's show, Power house arena, New York
• 2009 : TAG, Grand Palais, Paris, France
• 2009 : The Carhartt Show, Germany [10]
• 2009 : Nés dans la rue Cartier fondation pour l'art contemporain, Paris
• 2009 : Urbain Ier, Galerie Léadouze, Paris
• 2010 : T.A.G Palais de Tokyo Paris
• 2010 : "Playboy Redux" Andy Warhol Museum Pittsburgh USA
• 2011 : Opera Gallery

External links

• Tattoo Seen
• Seen's artwork
• Seen's Blog
• UA @ 149st
• Interview with Seen Radio France Internationale