Seen (artist)

This article is about the graffiti artist Seen. For a definition of the term "seen (artist)", see the Wiktionary entry seen (artist).

Seen, standing before his canvas, Seen City exhibition, Chappe gallery, Paris, sept. 2007

Richard Mirando, known as Seen, born 1961 in The Bronx, New York, is one of the most famous American graffiti artists, often referred to as The Godfather of Graffiti.

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 colour wholecars with members such as PJAY, DUSTER, SIN and his brother MAD.

For the next 16 years his pieces were running across the city and on all lines but especially prominent on the 6, 5 and 2 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 include not only solo exhibitions but also group shows with artists such as Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Dondi, Quik, Blade and Lee. Despite the high demand for his work in Europe and constant world travel, Seen continued to hit the New York subway trains right up until 1989, long after many had admitted defeat to the MTA.

In the late 1980's 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.

Appearances in other media

• He appears in many graffiti movies and books, most significantly in Style Wars and Subway Art.
• Seen is a character in Marc Ecko's 2006 video game, Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure.
• Seen has appeared in Terminal Press's "Phony-Baloney" and "Spraycan Monsters" comic books.

His art work inspired many gangs including the notorious Bahala Na Gang.

Exhibitions

Seen appeared in more than a hundred of group exhibits. He also had many personal shows in the U.S., in Japan and in Europe.

• 1980, New York, New Wave, P.S.1, New York
• 1980, The Sam Esses - Graffiti Workshop Collection
• 1983, Galerie Yaki Kornblit, Amsterdam
• 1983, "Post Graffiti" Sidney Janis, New York
• 1983, "Graffiti" Gronginer Museum, Netherlands
• 1983, "Graffiti" Boymans Van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam
• 1984, "New York Graffiti", Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark
• 1984, "Zeitgenossische Kunst", Galerie Thomas, Munchen, Germany
• 1984, "Graffiti" Renaissance Society, Chicago
• 1984, Solo Exhibition Stellweg/Seguy Gallery, New York
• 1984, The Stedelljk Museum, Amsterdam
• 1985, "Subway Cars On Display" Solo Tokyo Exhibition, Japan
• 1985, "New York Graffiti" Sigmund Wenger Gallery, San Diego
• 1985, Galerie Yaki Kornblit, Amsterdam
• 1985, Solo Exhibition Stellweg/Seguy Gallery, New York
• 1986, The Stedelljk Museum, Helmond, The Netherlands
• 1986, Leopold-Hoesch Museum, Duren, Germany
• 1987, Art Forum Thomas, Munchen, Germany
• 1987, "Spraycan Art" Mission Cultural Center, San Francisco
• 1988, "SEEN and QUIK" De Boterhal Hoozn, The Netherlands
• 1988, De Horizon Voorbu, Gemeentemuseum, the Netherlands
• 1988, "American Graffiti Artist SEEN" Deboterhal, The Netherlands
• 1989, "At The Wall" Wiesbaden, Germany
• 1989, The Art Foundation, Acedmical Hospital, Leiden, The Netherlands
• 1989, Galerie Yaki Kornblit
• 1991, "TAG, SEEN, QUIK, New Works" Susan Cooper Gallery, New York
• 1991, "Peintres New Yorkais 1980 - 1984" Galerie Michel Gillet, Paris
• 1991, "Graffiti Art, Americans et Francais" Musee National des Monumentents Francais, Paris
• 1991, "Graffiti Movement" Colleen Greco Gallery, New York
• 1991, "Post Graffiti/Fine Art" Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington D.C.
• 1992, "SEEN, QUIK, BLADE" The Stedelljk Museum, Helmond, The Netherlands
• 1992, "SEEN, QUIK, BLADE" Mannheimerkunstuerein Manhen, Germany
• 1992, "Gemeente Museum, The Netherlands
• 1992, "Coming From the Subways, History and Development of a Contoversial Movement" Groninger Museum, The Netherlands
• 1993, "SEEN, QUIK, BLADE" G.C. Arts, Antwerp, Belgium
• 2007, Seen City, first monographic exhibition of Seen in Paris, France at the Gallery Chappe in Montmartre.

Bibliography

• Chalfant Henry, Cooper Martha, Subway Art, Thames and Hudson 1984
• Prigoff, Jim, Cooper Martha, "Spraycan Art", Thames and Hudson
• Seen City Paris, Wasted talent 2007

External links

• Seenworld
• Lucius Gallery representing SEEN
• Seen City The show
• You can find pictures from the Seen exhibition in London
• You can find some video about Seen | WorldWideWriters Graffiti Site

• An interview with Seen
• An Interview