Barry McGee

Barry McGee, an American artist renowned for his contributions to graffiti art and as a trailblazer in the Mission School art movement, is recognized by his tag name Twist. Alongside Twist, he has adopted various other monikers, including Ray Fong, Lydia Fong, Bernon Vernon, P.Kin, and Ray Virgil.

McGee's artistic endeavors delve into a critical examination of consumerist culture and the pervasive influence of commercialism in everyday life. Drawing inspiration from the seemingly spontaneous nature of graffiti, the constant influx of images on the internet, and the inventive aesthetics of societal misfits, his work reflects a keen awareness of contemporary cultural dynamics.

Biography of Barry McGee

Born in 1966 in San Francisco, California, USA, Barry McGee completed his education at El Camino High School in South San Francisco. During the early '90s, he served as an artist in residence at inner-city McClymonds High School in Oakland, California.

In 1999, McGee married artist Margaret Kilgallen, but tragically, she succumbed to breast cancer in 2001. The couple had a daughter named Asha. After Kilgallen's passing, McGee later married artist Clare Rojas in 2005.

Barry McGee's artistic career gained significant international acclaim after he participated in the 2001 Venice Biennale. His work has been featured in exhibitions at prominent institutions such as the Berkeley Art Museum in Berkeley, California; the Modern Art Museum Fort Worth in Fort Worth, Texas; UCLA Hammer in Los Angeles; and the Prada Foundation in Milan, among others.

Barry McGee's Art Style

Barry McGee emerged as a pivotal figure in the San Francisco graffiti art scene during the late 1980s and continued to leave his mark into the 1990s. Operating under the alias Twist, he gained national recognition for his distinctive black and white pictographic flathead screw graffiti "throw ups."

McGee addressed urban social concerns with a very private touch, crafting a unique personal style that meticulously depicted humanity, one finely detailed, brush-painted image at a time. His artistic perspective is grounded in a pessimistic view of the urban experience.

McGee's eclectic body of work spans drawings, paintings, installations, and mixed-media pieces, often incorporating unconventional elements such as liquor bottles, spray-paint cans, and scrap wood or metal.

In his paintings, McGee's iconic central figures dominate abstract backgrounds characterized by drips, patterns, and vibrant color fields. The central motif in his work often features a caricature of a man with sagging eyes, symbolizing the image of homeless individuals and various transients who inhabit the streets.

His installations consist of bold, simple paintings influenced by Islamic tile patterns, vernacular sign paintings, or caricatures of the destitute. McGee's boldly graphic and colorful creations draw from a myriad of influences, including graffiti, American folk art, and Op Art.