About the artwork
A composition of overlapping and interlocking shapes dominates the surface of the white paper, rendered with green, red, and yellow markers. The central element appears to be stylized lettering—perhaps forming a tag or a word—rendered with thick green fills outlined in red, creating a sense of depth and shadow. Surrounding these primary shapes are smaller, circular, and amorphous forms, also in green and red, which contribute to the piece’s overall flow. The whole is contained within an irregular, organic yellow outline, suggesting a “bubble” or “cloud” effect common in graffiti art. Inside some of the green shapes, small black handwritten elements are visible, including what appears to be a signature or a tag, further integrating the artist’s mark into the design. The interplay of colors and shapes creates a visual rhythm characteristic of early graffiti aesthetics.
Expert opinion
This work is an early example of graffiti art on paper, a medium that allowed artists to translate their street aesthetic into collectible pieces for the burgeoning art market of the 1980s. Its creation date of 1983 firmly places it within the period when graffiti began to attract the attention of galleries and collectors, transitioning from a subculture to mainstream art. The artist’s established presence in both the street art and contemporary art markets lends historical significance to such early works.
About the artist
Lin Felton aka Quik was born in 1958 in Queens, New York. He began tagging on Queens walls at the age of 10. It wasn't long before he was covering the grayness of the city's trains with his name and recognizable graffiti. An active member of the RTW Crew, he has worked alongside the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Futura. After graduating from Parsons School of Design, Quik was spotted by Dutch art dealer Yaki Kornblit, who encouraged him to move to Europe, where he would become a recognized artist. His work has become a fixture on the international scene, and has been incorporated into prestigious collections. His work can be found in the collections of the Museum of the City of New York, the Studio Museum of Harlem in New York, the Becht Collection, the Martin Visser Collection and the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands.
Additional info
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