Paintings 1972 - 2009

Water Color and Ink on Water Color Paper.  81/2”’ X 11”.  1972

I was on top of the world, when  in 1971  I was accepted to Art &. Design High School on 57th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan, the center of the universe and in no time I was mesmerized by what was the dawn of NYC subway graffiti. I became Pistol, after my Basketball hero, Pistol Pete Maravich. Feeling like my welcome in Brooklyn was wearing thin, I emersed myself in graffiti and was in the city almost all the time.

This painting above was a class assignment. Paint a scene from your hood. It’s the view from the rear window of the 

apartment I grew up in which depicts the F train pulling into the Avenue P station. I would watch it for a while than run back to my room and paint from memory what I saw.  After 45  years, this 81/2” X 11” watercolor remains a 

watermark on my soul reflecting the dawn of  the movement! The jewel of my work!

Aerosol and Press Type on Plexiglass.  4’ X 8’4”.  1988

After years of working as a magazine Art Director from 1977 through 1993, the publications were music entertainment in nature and I found myself participating in the A list nightlife scene. I was on the guest list for some of the wildest private party’s at Xenon, Studio 54, the Mudd Club and every imaginable space a party could take place. My artistic devotion was composing and playing electric guitar for various bands and my own music projects which I am still active today performing and producing.. 

But in 1987 I rejoined the United Graffiti Artists which welcomed me back with honors. I was reunited with friends like Bama, Tracy 168, CoCo 144, Phase 2, and Blade just to name a few. My welcome back to the movement was the painting above I called ‘The Cave. I felt like I was being inside a cave and told a story using the walls of a cave as opposed to the subway train. I wanted an organic visual that reflects my roots.

Aerosol and Marker on Canvas.  5 3”’ X 3’4”.  1990

The United Graffiti Artists  were  invited to do a group show in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 1990.

The group included Bama, CoCo 144, Phase 2, Snake 1 and me. For 10 days we worked and did original works. I did three pieces which this is my crown jewel.

It’s no secret the effect Hendrix had on my life as an artist and musician. I had the inspiration to paint his portrait without visual reference and it was done in a furious non stop manner. I had quite the audience watching as if they didn’t exist.

We had an amazing show at the Kiss Gallery. Amsterdam rocks!

In the early 1990’s, the Absolut Vodka brand had an innovative Ad campaign that featured iconic artists of the time doing an ad using the bottle as a platform for their art style. All the ads were tame and non offensive.

I used the theme as a way of writing my observations about Racism and when I called them to see if they would use it in their campaign, the person I was speaking with started asking uncomfortable questions that ultimately I was told to not use the painting any where without their permission.

I used it in a show and received very positive reactions. They

 didn’t approve of me using it as a platform to express my thoughts about sensitive  subjects.

Aerosol, Marker, Acrylic and Cut Letters on Water Color Paper.  2’ X 1’6”.   2000

I was living in a loft on Fifth Avenue and after going through a huge box of Art & Design school projects, I came acrosss a pad of watercolor paper that was purchased in 1971. after 25 years the paper got better with age and took on the look and feel of antique paper. I started a series of works called Ransom, the world according to Pistol. I did 3 works with this theme which included my writing done in the style of a ransom note with letters cut out of various magazines.

Aerosol, Marker, Mixed Medium and Toy Soldiers on canvas.   3’ X 5’2”.   2004

I was invited to participate at the Aurora Gallery in Chelsea NY in 2004. The show was called Masters Of Graffiti and featured legends from both Old school and New school graf. 

The piece was inspired by the outbreak of war in Iraq. Obviously an unpopular and costly war both in loss of human life, billions of dollars and it ultimately left the door open for civil war over religious differences. The color bands represent the colors of the different races, Black, White, Yellow, Brown and Red. A map of Iraq exploding in multi colors with toy soldiers aiming at than president George Bush. Blood is dripping upwards from the tops of spray cans. I consider writing thoughts and observations in my work as important as my tag.

Aerosol, Marker, and Acrylic on canvas.   2’4” X 4’3”.   2009

Back in 2008, I started to do a series of works for an upcoming show at Norwood. I was fasciated by the look and shape of geometric equations. The relationship of numbers, letters and symbols appealed to me visually but not in any actual mathematical sense since I was diminished in my math skills.

I integrated my tag to have the letter shapes intertwine and fill the math equations with smaller, numerous versions of my tag, like atoms in a molecule. 

As with much of my work, I always incorporate my original thoughts and observations.

Aerosol, Marker, and Acrylic on canvas.   2’4” X 4’3”.   2009

This is another work from the same series for the Norwood. It further 

explores my fasciation of the visual aspect of geometric equations.

It’s more symmetrical with the equations 

clustered on top with an observation in the middle with a more old school tag and 3 

improvisational Pistol lettering forms. 

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Aerosol, Marker, Acrylic and Press Type on canvas.   2’4” X 4’3”.   2009

One of two works where I broke out the Pistol check book and created my own written checks.  At the time Ted Kennedy’s democratic senate seat which he chaired since I was a kid was won by a republican. I used my birth date and randomly wrote what I thought the fee should be.

The check is surrounded by intertwining classic Pistol tags in black and white. their is a woman silhouette pointing a Pistol at an unknown target on the check.

Aerosol, Marker, and Acrylic on canvas.   2’4” X 4’3”.   2009

Two of two works where I broke out the Pistol check book and created my own written checks.  At the time US Health Care was going through a major overhaul. (sound familiar!) This amount was for only $23 dollars and I feel they can really care less.

The check is surrounded by intertwining classic Pistol tags in black and white. their is a woman silhouette pointing a Pistol at an unknown target on the check.

Aerosol, Marker, and Acrylic on canvas.   2’4” X 4’3”.   2009

This is another work from the same series for the Norwood. It further explores my fasciation of the visual aspect of 

geometric equations.

This work is also symmetrical with the equations clustered on top with an observation anchoring the bottom. The Pistol lettering is more abstract and improvisational.

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Aerosol, Marker, and Acrylic on canvas.   2’4” X 4’3”.   2009

A twist on words while laying in bed staring at the ceiling.  Again, I use a mysterious woman with a pistol and her finger on the trigger pointed at her head but I didn’t think of her as committing suicide or being raped.

It was more of a visual devise, a way of expressing the frustration of engaging therapists. It’s not for everyone, mostly it’s hard to be totally truthful with them and they will just roll with whatever you say because their is an exchange of money.  

Aerosol, Marker, Acrylic and Press Type on canvas.   2’4” X 4’3”.   2009

This piece was from a dream I had being in the caribbean. I spent 2 weeks in 1989 in Barbados. I hung out with Roger Mayer who had retired their with his girlfriend. Roger was Jimi Hendrix’ sound designer, hot rodding wha and fuzz pedals and assisted on all of Jimi’s studio albums. I was in beach heaven absorbing all Barbados’ culture, bar and beach hopping.

The piece depicts an earthy and tropical setting with a beautiful green silhouette of a woman in stilletto boots, a rainbow of corn rows blowing in the wind holding a pistol pointed at the sky. In tribute recalling from the dream I thought...Pistol Leads, Pistol Bleeds...Pistol Sneezed! I awoke and wondered who was this woman, as I don’t remember what she looked like.