American street artist Seen is best known for his graffiti works which covered MTA train cars along the New York subway system during the 1970s. Characterized by bright block letters and cartoonish depictions of human figures, the artist’s paintings and tattoos are influenced by comic books and television shows. “Graffiti lost its edge in the mid-1980s, and that’s why I needed to find other mediums like tattooing and clothing to put my name to,” he explained. Born Richard Mirando, he first began spray painting in 1973, alongside his graffiti crew United Artists. By the early 1980s, Seen had transitioned to work on canvas and began participating in shows alongside Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. He has gone on to produce commissioned works for the MTA, tattoo art, clothing, and sculptures. The artist continues to live and work in the Bronx, NY.
