Neck Face
Encyclopedia
Neck Face is an anonymous graffiti
artist. He is known for his frightening drawing style and humorous writings.
during his junior year in high school. From 1998 - 2002, Neck Face attended Bear Creek High School and Tokay High School. Throughout high school Neck Face says he never learned anything . The most he ever learned was in elementary school, which opened his life up to art being creative. He can remember doing paper mache projects and still does them to this day. "I think I learned more in school in the earlier years than the later years. I think if you are a teacher you should teach the kid as much as you can in the beginning years of school." Neckface ( Epicly Later'd interview)He began to gain notoriety through his self made stickers throughout nearby towns of Stockton and Lodi, California
, where his works first showed up on public objects. Later, as his graffiti techniques evolved, his work spread to San Francisco, where his name can still be seen on many newspaper stands and walls throughout the city. He attended The School of Visual Arts in New York City
for two years before dropping out.
The attention Neck Face received from his street work, allowed him to move his work off the streets and into the art galleries. Galleries that have shown his artwork include the New Image Art
Gallery in Los Angeles, the Luggage Store in San Francisco, the Dactyl Foundation
in New York, and the OHWOW Gallery in Miami.
In an article on gawker.com, Neck Face has been compared to a more well known artist by the name of Banksy. "And like Banksy, Neckface has always kept his face hidden, even though he's been profiled in the New Yorker and he has a shoe deal with VANS that includes billboards across NYC and is generally superfamous in the cool parts of the art world."
Neck Face still manages to keep his identity hidden even though he is becoming more popular.
and latrinalia
.
His most famous public art piece once appropriated the sign on an abandoned storefront of the store "My Old Lady" in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood
; he painted under that "...♥'s Neck Face". Recent renovations to the storefront, however, have removed the sign.
In 2005, to the displeasure of nearby residents and building superintendents, his work was prominently and repeatably visible from the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
In addition to appearing across billboards and buildings in the United States, Neck Face's work can be seen internationally in places such as Melbourne, Sydney, Copenhagen and Tokyo .
Gallery works follow Neck Face's familiar style but are not limited to drawings and paintings. Shows have included for example sharp metal masks, felt installations and sculptures.
In an interview on Epicly Later'd, Neck Face describes using water colors in his artwork as "I get the water color and then I just f*#k it up". In this same interview he acknowledges King Diamond
as a major influence.
in the past, and was recently appointed Art Director for Baker Skateboards.
Neck Face has also collaborated with other skateboard and related brands.
There is an all-access documentary featuring Neck Face in the works that started as a long term project in 2005 by director Ty Evans. It as yet has no expected release date.
Neck Face has also held exhibitions of his artwork:
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
artist. He is known for his frightening drawing style and humorous writings.
Biography
Neck Face began tagging in Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
during his junior year in high school. From 1998 - 2002, Neck Face attended Bear Creek High School and Tokay High School. Throughout high school Neck Face says he never learned anything . The most he ever learned was in elementary school, which opened his life up to art being creative. He can remember doing paper mache projects and still does them to this day. "I think I learned more in school in the earlier years than the later years. I think if you are a teacher you should teach the kid as much as you can in the beginning years of school." Neckface ( Epicly Later'd interview)He began to gain notoriety through his self made stickers throughout nearby towns of Stockton and Lodi, California
Lodi, California
Lodi is a city located in , in the northern portion of California's Central Valley. The population was 62,134 at the 2010 census. The California Department of Finance's population estimate as of January 1, 2011 is 62,473....
, where his works first showed up on public objects. Later, as his graffiti techniques evolved, his work spread to San Francisco, where his name can still be seen on many newspaper stands and walls throughout the city. He attended The School of Visual Arts in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for two years before dropping out.
The attention Neck Face received from his street work, allowed him to move his work off the streets and into the art galleries. Galleries that have shown his artwork include the New Image Art
New Image Art
New Image Art is a art gallery in Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded and is directed by Marsea Goldberg, started in 1994 as Goldberg's 10×10 design studio...
Gallery in Los Angeles, the Luggage Store in San Francisco, the Dactyl Foundation
Dactyl Foundation
Dactyl Foundation is a 501 not-for-profit arts organization in New York City founded by Neil Grayson and Tori Alexander.-History:Founded in 1996 in the "evening of the postmodern day," Dactyl Foundation supports an aesthetic that is informed by science, history, and philosophy...
in New York, and the OHWOW Gallery in Miami.
In an article on gawker.com, Neck Face has been compared to a more well known artist by the name of Banksy. "And like Banksy, Neckface has always kept his face hidden, even though he's been profiled in the New Yorker and he has a shoe deal with VANS that includes billboards across NYC and is generally superfamous in the cool parts of the art world."
Neck Face still manages to keep his identity hidden even though he is becoming more popular.
Artwork
Neck Face's style can be described as naïve and scratchy. His themes have an estranging, violent and medieval feel to them. Obvious influences are heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and latrinalia
Latrinalia
Latrinalia is a type of deliberately inscribed marking made on latrines: that is, bathrooms or lavatory walls. It can take the form of art, drawings, or words, including poetry and personal reflections. Other types of Latrinalia include political commentary as well as derogatory comments and...
.
His most famous public art piece once appropriated the sign on an abandoned storefront of the store "My Old Lady" in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood
Chelsea, Manhattan
Chelsea is a neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The district's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, 30th Street to the north, the western boundary of the Ladies' Mile Historic District – which lies between the Avenue of the Americas and...
; he painted under that "...♥'s Neck Face". Recent renovations to the storefront, however, have removed the sign.
In 2005, to the displeasure of nearby residents and building superintendents, his work was prominently and repeatably visible from the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
In addition to appearing across billboards and buildings in the United States, Neck Face's work can be seen internationally in places such as Melbourne, Sydney, Copenhagen and Tokyo .
Gallery works follow Neck Face's familiar style but are not limited to drawings and paintings. Shows have included for example sharp metal masks, felt installations and sculptures.
In an interview on Epicly Later'd, Neck Face describes using water colors in his artwork as "I get the water color and then I just f*#k it up". In this same interview he acknowledges King Diamond
King Diamond
Kim Bendix Petersen , better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Grammy Award nominated Danish heavy metal musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his extensive vocal range, in particular his usage of falsetto. He is the lead vocalist for both Mercyful Fate and the eponymous King Diamond...
as a major influence.
Commercial projects
As a skateboarder himself, Neck Face has helped design for Baker SkateboardsBaker Skateboards
Baker Skateboards is a skateboarding company founded by professional skateboarder Andrew Reynolds and creative founder Jay Strickland in 2000. Its main products are skateboard decks, clothing, and wheels.- History :...
in the past, and was recently appointed Art Director for Baker Skateboards.
Neck Face has also collaborated with other skateboard and related brands.
There is an all-access documentary featuring Neck Face in the works that started as a long term project in 2005 by director Ty Evans. It as yet has no expected release date.
Neck Face has also held exhibitions of his artwork:
- 2010 Neckface Into Darkness, OHWOWOHWOWOHWOW is a contemporary art gallery, publisher, and producer of special projects, established in 2008 by Al Moran and Aaron Bondaroff in Miami, now with exhibition and retail locations in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City.- About :...
Los Angeles - 2009 Neckface "Return to the Womb," V1 Gallery in Copenhagen, Denmark
- 2009 Neckface at OHWOWOHWOWOHWOW is a contemporary art gallery, publisher, and producer of special projects, established in 2008 by Al Moran and Aaron Bondaroff in Miami, now with exhibition and retail locations in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City.- About :...
, Miami, Florida in October - 2007 Closed casket, Dactyl Foundation, New York, USA (solo)
- 2007 Rehearsal for death, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark (with Weirdo Dave)
- 2006 The Night After Halloween, New Image Art Gallery, West Hollywood, USA (solo)
- 2005 Monster Children, Sydney, Australia (solo)
- 2005 DPMHI, London, U.K. (solo)
- 2004 Witch Hunt, New Image Art Gallery, West Hollywood, USA (solo)