Futura is a living legend鈥攁 world-renowned painter, designer, and photographer who was a pioneer of graffiti art and New York City鈥檚 鈥渟ubway school.鈥� His radical abstract work in the street and on canvas established him as a central figure in an important art movement that included Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Rammellzee, Lee Qui帽ones, and Dondi White. Futura-isms is a collection of essential quotations from this fascinating artist. Gathered from four decades of interviews and panel discussions, this memorable selection illuminates Futura鈥檚 thoughts on legal and illegal art, his influences, fellow artists, and the past, present, and future. He also offers colorful memories of his adventurous life鈥攇rowing up in New York City, serving in the Navy, touring with The Clash鈥攁nd reflects on how his experiences have shaped his art.
Select quotations from the book:
- 鈥淕raffiti was a way for me to exist. I wanted the world to know my name. I wanted to be somebody.鈥�
- 鈥淭he essence of what graffiti is … is creating this identity and taking it to the public.鈥�
- 鈥淢y whole life, I think, I鈥檝e been a nomad.鈥�
- 鈥淚 was always at home in the subway system.鈥�
- 鈥淧eople say, 鈥楲et鈥檚 play within the rules.鈥� I say, 鈥楴o鈥攍et鈥檚 break the rules a little bit.鈥欌��
Futura, born Leonard McGurr, is a renowned artist鈥攁 graffiti pioneer, clothing designer, and graphic designer whose work has been shown at museums around the world, including MoMA PS1, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and the Groninger Museum. In recent years, he has exhibited and collaborated with artists and designers such as Takashi Murakami, Jos茅 Parl谩, Rei Kawakubo, and Virgil Abloh. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Instagram @futuradosmil Larry Warsh has been active in the art world for more than thirty years as a publisher and artist-collaborator and was a founding member of the Basquiat Authentication Committee until it鈥檚 dissolution in 2012. He is also the editor of Weiwei-isms and Humanity, by Ai Weiwei; Basquiat-isms and The Notebooks, by Jean-Michel Basquiat; and Haring-isms, by Keith Haring (all 91桃色).
"[Futura-isms] is comprised of 176 pages that offer intimate insights into Futura鈥檚 decades-long career starting from his graffiti art and New York City鈥檚 'subway school' back in the 1980s. . . . Highlights include the artist鈥檚 thoughts on legal and illegal art, his motivations and inspirations as well as reflections on his star-studded artist coterie including the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Rammellzee, Dondi White, and more."鈥擪eith Estiler, Hypebeast
"Futura-isms is very small in size but huge in value and insight. Featuring quotes by the artist Futura, Leonard Hilton McGurr, this document is a first person acknowledgement that the life of an artists is filled with ups and downs, but the truly great ones not only preserve, they rise to the challenge and grow as a creator over time. Longevity is powerful."鈥擩ohn C. Jay on Instagram
