Curated by
Joseph J. Sitt & Jeffrey Deitch
Joseph J. Sitt & Jeffrey Deitch
The mural represents the struggles and the fight in life that we all go through. The good times and the bad times, the triumphs and losses make you stronger.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Mister Cartoon’s expressive style of art is universally recognized and embodies the true soul of Los Angeles street culture. Beginning his career as a graffiti artist in the 1980s, Cartoon gained notoriety for his brilliant tattoo work, album cover designs, logos, advertisements, and custom lowrider car murals.
His richly detailed, hand-rendered designs are inspired by the style of tattoos that originated in the hard streets of 1970s’ Los Angeles – fine line, black and grey, gritty yet soulful. Cartoon’s most recognized canvas is the skin. His tattoos have been commissioned by many icons like Beyonce, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Christina Aguilera, Eminem, Justin Timberlake, Justin bieber, Shia labeouf and 50 Cent. His work also adorns the likes of CC Sabathia, Amar’e Stoudemire, Lewis Hamilton, Kobe Bryant and Carlos Boozer and has come to represent strength, faith and ferocity on the competition field.
Mister Cartoon’s canvas of choice is the veneer of one of his immaculately restored vintage cars. Cartoon’s extensive collection of candy coated, hand muralled lowriders includes the breathtaking 1960s Icecream Truck that took him over a decade to complete. Selected to headline the seminal 2011 “Art In The Streets” exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA), Icecream Truck was part of a major Mister Cartoon installation on display at the show, which was recognized as one of the most in-depth and comprehensive cross-sections of street art ever seen.
He has been featured in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Wall St Journal, Rolling Stone, Complex, XXL, GQ and many more.
Through his role as Creative Director of SA Studios Global and its private label brand, Sanctioned, Mister Cartoon is continually approached to bridge the gap between corporate America and Los Angeles street culture.
