Futura

Art Brokerage: Futura American Artist: b. 1955. A pioneer when Graffiti met the formal gallery ecosystem, artist Futura (born Leonard Hilton McGurr) was known as early as the 1970s for his radical approach in the street, introducing abstraction to what was an entirely letter-based discipline. His work on canvas caught attention in the 1980's, and established him as a leading voice within a wider art movement that included the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Kenny Scharf. Entirely self-taught in what he calls "the subway school", Futura has been compared to Wassily Kandinsky for his mastery of color, geometric composition and line—and is celebrated alongside his friends Dondi White and Rammellzee for his progressiveness and of-the-moment dynamism. Radical at the genesis of his career, his methodology and studio practice can now be viewed over the span of several decades as something consummately pure. Futura's creativity—articulated across canvas, paper, sculpture, photography, graphic design and large-scale mural work—shines as a result of its kinetic composition, elemental quality, and fully-original gestures. Listings wanted.