Barry McGee

About

Painter and graffiti artist who is known for his association with the San Francisco art scene. He is known for having a variety of monikers including Twist, Ray Fong, Bernon Vernon, and others. His work is often featured on the sides of buildings and other urban spaces around San Francisco, but can also be seen in a variety of gallery settings. 

Before Fame

He graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1991 with a concentration in painting and printmaking. Beginning as a street artist, he painted around the city of San Francisco. After having several group and solo exhibitions, his work was included in the Venice Biennale in 2001. 

Trivia

He has designed shoes for Adidas and HUF. He is also known for spray painting "Smash the State" on the walls of San Francisco Supervisor Matt Gonzales' City Hall office. 

Family Life

He was born and raised in San Francisco, California. He married fellow Lowbrow movement artist Margaret Kilgallen and together they had a daughter named Asha. Margaret passed away in 2001 from cancer. 

Associated With

He was featured in the group exhibition and film adaptation of Beautiful Losers which focused on the counterculture art movement. He was feature din the film alongside artists Harmony Korine, Shepard Fairey, Mike Mills, and Deanna Templeton.