Futura 2000
Encyclopedia
Futura 2000 is a graffiti
artist. He started to paint illegally on New York
's subway
in the early seventies, working with other artists such as ALI
. In the early eighties he showed with Patti Astor
at the Fun Gallery, along with Keith Haring
, Jean-Michel Basquiat
, Richard Hambleton
and Kenny Scharf
. Futura 2000 began painting "legally" as the live on-stage backdrop painter for British punk rock
band The Clash
's 1981 European tour. More recently, he is a successful graphic designer
and gallery
artist. One of the most distinctive features of Futura's work is his abstract
approach to graffiti art. While the primary focus, during the 1980s, of the majority of graffiti artists was lettering, Futura pioneered abstract
street art
, which has since become more popular. Conversely, his aerosol strokes are regarded as different from those of his peers, as they are as thin as the fine lines achieved only through the use of an airbrush
.
While he's primarily known as a graffiti artist, much of his work is as an illustrator
and graphic designer
of record sleeves, first becoming involved with The Clash; producing a sleeve for their "Radio Clash
" 7" single and handwriting the sleeve notes and lyrics sheet for their album Combat Rock
. He also toured extensively with The Clash during the Combat Rock
tours, 'performing' with them on stage by spray painting backdrops whilst the band performed.
Years later James Lavelle
resurrected his career by getting him, alongside Ben Drury
, to produce the artwork for several releases on Mo' Wax
records; this also led to Futura producing the imagery which has largely defined James Lavelle's UNKLE
project.
During the 1990s he was involved with clothing companies such as GFS, Subware and PROJECT DRAGON. More recently much of Futura's artwork has evolved into the production of highly collectible toys, SNEAKERS; and a diverse range of CREATIVE media. Working with Recon, Nike, North Face, Medicom Toy, Undercover, Supreme, Levi's, A Silent Flute and A Bathing Ape.
Futura also designs his own clothing label FUTURA LABORATORIES with a store located in Fukuoka, Japan.
His art has been exhibited at V1 Gallery
, a contemporary art gallery in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
artist. He started to paint illegally on New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
in the early seventies, working with other artists such as ALI
ALI (graffiti artist)
ALI was the graffiti name of artist and musician Marc André Edmonds, also known as J. Walter Negro, “The Playin’ Brown Rapper.” As ALI, he is best known as the founder of 'Soul Artists' and originator of the cult of Zoo York. As "alter-ego" J. Walter Negro ALI was the graffiti name of artist and...
. In the early eighties he showed with Patti Astor
Patti Astor
Patti Astor is a performer who was a key actress in New York City underground films of the 1970, and the East Village art scene of the 1980s, and involved in the early popularising of hip-hop.-Biography:...
at the Fun Gallery, along with Keith Haring
Keith Haring
Keith Haring was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s.-Early life:...
, Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist. His career in art began as a graffiti artist in New York City in the late 1970s, and in the 1980s produced Neo-expressionist painting.-Early life:...
, Richard Hambleton
Richard Hambleton
Richard Hambleton is an artist-painter currently living and working in the Lower East Side of New York City. Richard Hambleton has been called the godfather of street art. He is the surviving member of a group who, together with Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, had great success coming out...
and Kenny Scharf
Kenny Scharf
Kenny Scharf is an American painter who lives in Brooklyn, New York. The artist received his B.F.A in 1980 at the School of Visual Arts located in New York City. Scharf's works consist of popular culture based shows with made up science-related backgrounds...
. Futura 2000 began painting "legally" as the live on-stage backdrop painter for British punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
's 1981 European tour. More recently, he is a successful graphic designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
and gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
artist. One of the most distinctive features of Futura's work is his abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
approach to graffiti art. While the primary focus, during the 1980s, of the majority of graffiti artists was lettering, Futura pioneered abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
street art
Street art
Street art is any art developed in public spaces — that is, "in the streets" — though the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives...
, which has since become more popular. Conversely, his aerosol strokes are regarded as different from those of his peers, as they are as thin as the fine lines achieved only through the use of an airbrush
Airbrush
An airbrush is a small, air-operated tool that sprays various media including ink and dye, but most often paint by a process of nebulization. Spray guns developed from the airbrush and are still considered a type of airbrush.-History:...
.
While he's primarily known as a graffiti artist, much of his work is as an illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
and graphic designer
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
of record sleeves, first becoming involved with The Clash; producing a sleeve for their "Radio Clash
This Is Radio Clash
"This Is Radio Clash" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash. The single was released in 1981 and was never released on any of their studio albums, though it was included in the track listing of their compilations: The Singles, The Story of the Clash, Volume 1, Singles Box, The Singles ...
" 7" single and handwriting the sleeve notes and lyrics sheet for their album Combat Rock
Combat Rock
The album received positive reviews from critics, and reached the number two on the UK Albums Chart, the number seven on the Billboard Pop albums, and the top ten on many charts in other countries...
. He also toured extensively with The Clash during the Combat Rock
Combat Rock
The album received positive reviews from critics, and reached the number two on the UK Albums Chart, the number seven on the Billboard Pop albums, and the top ten on many charts in other countries...
tours, 'performing' with them on stage by spray painting backdrops whilst the band performed.
Years later James Lavelle
James Lavelle
James Lavelle is a DJ, electronic recording artist and record label boss.-Early years:Born into a family with a strong tradition of music, Lavelle first began by learning the cello with his grandmother in Oxford....
resurrected his career by getting him, alongside Ben Drury
Ben Drury
Ben Drury , is a British freelance designer.He was art director of Mo' Wax recordings and has worked extensively in the music industry, creating album artwork for Turin Brakes and Dizzee Rascal amongst others...
, to produce the artwork for several releases on Mo' Wax
Mo' Wax
Mo' Wax was a UK-based record label owned by James Lavelle, who founded it in the early 1990s with Tim Goldsworthy. Steve Finan became co-owner shortly after. The label came to recognition for being at the forefront of trip hop, turntablism and alternative rap during the mid-90s...
records; this also led to Futura producing the imagery which has largely defined James Lavelle's UNKLE
UNKLE
Unkle are a British musical outfit founded in 1994 by school friends James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy. Originally categorized as trip-hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a variety of guest artists and producers.-First incarnation :Lavelle and Goldsworthy were joined...
project.
During the 1990s he was involved with clothing companies such as GFS, Subware and PROJECT DRAGON. More recently much of Futura's artwork has evolved into the production of highly collectible toys, SNEAKERS; and a diverse range of CREATIVE media. Working with Recon, Nike, North Face, Medicom Toy, Undercover, Supreme, Levi's, A Silent Flute and A Bathing Ape.
Futura also designs his own clothing label FUTURA LABORATORIES with a store located in Fukuoka, Japan.
His art has been exhibited at V1 Gallery
V1 Gallery
V1 Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located on Vesterbro in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was founded in 2002 by designer Jesper Elg and photographer Peter Funch...
, a contemporary art gallery in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Appearances in other media
- On The ClashThe ClashThe Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
's Combat RockCombat RockThe album received positive reviews from critics, and reached the number two on the UK Albums Chart, the number seven on the Billboard Pop albums, and the top ten on many charts in other countries...
, Futura 2000 delivers a spoken word part on the song "Overpowered by Funk". The Clash also appeared on his song "The Escapades of Futura 2000." - In Emile de AntonioEmile de AntonioEmile de Antonio was a director and producer of documentary films, usually detailing political or social events circa 1960s–1980s...
's 1982 film In the King of PrussiaIn the King of PrussiaIn the King of Prussia is a 1982 film directed and written by Emile de Antonio. The film reconstructs the events of the 1980's "Plowshares Eight." The group of anti-war activists were charged with the September 1980 destruction of nose cones designed for nuclear warheads at the Re-Entry Division...
Futura 2000 creates the film's opening title as a graffiti mural. - On the album MiLightMiLightis an album by DJ Krush, released in 1997. The album title means "future" and is a wordplay with the pronunciation of "MiLight/mirai".-Track listing:#"Intro"#"from Rino"#"Shin-Sekai" featuring Rino#"Jikan No Hashi 1"#"from Stash"#"Real" featuring Tragedy...
Futura's voice can be heard giving a shoutout to artist DJ KrushDJ Krush, better known as DJ Krush, is a producer and DJ. He is known for his atmospheric instrumental production which incorporates sound elements from nature and extensive use of jazz and soul samples.-Biography:...
. - In DJ MehdiDJ MehdiMehdi Favéris-Essadi , better known by his stage name DJ Mehdi, was a French hip hop and electro producer of mixed French and Tunisian origin.-Biography:...
's 2002 music video "Breakaway", Futura covers an entire room with his signature tags in black marker and spray paint. - In the 2005 film Just For KicksJust for Kicks (2005 film)Just for Kicks is a 2005 documentary film about the sneaker phenomena and history. It includes self confessed "sneakerheads" like Grandmaster Caz, Reverend Run, and Missy Elliott. It tells the story of the legendary Nike Air Force One's, or as they are called in New York "Uptowns." Also about the...
, about sneaker culture in hip hop, as himself. - John MayerJohn MayerJohn Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
's 2006 music video "Waiting on the World to ChangeWaiting on the World to Change"Waiting on the World to Change" is the first single released from John Mayer's 2006 studio album, Continuum. The song enjoyed commercial success as a single and won the Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 49th Grammy Awards...
", alongside graffiti artists DAZE and the Tats Cru. - The 2006 video game Marc EckoMarc EckoMarc Eckō is an American fashion designer, entrepreneur, investor, artist, and philanthropist. He is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of Marc Eckō Enterprises, a billion-dollar global fashion and lifestyle company...
's Getting Up: Contents Under PressureMarc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under PressureMarc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure is a video game released on February 14, 2006. It was developed by The Collective, Inc. and published by Atari under license by Marc Ecko...
as himself.