Seen (1961) - Bubbles series

Seen (Richard Mirando)
Bubbles Series, 2025

Dimensions: 61 x 56 cm
Spray painting
signed and dated
Condition: very good
Sold without frame

Seen, Richard Mirando by birth, was born in 1961 in the Bronx, where he grew up and still lives today. From a young age, he was already a prodigy in visual arts. He was given his first airbrush at the age of 11. Two years later, he created decorative paintings for his uncle's auto repair shop. He then customized his first vehicles.

Graffiti was in full emergence at that time. Richard was captivated by the painted subway cars that ran and parked in the Lexington Avenue depot on the 6 line, just behind his uncle's garage. He entered the depot one Saturday afternoon in 1973 and created his first 'piece.' He chose the pseudonym 'Seen.' He liked the sequence of the two 'E's, and the meaning suited him. For him, doing graffiti became a way to realize his desire to be seen by the widest audience.

His first painting is a revelation. From a simple spectator, he becomes an active participant in the young movement. The subway becomes his preferred medium. He then proceeds to undertake various actions and even paints entire cars, which will forever leave a mark on the minds of New Yorkers. His name and art are carried throughout the city by the trains used daily by hundreds of thousands of people. His unique style, creativity, and tenacity establish him as a leader of the New York underground graffiti movement of the 1980s.