{{Short description|American painter (born 1966)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2012}} {{Infobox person | name = Barry McGee | image = Barry McGee Mural on Houston and Bowery.jpg | caption = McGee Mural on Houston and Bowery | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1966}} | birth_place = San Francisco, California, U.S. | alma_mater = [[San Francisco Art Institute]] | occupation = Visual artist | known_for = Painting | movement = [[Mission School]], street art | spouse = [[Margaret Kilgallen]] (1999–2001; death); [[Clare Rojas]] (m.2005) | children = 1 }} '''Barry McGee''' (born 1966) is an American artist. He is known for graffiti art, and a pioneer of the [[Mission School]] art movement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzalez |first=Matt |date=December 17, 2015 |title=Review: Barry McGee "China Boo" |url=https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/painting/review-barry-mcgee-china-boo-ratio-3/ |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=Juxtapoz Magazine |language=en-gb}}</ref> McGee is known by his [[moniker]]s: '''Twist''',<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Barry McGee |url=https://art21.org/artist/barry-mcgee/ |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=Art21 |language=en}}</ref> '''Ray Fong''',<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Tunison |first=Michael |date=2006-04-14 |title=Asians Decry Adidas Shoe as a Misstep |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/2006/04/14/asians-decry-adidas-shoe-as-a-misstep/92cb2f74-7d35-4a8e-95e3-04cd0de93a05/ |access-date=2022-11-23 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> '''Bernon Vernon''',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valentine |first=Ben |date=2012-10-11 |title=Does Barry McGee Have Something to Prove? |url=https://hyperallergic.com/58059/barry-mcgee-berkeley-art-museum/ |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=[[Hyperallergic]] |language=en-US}}</ref> and '''P.Kin'''.

==Life and education== Barry McGee was born in 1966 in San Francisco, California.<ref name=":1" /> He is of Chinese and Irish descent. McGee's father worked at an auto body repair shop.<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine |last= |first= |date=2015-08-03 |title=Three Artists, One Love Story |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/08/10/a-ghost-in-the-family |access-date=2022-11-23 |magazine=The New Yorker |publisher=Condé Nast |language=en-US}}</ref> McGee graduated from [[El Camino High School (South San Francisco)|El Camino High School]] in [[South San Francisco, California|South San Francisco]], California.

He attended the [[San Francisco Art Institute]], where he graduated in 1991 with a concentration in painting and printmaking.<ref name="McGee, Barry">{{Cite web |title=McGee, Barry |url=https://www.sfmoma.org/artist/barry-mcgee/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |website=SFMOMA |language=en-US}}</ref>

McGee was married to the artist [[Margaret Kilgallen]] in 1999, who later died of breast cancer in 2001.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Roberta |date=2001-07-04 |title=Margaret Kilgallen, a San Francisco Artist, 33 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/04/arts/margaret-kilgallen-a-san-francisco-artist-33.html |access-date=2022-11-23 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> They have a daughter named Asha.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":0" /> After Kilgallen's death, McGee married artist [[Clare Rojas]] in 2005.<ref name=":0" />

== Work == "Acclaimed for his work in the street as a graffiti artist and for his painted installations in galleries, museums and art festivals around the world, Barry McGee crafts a visual language that makes itself understood. It is public, addressing social concerns of urban life, and very private, elaborating a unique personal style that focuses on humanity, one painstakingly detailed, fine brush-painted image at a time."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gallerypauleanglim.com/mcgee_barry.html|title=Barry McGee, Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco|date=2007-01-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070105020541/http://www.gallerypauleanglim.com/mcgee_barry.html|access-date=2019-11-03|archive-date=January 5, 2007}}</ref>

==Career== [[Image:Mcgeegarage.jpg|thumb|Commissioned murals typical of Barry McGee's earlier work and graffiti in the [[Los Angeles County Museum of Art|LACMA]] parking garage (now torn down)]]McGee was a central figure in the [[graffiti]] art scene in San Francisco from the late 1980s and into the 1990s. As Twist, he became well known nationally by his stylized black and white [[Pictogram|pictographic]] [[Flat-head screw|flathead screw]] [[Glossary of graffiti|graffiti 'throw ups']]. Later he was part of the [[Mission School]] art movement based in the aesthetics of the [[Mission District, San Francisco|Mission District]] of San Francisco.<ref name="McGee, Barry" /> His work is founded on a pessimistic view of the [[urban culture|urban]] experience, which he describes as, "urban ills, over-stimulations, frustrations, addictions & trying to maintain a level head under the constant bombardment of advertising". He was also an artist in residence at [[inner-city]] [[McClymonds High School]] in [[Oakland, California]], in the early '90s. Although his artistic origins lie in [[Graffiti in New York City|New York subway graffiti]] he has been included as a member of the [[street art]] movement.<ref>{{Cite web |title=McGee, Barry |url=https://www.sfmoma.org/artist/barry-mcgee/ |access-date=2025-07-22 |website=SFMOMA |language=en-US}}</ref> [[File:Installation (Xe Biennale de Lyon) (4104043128).jpg|thumb|Installation, ''Xe Biennale de Lyon'']]McGee's installations consist of simple bold paintings which are influenced by [[Islamic art|Islamic patterns]] on [[tile]]s, vernacular [[sign painting]], or use [[caricature]]s of the destitute. These paintings are clustered together in combination with photographs of other graffiti writers. Older work included layering of shapes, and [[Glossary of graffiti|buff marks]], backgrounds of drips painted directly on the gallery wall. He has painted stylized portraits on empty bottles of [[liquor]], flattened spray cans, and wrecked vehicles for art shows. He has collaborated frequently with Amaze, allowing him to paint the exterior and interior of the galleries exhibiting McGee's work. They have also utilized realistic moving mechanical human figures that appear to be [[Glossary of graffiti|tagging]] gallery walls.

The market value of his work rose considerably after 2001 as a result of his being included in the [[Venice Biennale]] and other major exhibitions. As a result, much of his San Francisco [[street art]] has been scavenged or stolen.<ref name="helfand">[http://www.sfbg.com/36/28/art_mission_school.html "The Mission school"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104232116/http://www.sfbg.com/36/28/art_mission_school.html |date=January 4, 2007 }} by Glen Helfand, ''[[San Francisco Bay Guardian]]'', October 28, 2002.</ref><ref>[http://www.fecalface.com/news/2007/12/ "Twist Thief"] by Trippe, ''Fecal Face'' (website), December 13, 2007. (scroll down)</ref>

== Controversies == In September 1999, a 64-foot-long, 8-foot-high mural made up of 300 pieces, made by Barry McGee and financially sponsored by the [[Luggage Store Gallery]] and the Creative Work Fund, was stolen off a vacant commercial building in the [[South of Market, San Francisco|South of Market]] neighborhood of San Francisco.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brazil |first=Eric |date=November 15, 1999 |title=Art theft is fairly common – but a mural? |pages=44 |work=[[Citizens' Voice]] |publisher=[[San Francisco Examiner]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113508225/art-theft-is-fairly-common-but-a/ |access-date=2022-11-23 |issn=1070-8626}}</ref> It was never recovered.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 16, 1999 |title=Missing mural: Blue period for S.F. art lovers |pages=9 |work=[[Record Searchlight]] |publisher=San Francisco Examiner |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113508416/missing-mural-blue-period-for-sf-art/ |access-date=2022-11-23}}</ref>

In 2004, as part of an exhibit at [[San Francisco City Hall|San Francisco's City Hall]],<ref name="McGee, Barry"/> McGee spray-painted "Smash the State" on the walls of Supervisor [[Matt Gonzalez]]'s office. [[SFGate]] wrote: "The timing and placement of the artwork are interesting, seeing how City Hall is a registered historical landmark, and you need approval just to hang a bulletin board". Gonzalez told the press that he knew his office would be repainted for the next occupant.<ref name="lelchuk">Lelchuk, I. {{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/SAN-FRANCISCO-Last-word-on-government-2665271.php|title=Last word on government: Graffiti installation in Gonzalez's office gets mixed reviews.|last=Lelchuk|first=Ilene|date=December 10, 2004|work=The San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=2006-05-10}} ''San Francisco Chronicle'' on the web, December 10, 2004.</ref>

McGee was involved in a controversy regarding the [[Adidas]] Y1 HUF, a shoe for which he provided the artwork. This gave rise to a protest campaign by some Asian-Americans who claimed that the picture on the shoe's tongue depicts a racist [[stereotype]].<ref name=":2" /> McGee responded to the controversy in a March 2006 press release.<ref>[http://poplicks.com/2006/04/adidas-responds-finally.htm] {{dead link|date=January 2019}}</ref> He stated that the drawing was a portrait of himself as an 8-year-old child.

==Selected exhibitions== [[File:Installation (Xe Biennale de Lyon) (4104042716).jpg|thumb|Woman photographing a Barry McGee installation, ''Xe Biennale de Lyon'']] *1999: ''The Buddy System,'' Deitch Gallery in New York City, NYC<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deitch.com/projects/sub.php?projId=104|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070920104146/http://www.deitch.com/projects/sub.php?projId=104|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 20, 2007|title=Deitch|date=September 20, 2007|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> *1999: ''HOSS,'' Rice Gallery in Houston, TX<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ricegallery.org/past-installations/|title=Installations|website=Rice Gallery|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> *2001: with Todd James, and [[Stephen Powers (artist)|Stephen Powers]], [[Venice Biennale]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/art/0126,levin,25887,13.html|title=Panic Attack|last=Levin|first=Kim|date=June 25, 2001|website=Village Voice|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070101130925/http://www.villagevoice.com/art/0126,levin,25887,13.html|archive-date=January 1, 2007|access-date=December 6, 2006|df=mdy-all}}</ref> *2004: ''Barry McGee and Josh Lazcano'', [[Gallery Paule Anglim]] in San Francisco, CA<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gallerypauleanglim.com/mcgee_barry.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070105020541/http://www.gallerypauleanglim.com/mcgee_barry.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 5, 2007|title=Barry McGee, Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco|date=January 5, 2007|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> *2004: [[Rose Art Museum]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brandeis.edu/now/?news_item_id=102596|title=BrandeisNOW|website=Brandeis.edu|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> *2006: Featured in ''Beautiful Losers'' exhibition at Circleculture Gallery in Berlin, Germany<ref>{{cite web|url=http://circleculturegallery.com/exhibitions/beautiful_losers/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131130123638/http://circleculturegallery.com/exhibitions/beautiful_losers/|url-status=dead|title=Circle Culture Gallery|date=November 30, 2013|archive-date=November 30, 2013|website=Archive.is|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> *2006–2007: LOFT installation at Roberts & Tilton Gallery in Los Angeles, CA<ref>{{cite web|url=https://robertsprojectsla.com/|title=Roberts Projects|website=Robertsprojectsla.com|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> *2007: [[Watari Museum of Contemporary Art]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.watarium.co.jp/exhibition/0706_mcgee_en.html|title=watari-um – exhibition – バリー・マッギー展|website=Watarium.co.jp|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> *2008: [[Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.balticmill.com/whatsOn/future/ExhibitionDetail.php?exhibID=93|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080331105246/http://www.balticmill.com/whatsOn/future/ExhibitionDetail.php?exhibID=93|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 31, 2008|title=BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art|date=March 31, 2008|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> *2008: ''The Big Sad'' (With [[Clare Rojas]]), [[Riverside Art Museum]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://riversideartmuseum.org/exhibitions/view/?id=23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019081136/http://riversideartmuseum.org/exhibitions/view/?id=23|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 19, 2008|title=Riverside Art Museum – Exhibitions – The Big Sad: Barry McGee & Clare Rojas|date=October 19, 2008|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> *2008: ''Life on Mars'' ''Carnegie International''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.cmoa.org/CI08/2008/02/barry-mcgee.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080429184958/http://blog.cmoa.org/CI08/2008/02/barry-mcgee.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 29, 2008|title=Barry McGee – Signals|date=April 29, 2008|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> *2008: Ratio 3 in San Francisco, CA<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ratio3.org/exhibitions/2008/moment-reflection-new-work-lydia-fong|title=A Moment for Reflection: New Work by Lydia Fong|date=2008|website=Ratio 3|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126124942/http://ratio3.org/exhibitions/2008/moment-reflection-new-work-lydia-fong|archive-date=January 26, 2010|access-date=February 17, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref> *2009: ''McGee / Templeton / Pettibon'' exhibition curated by [[Aaron Rose]] at Circleculture Gallery in Berlin, Germany<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://circleculturegallery.com/exhibitions/mcgee__templeton__pettibon |title = ANNEX – Kevin Earl Taylor – Exhibitions – Circle Culture Gallery |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119080204/http://circleculturegallery.com/exhibitions/mcgee__templeton__pettibon |archive-date=19 January 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> *2009–2010: Biennale de Lyon, France<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biennaledelyon.com/contemporaryart2009/video/pictures-gallery.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091030075148/http://www.biennaledelyon.com/contemporaryart2009/video/pictures-gallery.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 30, 2009|title=Biennale de Lyon 2009 – Pictures gallery|date=October 30, 2009|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> *2010: ''The Last Night'' (With HuskMitNavn)'','' A.L.I.C.E. gallery in Brussels, Belgium<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.alicebxl.com/2279.0.html|title=The Last Night|date=2010|website=Alice Gallery Brussels|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100720010013/http://www.alicebxl.com/2279.0.html|archive-date=July 20, 2010|access-date=November 5, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref> *2012: Retrospective at the [[Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive|Berkeley Art Museum]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/exhibition/mcgee|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115154728/http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/exhibition/mcgee|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 15, 2012|title=BAM/PFA – Art Exhibitions – Barry McGee|date=November 15, 2012|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> *2019: ''The Other Side'', solo show, Perrotin Gallery, Hong Kong<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.perrotin.com/exhibitions/barry_mcgee-the-other-side/6823|title=Barry MCGEE – Contemporary Art Exhibition|website=www.perrotin.com|language=en|access-date=2019-11-03}}</ref> * 2021: ''Fuzz Gathering,'' solo show, [[Galerie Perrotin]], Paris<ref name="BAM">''Barry Mcgee Légende vivante du graffiti'', Beaux Arts Magazine, No.&nbsp;448, Octobre 2021, pp. 68-75</ref> * 2022: ''Everyday Sunrise,'' solo show, Perrotin, Seoul * 2024: ''Old Mystified,'' solo show, Berggruen, San Francisco

==See also== *''[[Beautiful Losers (film)|Beautiful Losers]]'' *[[Mission School]] *[[Lowbrow (art movement)]] *''[[Piece by Piece (2005 film)|Piece by Piece]]''

== Bibliography ==

*McGee, Barry, Ellen Robinson, and Katya Tylevich. ''Barry McGee''. Bologna: Damiani, (2018). {{ISBN|978-8862086165}} *Boas, Natasha. ''Energy that is all around: Mission School: Chris Johanson, Margaret Kilgallen, Alicia McCarthy, Barry McGee, Ruby Neri''. San Francisco: San Francisco Art Institute Chronicle Books, (2014). {{ISBN|978-1452142180}} *Rinder, Lawrence, and Barry McGee. ''Barry McGee''. Berkeley & New York: University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, Inc, (2012). {{ISBN|978-1935202851}} *Rose, Aaron (editor), ''Barry McGee'' . Tokyo: Damiani, (2010). {{ISBN|978-8862080965}} *Kilgallen, Margaret, et al. ''Margaret kilgallen : in the sweet bye & bye''. Los Angeles: California Institute of the Arts/REDCAT, (2006). {{ISBN|978-0974983165}} *Bertelli, Patrizio, Barry McGee. Fondazione Prada, (2002). {{ISBN|978-8887029215}} *Kawachi, Taka, ''Street Market: Barry McGee, Stephen Powers, Todd James''. Little More, (2000). {{ISBN|978-4898150399}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Bibliography== * Barry McGee. 2002. ''Barry McGee: The Buddy System''. {{ISBN|0-9648530-3-5}} * Barry McGee, Germano Celant, Prada. 2003. ''Barry McGee''. {{ISBN|88-87029-21-0}} * Aaron Rose and Christian Strike (editors). 2004. ''Beautiful Losers: Contemporary Art and Street Culture''. {{ISBN|1-891024-74-4}}

==External links== *[https://ratio3.org/artists/barry-mcgee Barry McGee at Ratio 3], San Francisco, CA

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McGee, Barry}} [[Category:1966 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Painters from San Francisco]] [[Category:American graffiti artists]] [[Category:American people of Chinese descent]] [[Category:American people of Irish descent]] [[Category:San Francisco Art Institute alumni]] [[Category:Mission District, San Francisco]] [[Category:People from South San Francisco, California]]