Subway Gangsta

SONIC aka Sonic Bad (Jesse Rodriguez, b. 1961 USA) “Subway Gangsta” (2011) Original spray paint and marker on paper by one of the pioneers of graffiti street art. The sheet measures 8.5 x 10.5 inches and has been matted and is enclosed in a 13 x 17-inch black frame. The work of art is signed and dated on the back of the paper. Featured in this boldly colored image are the letters and numbers spelling out ‘Subway Gangsta 1961’, the New York skyline across the top, a subway within the graffiti lettering of the word, a character hiding under a hat in the upper right, and the title of the work in the lower center.

In his career, Sonic has painted colorful graffiti/Hip Hop images on NYC subway cars, trains, wall murals, video games, canvas, and in the fashion industry. His work has been photographed and featured in books, magazines, movies; shown in galleries worldwide, and a 1982 spray paint on canvas piece is in the collection of the Museum of Graffiti in Miami.