The Godfather of Graffiti

Richard “Richie” Mirando also known as SEEN began spray-painting trains at a young age. Throughout the Seventies and Eighties he managed to build up a reputation for himself by tagging most of the New-York subways with bright letters and funny cartoons that inspired many other artists as years have passed. After 16 years in business he finally decided to step aside from the graffiti scene and open a tattoo studio as a way to continue making art.

Everybody who has seen his work knows why he is also called ” The Godfather of Graffiti” . Although many good artists emerged since he has stepped down from his throne, the street art scene is not what it used to be. Back in the days you would draw your inspiration from other graffiti artists, nothing different from what we do today. But let’s not forget that the internet was not fully developed back then, so the only way to see other works was to spot painted trains. To be a successful graffiti artist was a real job that required time and dedication. Nowadays, you can search the internet for any graffiti artwork available from letters to numbers and cartoon characters. This is why SEEN considers that the scene has changed, making it easier to show your talent.

To show our appreciation for the most well known graffiti artist in the world, I decided to share with you some of his throw-ups and pieces :