Doug Z

local artist Doug Z

" The origins of spraypaint surrealiZm Born in a basement during his high school years, a product of Warhol, Dali, random psychedelic experiences, and the teenage pains of life, Doug Z produced a completely original style unlike any other. Fusing his Brooklyn family roots with graffiti-based inspiration, DZ began his "spraypaint surrealiZm" legacy with raw, experimental color combinations, roughly-cut stencils, and pure, unadulterated, inconceivable imagination and passion. DZ's work was immediately accepted by coffee-houses and galleries throughout NJ and NYC, reknown for it's originality and genuiness, resulting in great exposure via album covers for friends' bands and being published in several underground 'zines, including 'Fabric Staircase', based in Belmar, NJ. Exhibitions in places such as Greece and London followed, along with a segment on the WNYE program, "Art or something like it." Since then, his work has been stolen, borrowed, rented, sold, vanished, recovered, revered, hated, and somewhat idolized. "


i coincidentally ended up going to one of doug z's local gallery shows and it luckily relates to my final portfolio. for my final portfolio i have been exploring nyc to find varying styles of street art and graffiti and deciphering a difference between the 'vandalism' use of spray paint versus the incredibly skilled talents of some street artists' murals, tags, and graffiti. DZ's style of art is the epitome of the talent i am trying to distinguish from the more immediate visualization people get when they think of the recreational use of spray paint. DZ's use of spray cans and stencils is powerful, and articulate -if you will.