Leonard Hilton McGurr (born November 17, 1955), known as Futura, and formerly known as Futura 2000, is an American artist. Futura began painting

graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...

as a teenager in the 1970s in New York and crossed over into the early 1980s art boom. Known for his distinctive style, a fusion of graffiti and

abstract expressionism Abstract expressionism in the United States emerged as a distinct art movement in the aftermath of World War II and gained mainstream acceptance in the 1950s, a shift from the American social realism of the 1930s influenced by the Great Depressi ...

, Futura painted backdrops live on-stage for British

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

band

The Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...

's ''Combat Rock'' tour. More recently, he is a successful graphic

designer A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans. In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exper ...

and gallery artist.

Biography

Born Leonard Hilton McGurr, he started to paint illegally on

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

's subway in the early 1970s, working with other artists such as

ALI Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until his assassination in 661, as well as the first Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib an ...

. From 1974 to 1978, he served in the U.S. Navy and traveled all over the world. In the early 1980s he showed with Patti Astor at the

Fun Gallery The Fun Gallery was an art gallery founded by Patti Astor and Bill Stelling in 1981. The Fun Gallery had a cultural impact until it closed in 1985. As the first art gallery in Manhattan's East Village, Manhattan, East Village, it exposed New York ...

, along with

Keith Haring Keith Allen Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an American artist whose pop art emerged from the Graffiti in New York City, New York City graffiti subculture of the 1980s. His animated imagery has "become a widely recognized visual l ...

Jean-Michel Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat (; December 22, 1960 – August 12, 1988) was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the neo-expressionism movement. Basquiat first achieved notoriety in the late 1970s as part of the graffiti ...

Richard Hambleton Richard Art Hambleton (June 23, 1952 – October 29, 2017) was a Canadian artist known for his work as a street artist. He was a surviving member of a group that emerged from the New York City art scene during the booming art market of the 1980s ...

and Kenny Scharf. One of the most distinctive features of Futura's work is his abstract approach to

. While the primary focus, during the 1980s, of the majority of graffiti artists was lettering, Futura pioneered abstract

street art Street art is visual art created in public locations for public visibility. It has been associated with the terms "independent art", "post-graffiti", "neo-graffiti" and guerrilla art. Street art has evolved from the early forms of defiant gr ...

, which has since become more popular. Conversely, his aerosol strokes are regarded as different from those of his peers, as they are as thin as the fine lines usually associated with the use of an

airbrush An airbrush is a small, air-operated tool that atomizes and sprays various media, most often paint, but also ink, dye, and make-up. Spray painting developed from the airbrush and is considered to employ a type of airbrush. History Up unt ...

. While he is primarily known as a graffiti artist, much of his work is as an

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicate ...

and

graphic designer A graphic designer is a practitioner who follows the discipline of graphic design, either within companies or organizations or independently. They are professionals in design and visual communication, with their primary focus on transforming ...

album cover An album cover (also referred to as album art) is the front packaging art of a commercially released album, studio album or other audio recordings. The term can refer to: * the printed paperboard covers typically used to package: ** sets of a ...

s, first becoming involved with the British

band

; producing a sleeve for their " This Is Radio Clash" 7" single and handwriting the sleeve notes and lyrics sheet for their album ''

Combat Rock ''Combat Rock'' is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Clash, released on 14 May 1982 through CBS Records. In the United Kingdom, the album charted at number 2, spending 23 weeks in the UK charts and peaked at number 7 in the U ...

'' (1982). He also toured extensively with The Clash during the ''Combat Rock'' tour, "performing" with them on stage by spray painting backdrops whilst the band performed. His rap appeared on the Clash song " Overpowered by Funk." In 1985, he was on the first meeting of the graffiti and urban art movement in Bondy (France), on the VLP's initiative, with Speedy Graphito, Miss Tic, SP 38, Epsylon Point,

Blek le Rat Blek le Rat (; born Xavier Prou, 1952) is a French graffiti artist. He was one of the first graffiti artists in Paris, and has been described as the "Father of stencil graffiti". Early life Xavier Prou was born on 15 November 1951 in Boulogne- ...

Jef Aérosol Jef Aérosol is the pseudonym of Jean-François Perroy (born 1957),Bio (in French)
Jefaerosol.com. Retrieved 2023- ...

, Nuklé-Art, Kim Prisu, Banlieue-Banlieue. In the mid-1980s, he began hustling as a bike messenger and worked at a

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

post office in order to support his son, as he found it difficult to maintain his job as a gallery artist. Years later

James Lavelle James Lavelle (born 22 February 1974) is an English electronic musician, record label owner and curator. He founded the Mo'Wax record label in 1992, and has been the only constant member of UNKLE. He directed the 2014 edition of the Meltdo ...

resurrected Futura's career by getting him, alongside Ben Drury, to produce the artwork for several releases on

Mo' Wax Mo' Wax was a British record label founded by James Lavelle in 1992. The label was not co-founded by Tim Goldsworthy, as is often reported. Steve Finan became co-owner shortly after. Mo' Wax came to recognition for being at the forefront of t ...

records; this also led to Futura producing the imagery which has largely defined Lavelle's

Unkle Unkle (often stylised as U.N.K.L.E. or UNKLE, occasionally known as UNKLE Sounds) is a British musical outfit founded in 1992 by James Lavelle. Originally categorised as trip hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a ...

project. During the 1990s he was involved with clothing companies such as GFS, Subware and Project Dragon. More recently much of Futura's artwork has evolved into the production of collectible toys,

sneakers Sneakers (American English, US) or trainers (British English, UK), also known by a #Names, wide variety of other names, are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but are also widely used for everyday casual ...

; and a diverse range of creative media, working with Recon,

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

, Medicom Toy, Undercover, Supreme,

Levi's Levi Strauss & Co. ( ) is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's ( ) brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, ...

and

A Bathing Ape , also known as BAPE, is a Japanese fashion brand founded by Nigo (Tomoaki Nagao) in Ura-Harajuku in 1993.

. Futura also designs his own clothing under the label Futura Laboratories with a store located in

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

, Japan. Futura was interviewed and featured in the 2005 sneaker documentary '' Just For Kicks.'' Futura appeared as himself in the 2006 action-adventure video game '' Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure'' alongside other notable graffiti artists. His 2012 exhibition ''Future-Shock'' was curated by Nemo Librizzi and shown by Andy Valmorbida in New York City. Past galleries who have organized one man exhibitions include Fun Gallery, Tony Shafrazi Gallery, Philippe Briet Gallery, Galerie du Jour Agnès B., and Galerie Jérôme de Noirmont. Museum exhibitions include ''New York / New Wave'' at PS1 (1981), ''Coming from the Subway'' at

Groninger Museum The Groninger Museum () is an art museum in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. The museum exhibits modern and contemporary art of local, national, and international artists. The museum opened in 1874. The current post-modernist building c ...

(1992), ''Beautiful Losers'' (2004) and ''Art in the Streets'' at

Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) is a contemporary art museum with two locations in greater Los Angeles, California. The main branch is located on Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, near the Walt Disney Concert Hall. MOCA's ori ...

(2011). In 2012, Futura designed the special edition

Hennessy Jas Hennessy & Cie., commonly known simply as Hennessy (), is a French producer of cognac, founded in 1765 by Richard Hennessy which has its headquarters in Cognac, France. It is one of the best-known cognac houses, along with Martell, Courvo ...

V.S. bottle. In 2017, Futura designed a collection of T-shirts with

Uniqlo ( ; ) is a Japanese casual wear designer and retailer. The company is a subsidiary of Fast Retailing, Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. Clare Waight Keller is the creative director. History Men's Shop OS was founded in Ube, Yamaguchi. It was rebrand ...

. In 2019, Futura designed a pointman

bobblehead A bobblehead, also known by nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible figurine. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected to the body by a ...

, a baseball jersey, and a baseball cap with the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

. In late 2019, Futura collaborated with Funko to design decals for a Star Wars line sold exclusively at Target. Two designs were falsely claimed to be his but were in fact designed in-house by Funko ed and Black Boba Fetts, both the 4 and 10 inch variants In 2020, Futura designed in collaboration with BMW a bespoke series of vehicles that were shown at Frieze LA 2020 in Los Angeles, US. In September 2020 a pair of

sneakers that he designed, known as the "Leonard Hilton McGurr ‘Futura’ Nike Dunk High Pro SB ‘FLOM’" sold at auction for US$63,000.

Publications

*1981: ''Events, Artist invite Artists.'' New York, US: New Museum. Text by Betty Fox. The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York *1983: ''New Art at the Tate Gallery.'' Text by Michael Compton. Tate Gallery, London *1987: ''Spraycan Art.'' Texts by Henry Chalfant, James Prigoff, Thames & Hudson *1987: ''New York Now.'' Texts by Carl Haenlein. Kestner-Gesellschaft, Hanovre, Germany *1988: ''Subway Art.'' Texts by Martha Cooper et Henry Chalfant. Holt Paperbacks *1989: ''Futura 2000: Œuvres récentes.'' Text by Elisabeth Hess, Musée de Vire, Vire, France *1992: ''Coming from the Subway – New York Graffiti Art.'' Froukje Hoekstra, Stefan Eins et alt. Karl Muller Verlag *1997: ''New York Graffiti Art: Coming From The Subway: Histoire et Developpement d’un Mouvement Controverse.'' Farthest Star, VBI, 1992, VBI 1997 *1998: ''Generations of youth: youth cultures and history in twentieth-century America.'' Texts by Joe Austin, Michael Willard, NYU Press *1999: ''Pittura Dura: Dal Graffitismo alla Street Art.'' Texts by Luca Massimo Barbero, Renato Barilli et alt. Electa, Milan, Italy *2000: ''Futura.'' Texts by Ben Drury, Liz Farrelly, Andrew Holmes. Booth-Clibborn. . *2000: ''The new beats: culture, musique et attitudes du hip-hop.'' Texts by S. H. Fernando. Kargo *2001: ''The graffiti subculture: youth, masculinity, and identity in London and New York.'' Texts by Nancy Macdonald, Palgrave Macmillan *2002: ''Aerosol Kingdom – Subway Painters of New York City.'' Texts by Ivor L. Miller. University Press of Mississippi, Jackson, US *2004: ''Disruptive Pattern Material: An Encyclopedia of Camouflage.'' Texts by Hardy Blechman, Alex Newman. Firefly, US *2004: ''Experimental formats & packaging: creative solutions for inspiring graphic design.'' Texts by Roger Fawcett-Tang, Daniel Mason, Rotovision *2004: ''DPM – Disruptive Pattern Material.'' Texts by Hardy Blechman, Alex Newman. Frances Lincoln *2004: ''Beautiful Losers – Contemporary Art and Street Culture.'' Texts by Alex Baker, Thom Collins, Jeffrey Deitch et alt., Aaron Rose et Christian Strike, New York *2005: ''East Village US.'' texts by Dan Cameron, Liza Kirwin, Alan W. Moore, The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York *2006: ''Can't stop won't stop: une histoire by la génération hip-hop.'' Texts by Jeff Chang. Allia *2006: ''Plastic culture: how Japanese toys conquered the world.'' Texts by Woodrow Phoenix, Kodansha International *2007: ''The Warhol economy: how fashion, art, and music drive New York City.'' Texts by Elizabeth Currid, Princeton University Press *2008: ''Street Art: The Graffiti Revolution.'' Texts by Cedar Lewisohn, Tate, London *2008: ''The Elms Lesters Book and Christmas Exhibition.'' Texts by Ben Jones, Paul Jones et alt. Elms Lesters Paintings Rooms, London *2009: ''Subway Art: 25th Anniversary Edition.'' Texts by Martha Cooper, Henry Chalfant, Chronicle Books *2009: ''American Graffiti.'' Margo Thompson. Parkstone *2009: ''Graffiti New York.'' Texts by Eric Felisbret, James Prigoff, Luke Felisbret, Abrams *2009: ''Natural Selection.'' Texts by Fiona McKinnon, Iain Cadby, Atkinson Gallery, Somerset, UK *2009: ''Blade – King of Kings.'' Henk Pijnenburg, Henk Pijnenburg *2009: ''Né dans la rue: Graffiti.'' Texts by Hervé Chandes, Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, Paris *2009: ''From Style Writing to Art (A Street Art Anthology).'' Texts by Magda Danysz, Marie-Noëlle Dana, Galerie Magda Danysz, Paris, Drago, Italy *2010: ''Beyond the Street: The 100 Leading Figures in Urban Art.'' Texts by Patrick Nguyen, Stuart Mackenzie, Die Gestalten Verlag *2011: ''100 artistes du Street Art.'' With direction by Paul Ardenne. Texts by Marie Maertens. Martinière, Paris *2012: ''Is The Art World Ready for Graffiti?.'' Steven Hager, Steven Hager at Smashwords, Los Gatos, US *2012: ''Graffiti, une histoire en images.'' Bernard Fontaine. Eyrolles, Paris *2012: ''Futura 2012 – Expansions.'' Text by Paul Ardenne, Galerie Jérôme by Noirmont, Paris

Solo exhibitions

* 1982 ''Futura 2000,''

Fnac Fnac () is a French multinational retail chain specializing in the sale of entertainment Media (communication), media and consumer electronics. Fnac was founded by André Essel and Max Théret in 1954. Its headquarters is located in ''Le Flavia' ...

-Strasbourg, Strasbourg * 1982 ''Futura 2000,''

, New York * 1983 ''Futura 2000,''

Yvon Lambert Gallery Yvon Lambert Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in Paris founded by Yvon Lambert in 1966. History In 1966, Yvon Lambert opened his first gallery on the rue de L'Échaudé in Paris, France where he began to exhibit American artists. He showed f ...

, Paris * 1983 ''Futura 2000,''

, New York * 1983 ''Futura 2000,'' Yaki Korinblit Gallery, Amsterdam * 1983 ''Futura 2000,'' 51X Gallery, New York * 1983 ''Futura 2000,'' Baronian-Lambert, Gent * 1983 ''Futura 2000,'' Four Blue Squares, San Francisco * 1984 ''Futura 2000,'' Yaki Korinblit Gallery, Amsterdam * 1984 ''Futura 2000,''

, New York * 1984 ''Homage to Picasso,'' Shafrazi Gallery, New York * 1985 ''Futura 2000,'' Shafrazi Gallery, New York * 1985 ''Futura 2000,'' Michael Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles * 1986 ''Futura 2000,'' Semaphore Gallery, New York * 1988 ''Futura 2000,'' Philippe Briet Gallery, New York * 1989 ''Futura 2000,'' Galerie du Jour, Paris * 1989 ''Futura 2000,'' Musée de Vire, Vire * 1989 ''Futura 2000,'' Arcs & Cracs, Barcelona * 1990 ''Futura 2000,'' Gallery B5, Monaco * 1990 ''Futura 2000,'' Philippe Briet Gallery, New York * 1990 ''Futura 2000,'' Martin Lawrence Gallery, New York * 1991 ''Futura 2000,'' Galerie du Jour, Paris * 1992 ''Futura 2000,'' Galerie du Jour, Paris * 1993 ''Futura 2000,'' 01 Gallery, Los Angeles * 1994 ''Untitled,'' Gallery Cotthem-Knokke, Barcelona * 1994 ''Futura 2000,'' Time Space Light, New York * 1996 ''Futura 2000,'' Solaria, Fukuoka * 1996 ''Futura 2000,'' Livestock Gallery, New York * 1996 ''Futura 2000,'' L'Aeronef, Lille * 1999 ''Futura 2000,'' Variant, New York * 2000 ''Futura 2000,'' Bob, New York * 2001 ''Futura 2000 x UNKLE'' Colette, Paris * 2002 ''Futura 2000 Place,'' Space 3, Sydney, Australia * 2005 ''Futura 2000, Year in Pictures'' V1 Gallery, Copenhagen * 2009 ''Futura 2000 – Collection Patrick Lerouge,'' Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture, Paris * 2013 ''Futura 2000,'' Ica, London * 2014 ''Introspective,''

Magda Danysz Gallery Magda Danysz Gallery is an art gallery in Paris, France, owned by Magda Danysz, an art dealer and art curator. Magda Danysz Magda Danysz started in the art business in the early 1990s, when she opened her first art space in 1991 when she was 17 ...

, Paris * 2014 ''Timewarp,'' Schusev State Museum Of Architecture, Moscow * 2014 ''Futura,'' Md Gallery, Shanghai * 2015 ''The Bridges of Graffiti,'' Venice Biennale, Venice * 2016 ''Futura: NEW HORIZONS,'' Library Street Collective, Detroit * 2023 ''Futura2000: Breaking Out'', UB Art Galleries, Buffalo

Collections

Futura's work is held in the following permanent public collections: *Collection de la Société Générale, New York *Fonds Municipal d´Art Contemporain de la Ville de Paris, Paris *Musée de Vire, Vire, France *Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Appearances in other media

* On

's ''

'', Futura delivers a spoken word part on the song " Overpowered by Funk". The Clash also appeared on his song "The Escapades of Futura." * In

Emile de Antonio Emile Francisco de Antonio (May 14, 1919 – December 15, 1989) was an American director and producer of documentary films, usually detailing political, social, and counterculture of the 1960s, counterculture events circa 1960s–1980s. He has be ...

's 1982 film '' In the King of Prussia'' Futura creates the film's opening title as a graffiti mural. * On the album ''

MiLight is the fourth solo studio album by Japanese hip hop producer DJ Krush. It was released in 1996. It peaked at number 100 on the UK Albums Chart. Critical reception Ned Raggett of AllMusic gave the album 4 stars out of 5, calling it "a fairly good ...

'' Futura's voice can be heard giving a shoutout to artist

DJ Krush , better known by his stage name DJ Krush, is a Japanese record producer and DJ. He is known for his atmospheric instrumental production which incorporates sound elements from nature, and extensive use of jazz and soul samples. Early life Ishi ...

. * In

DJ Mehdi Mehdi Favéris-Essadi (20 January 1977 – 13 September 2011), better known by his stage name DJ Mehdi, was a French-Tunisian hip hop and house music producer and DJ. He was signed to the label Ed Banger Records, founded by his friend Pedro W ...

's 2002 music video "Breakaway", Futura covers an entire room with his signature tags in black marker and spray paint. * In the 2005 film '' Just For Kicks'', about sneaker culture in hip hop, as himself. *

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but he left for Atlanta in 1997 with fellow guitarist Clay Cook, with whom he formed the short-liv ...

's 2006 music video " Waiting on the World to Change", alongside graffiti artists DAZE and the Tats Cru. * The 2006 video game '' Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure'' as himself. * In a

Motorola Motorola, Inc. () was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois. It was founded by brothers Paul and Joseph Galvin in 1928 and had been named Motorola since 1947. Many of Motorola's products had been ...

advert as himself. * In a

MasterClass Yanka Industries, Inc., doing business as MasterClass, is an American online education subscription platform on which students can access tutorials and lectures pre-recorded by experts in various fields. The concept for MasterClass was conceiv ...

, teaching his method and style, as himself.

References

External links

www.futura2000.com

Magda Danysz Gallery
- Paris * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Futura American graffiti artists Living people Artists from New York City 1955 births