"A Star is Born" Painting

Growing up in the inner city, Bob Peck began his art career at an early age admiring the graffiti art scattered around Cleveland. He sketched his own versions of what he saw in his notebooks every chance he got. As he grew older, those notebooks were one of the few things he could call his own. Years of being a bystander in the graffiti subculture went by, and Bob continued drawing scenes from his environment. When he'd see a name appear more than a few times, he followed the graffiti "trails" to places with densely marred walls full of this urban art. After many visits, he finally met some of the local graffiti writers. These so-called vandals took Bob under their wing and taught him the history and techniques of the art. Soon after, he started to paint on his own.
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Bob started painting walls in his neighborhood before quickly expanding throughout Cleveland. More years went by, and he had his pseudonym tagged all over town. As he reached his late teens, graffiti had taught him more than just an art form. It had taught him the spirit of competition and how to network. It was time to transcend. He started working the club circuit, offering his creative talents out to local DJ's and bands. This gained him enough notoriety and new connections to continue his evolution as an artist. He knew he was more than just a graffiti writer. He was an artist with a mission.
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In the Fall of 2000, Bob started working with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He presented information about graffiti as part of hiphop culture seminars. From there, he went on to work for Progressive Arts Alliance. He held residencies at Cleveland's inner-city schools--the very schools he attended--teaching students how to create art with a graffiti flair. It was the foundation he needed. Bob has since been included in over 100 gallery shows and painted dozens of murals throughout Cleveland and Akron for major corporate clients, local businesses, and nonprofits.
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All of Bob's work ties back to those formative years, when seeing those bright graffiti colors amidst Cleveland's rust and concrete made his daily Rapid rides more bearable. His meticulous yet energetic lines may come from a place anger, adrenalin, pure joy or unbridled freedom. The only hint is the unique names of each piece. His process is disciplined as it is improvised, yet he is quick to make a joke about anything that begins to sound too highbrow.
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