David Choe

Key facts

Born

1976, American^[1]

Wikipedia

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• What is David Choe known for?+

  David Choe is known for his "dirty style" art and for accepting company stock from Sean Parker to paint the interior of Facebook's first Silicon Valley office in 2005. The stock was valued at approximately $200 million by the time of Facebook's IPO in 2012.
• What is David Choe's most famous work?+

  David Choe is known for his diverse artistic output, spanning graffiti, painting, and illustration. Pinpointing one single "most famous work" is difficult, as his notability arises from several factors. Choe gained early attention for his raw, expressionistic murals and graffiti in the Los Angeles area during the 1990s. His work often incorporates themes of sexuality, urban life, and personal struggle. A significant moment in Choe's career occurred when he was commissioned to paint murals for Facebook's first headquarters in 2005. Instead of monetary payment, he accepted stock options, which later proved to be exceptionally valuable, bringing him substantial financial gain and wider public recognition. While the Facebook murals themselves are not widely publicised artworks, the story of Choe's financial success became a well-known anecdote, further cementing his reputation as an unconventional and successful artist.
• What should I know about David Choe's prints?+

  David Choe is known for paintings, drawings, and graffiti. He has also produced prints, which are artworks made in a limited number of copies. These are often numbered and signed by the artist. The standard practice is to write the edition number on the bottom left margin of the print, the title in the centre, and the signature on the right. The edition is written as a fraction; the denominator is the total number of prints, and the numerator is the individual print number. For example, a print marked 35/100 means it is the 35th print of 100. Artists sometimes create a small number of artist's proofs, marked "A/P", which are identical to the edition prints. There can also be variants ("V"), where colour or other elements differ from the main edition. "Hors de Commerce" prints are identical to the edition but are not for sale. The artist determines the edition size. Although the number of prints was originally limited by the life of the plate, modern printmakers can set their own limits. A lower edition number can increase the value of a print.
• What style or movement did David Choe belong to?+

  David Choe is difficult to categorise within a specific art movement. His work resists easy classification, blending elements of graffiti, illustration, and fine art. Choe's early work was influenced by street art and graffiti culture, apparent in his raw, energetic style and use of bold lines and unconventional materials. He gained recognition for his mural work and graffiti art in urban environments, often incorporating his signature whale imagery. As his career progressed, Choe's style evolved to include more figurative and expressive elements. His paintings and drawings often feature distorted figures, surreal compositions, and a distinctive colour palette. He draws inspiration from a range of sources, including comics, cartoons, and his personal experiences. While Choe's work shares some characteristics with pop surrealism and contemporary figurative painting, his unique approach and diverse influences set him apart. He remains an individual artist whose style defies simple categorisation.
• What techniques or materials did David Choe use?+

  Without specific information on David Choe's methods, one can discuss general painting and drawing techniques. Pencil work involves several shading methods. Hatching uses parallel strokes, with closer strokes creating darker tones. Crosshatching layers these strokes at angles for even darker shading. Applying heavy pressure yields dark, linear shading. Gradated values, from dark to light, are achieved by gradually lightening pressure. Blending softens transitions between strokes. A mottled texture comes from small, uneven strokes with the pencil's side. Acrylics offer many techniques. A flat wash is a thin mixture of acrylic paint diluted with water, applied in overlapping horizontal strokes. Oil paint can be mixed with turpentine and wax. The mixture is applied with a brush, then worked with a spatula or knife. Oil allows easier blending than fresco or acrylic, permitting smooth tonal and colour variations.
• What was David Choe known for?+

  Jean-Michel Basquiat gained recognition for his graffiti art in New York City before moving to gallery exhibitions. Working with Al Diaz, Basquiat wrote phrases and jokes on subway trains and buildings, signing them "sAMO" (an acronym for "same old shit"). These writings critiqued consumer culture. His move from street art to galleries occurred in the early 1980s. Basquiat's paintings incorporated scribbling, bold colours, and a mix of styles, such as graffiti, abstract expressionism, and cartoons. His work often addressed important topics, such as racism. He used a crown motif to represent the importance of black men in America. Basquiat explored the boundary between commercial and critical success, frequently examining commodification in his work.
• When did David Choe live and work?+

  David Choe is a contemporary American^[1] artist. He was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1976^[1]. Choe's early work included tagging and graffiti art. He gained wider attention in the early 2000s for his distinctive style, which blends raw, figurative imagery with elements of graffiti and caricature. His work often incorporates themes of sexuality, addiction, and personal struggle. Choe achieved mainstream recognition in 2005, when he created a mural for the Facebook headquarters. Instead of accepting a cash payment, he opted for company stock. This decision proved exceptionally lucrative when Facebook went public. Choe has continued to create art, and has also worked in various media, including television and podcasting. He has exhibited in galleries and museums internationally. He is based in Los Angeles.
• Where can I see David Choe's work?+

  David Choe's work has appeared in a variety of locations, from traditional galleries to less conventional public spaces. His early career involved graffiti and street art, meaning much of his work from that period was ephemeral. Choe gained wider attention for his commercial work, including his murals for Facebook's offices. These murals, completed in the mid-2000s, became well-known due to the company's subsequent financial success. While specific gallery representation may vary, Choe has exhibited in galleries internationally. Information on current exhibitions can usually be found through gallery listings or the artist's official website. Additionally, some of his works are held in private collections, making public viewing less accessible. His paintings and drawings also appear at auction. Choe's diverse output means that opportunities to view his art arise in different contexts, requiring proactive research to locate.
• Where was David Choe from?+

  David Choe was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1976^[1]. His parents were Korean immigrants. Choe's upbringing included a mix of American^[1] and Korean cultural influences, which later informed his artistic style. Choe spent his early years in Los Angeles. He then moved to Atlanta, Georgia, during high school. This relocation exposed him to a different cultural environment. He later returned to California for his art education. Choe briefly attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He then dropped out to pursue his art independently. His travels and experiences across different regions have contributed to his diverse artistic approach, blending graffiti art, fine art, and a raw, personal style. He often draws upon his personal history and cultural background in his work.
• Who did David Choe influence?+

  It is difficult to name specific artists who were directly influenced by David Choe. The concept of artistic influence is complex; influence can be hard to trace, and declaring an artist an "influencer" can be a marketing tactic. However, the broader history of influence in art may shed light on the question. The Dada movement, with its "anti-art" stance, has had demonstrable traces in later artists. Kurt Schwitters's use of discarded materials inspired Robert Rauschenberg. The raw materials of mass media were a boon to Pop artists such as Richard Hamilton and James Rosenquist. The graffiti of George Grosz can be seen behind Jean-Michel Basquiat. The "do-it-yourself sensibility that resists the entitlements of professionalism, polish, and credentials" is a legacy of Dada, and this sensibility may be seen in many contemporary artists who resist easy categorisation.
• Who influenced David Choe?+

  It is difficult to identify specific influences on David Choe from the passages provided. However, some passages discuss the influences of other artists. Jean-Michel Basquiat, for example, drew inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci, museum catalogues, and Robert Farris Thompson's book *Flash of the Spirit*. He also copied works by Picasso, Dubuffet, and Twombly. One passage notes that Basquiat lacked formal training and taught himself to draw using how-to books. Another artist, Ken Goldman, was influenced by his artist mother, who enrolled him in nude life drawing classes at a young age, and by his brother, who encouraged him to draw the human figure. These passages suggest that artists can be influenced by a variety of sources, including other artists, books, and personal experiences.
• Who was David Choe?+

  Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988^[1]) was an American^[1] street artist who gained recognition for his graffiti-style art. His work incorporated ideas related to graffiti, music, sports, and diverse cultural influences, including African, Caribbean, Aztec, and Hispanic elements. He employed a variety of media, such as oil and acrylic paint, charcoal, oil pastels, and markers. Basquiat began creating graffiti art in public spaces around the age of sixteen, using the tag SAMO, short for "same old shit", a collaboration with his high school friend Al Diaz. In 1979, he appeared in the film *New York Beat*, which documented the underground street art scene. By 1980, Basquiat shifted his focus towards creating art with collectors in mind, adopting more professional materials. The following year, art critic René Ricard hailed him as the "Radiant Child". Basquiat's first solo exhibition took place in Italy in the spring of 1981, arranged by Andy Warhol's art dealer, Bruno Bischofberger. He would later collaborate with Warhol on paintings; their partnership has been described as both intimate and exploitative. Basquiat's paintings explored themes of the city, the human body, history, music, and personal experiences.