RISK

Person

81

Who is RISK?

RISK, also known as RISKY, is a Los Angeles-based graffiti artist and fashion entrepreneur. In the 1980s, RISK gained notoriety for his unique style and pushed the limits of graffiti: He was one of the first writers in Southern California to paint freight trains, and he pioneered writing on "heavens", or freeway overpasses. At the peak of his career he took graffiti from the streets and into the gallery with the launch of the Third Rail series of art shows, and later parlayed the name into a line of graffiti-inspired clothing.

When his family moved to Los Angeles from Louisiana in 1983, 16-year-old RISK enrolled at University High School on the city’s west side. RISK made the high school his personal canvas, tagging his name everywhere during the day and returning at night to do pieces. In 1985, RISK and RIVAL started the graffiti crew WCA.

RISK was one of seven high school students who received a scholarship to attend the Pasadena Art Institute. RISK would later go on to study fine art at USC.

Later, RISK became involved in various Hollywood projects. His first was a photo shoot for Hot Rod magazine, and after the issue hit newsstands, he started getting more recognition as an artist outside the graffiti world. RISK continued to work on movie and music video sets, including the film Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and videos for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice Cube, Bad Religion and Michael Jackson.

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Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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