Lot 15: Doze Green (American) 'Sparrow', 2005

'Sparrow', 2005
signed, titled and dated in spray paint and marker pen verso, mixed media and collage on board
60.5 x 122cm (23 13/16 x 48 1/16in).

Jeff Green, aka Doze Green, was born and raised in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He began his career painting trains in the mid 1970s, a period which would later come to be seen as the golden age of graffiti art. Soon after his debut on the street Green became a member of the Rock Steady Crew, who are widely regarded as the pioneers of break-dancing, also known as b-boying.

Doze attended the New York High School of Art and Design alongside graffiti legends Lady Pink, Daze, Ernie Valdez, and Mare 139. He later appeared with these artists in the classic graffiti film, 'Wild Style'. His performance both on the street and in the classroom landed him a place in the notorious 1982 Fun Gallery graffiti show which included some of the best and brightest contemporary and street-based artists from across New York, including Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.