I remember the first time I saw my first SMEAR piece on Wilshire Blvd. (which is right down the street from where I live in Los Angeles), I was late to work, my car was running on empty and I was pissed off at the guy in front of me. Just as I was about to lose it, I looked up and there it was: a pimpled faced cartoon masquerading as street art… uh it’s kind of interesting, I guess - whatever, I need to get gas.

SMEAR’s blurbs:

Born in the late 60’s and forced to live in the caves of Allateena in Northern Europe, Federo Campizzi (SMEAR) began drawing with rocks in the dirt. His mother amused by her sons constant fixation decided to move to AMERICA. After hitching a ride on a horse drawn wagon and begging their way aboard a bus and then a boat the Campizzi’s soon found themselves in AMERICA. Broke and poor living in the South Bronx a young Federo could be found reliving his toddler days sitting under a tree or by a broken down swingset drawing his name in the dirt over and over and over and over again…. He was looked out strangely by the other kids.

It wasn’t till later that day as I was driving back home from work I got the chance to take a really good look at the piece again; my car was still running on empty but this time the pimpled faced frowning SMEAR looked different to me and that’s when I got it…

Found on: SMEAR’s Myspace page

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I AM NOT AN ICON