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living homeless, landing in jail (for punching a security guard in Tokyo) and traveling like a creative hobo before the company finally floats itself ,earning him a potential $200 million.
The company of course is Facebook and the artist David Choe. It's a good story, and archetypal rags to riches tale, a modern day road to Damascus if you will, and more power to him.
Except, Choe-a one time Beverly Hills high school alumni, and son of real estate agent's, has been on the so called 'fringe' for over ten years, earning quite the resume and with his bad Barron Storey knock off's. From commission's with Hustler, and the President of the United states, to hanging out with movie and porn stars, Hollywood madams and Rock musicians, his self described 'dirty style' ( on account of his sometimes unorthodox use of materials that have included blood and piss) has also earned him sold out exhibitions worldwide in places such as Johnathan Levine's gallery, his own documentary and regular reality show on VBS.
This is all punctuated with the veritas of hardship of course, tales of looting during the LA riots, living rough (a self imposed accord) earning him the necessary cachet of authenticity for indie art bibles like Juxtapoz. But what about the work itself, is it actually any good?
Well no-most of it is lamentable, a grab bag of indie scratchiness and cutesy pop, and although all the trad rock street credentials are there, it's window dressing-stripped away of all the fashionable trappings of graffiti tags, hip hop decks and skateboards, it's as edgy and as relevant as a faux hawk on Justin Bieber wearing a Sex Pistols tee shirt.
Zuckerberg, no slouch himself however, was savvy enough to employ Choe's services realizing that his work would lend that hipster, coffee klatch authenticity to his growing empire, but then, perhaps Shephard Fairey was just too busy.
Choe speaking of his contribution at the time felt that the facebook model was "ridiculous and pointless."
His work is equally matched in that regard.
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