Street art and Wall Street are relatively dissonant from one another but artist Seek One is challenging this unique combination by bringing contemporary street art to the New York Stock Exchange.
Seek One has made a name for himself in the world of contemporary art over the years. He has combined his love of traditional graffiti-based street art and pop culture to create a unique style that appeals to contemporary art fans worldwide. His work has been exhibited at galleries around the world and most recently at The White Room Gallery in the Hamptons and Gallery 23 in New York City.
In 2018, Seek One hosted his first NYC show at The World Trade Gallery, an art gallery whose mission is to create an art scene in the Financial District while servicing the needs of Wall Street corporations and the surrounding community.
His exhibit, “The Way to Wealth,” featured an array of pieces that used street art techniques on familiar exchange currencies. One of these pieces showcased the well-known portrait of Benjamin Franklin on the 100 dollar bill, with splattered colors in the background of the canvas used to lift the portrait, transforming it into something exuberant and contemporary.
Seek One’s debut at The World Trade Gallery allowed the artist to establish connections with successful individuals working on Wall Street, one of which is Peter Tuchman – the iconic trader on the floor at NYSE. Tuchman, who was also tasked with curating the halls of the Stock Exchange, eventually became a collector and opted to introduce the world of street art to the NYSE with Seek One’s work.
Tuchman has noted he is particularly fond of Seek One because “It’s very important for me as a businessman and entrepreneur and then art curator to work with people of integrity of talent and substance, and my friend Seek One has all three…”
Seek One’s initial art show has only brought the artist more success. He now has a set of three paintings, residing in the NYSE on display outside the main board room, with a gold plaque outlining his vision.
For an artist who is used to incorporating images of pop culture icons such as Marilyn Monroe, Jay-Z, and Audrey Hepburn into his work, Benjamin Franklin was a different kind of figure who still seemed to fit into Seek One’s work perfectly.
Tuchman states “There’s no better a trio no more beautiful art than Seek One‘s presidential series and I was honored to add him as an integral part of the new creation big board art hall at the NYSE.”
Tuchman stands out amongst the typical clients Seek One works with such as celebrity collectors, Meghan Trainor, Quavo and Tony Robbins. He has also established a longstanding partnership with Haute Living to create custom designs featuring several of their cover stars, including Kelly Ripa, Carmelo Anthony, and Bradley Beal.
Seek One continues diving further into new projects, like working with One of None to produce NFTs and partnering with Zuma Miami for an Art Basel activation. Working on Wall Street was just another way for the artist to showcase his unique style that can be enjoyed by people from all backgrounds and walks of life.
Additionally, you can visit his website seekoneart.com or Instagram to learn more about his work.
