Toy Harris is a name that has been floating around in the art world for some time now. Some people believe that he is a real artist, while others think that he is just another impostor trying to make it big. So, the question remains: Is Toy Harris a real artist?
There isn’t a clear-cut answer to this question, as opinions on his work vary greatly. However, we can try to dissect and examine everything we know about him and come up with an educated guess at the end.
Firstly, who exactly is Toy Harris?
Little information exists online about Toy Harris; there’s no official website or social media accounts associated with him. Most of what we have gathered comes from news articles or interviews he has given over the years.
According to these sources, Toy was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois – arguably one of America’s most artistic cities due to its contributions to music (jazz & blues), architecture and literature.
In his early twenties,Harris began creating paintings using spray paint cans after observing graffiti artists painting large murals during his daily commute through Chicago’s streets enroutehis job as a machine operatorat McCormick Place Center; one such mural caught his eye due to its vibrant colorsand 3D perspective rendering which he felt was hard-to-achieve using conventional techniques like brush strokes.
Harris decidedto try replicating similar designs on canvasand eventuallydevelopeduniquespray-painting style whichincorporatesinstant blurimage transitions,to create portraits,burstingwithcolorful patterns.These works of art had creative names suchas ‘Garden In My Mind’ (2010) , Breaux Montana Blues(2011) among many other distinguished works.The lack of formal art training did not deter him,and soon enoughart enthusiasts started taking noteofhis creations.His unique medium combined with exceptional talent quicklywonhim attention from critics leadingtoglobal recognitionquite fast.A few years down the line,Toy hadmade a name for himself asone of Chicago’s most popular artists.
Now that we know more about who Harris is and his creative journey, let’s look at some factors to determine if he can be categorized as a “real artist.”
1. Technical skill
One way to measure an artist’s authenticity is through their technical ability. Do they have the skills required to create art? In this regard, Toy Harris seems to possess an exceptional technical skillset: He has showcaseda rare talentin his spray painting technique.His unique medium combined with exceptional artisticability cannot be questioned;hehas successfully created numerouspieces from a broad range of themes all shown on different surfaces.Some notable examples include”Breaux Montana Blues,” “Garden in My Mind”, and “Night Owl.”
Thoughimpressive,T oy Harriscannot singularly relyontechnical skill alone – there are many other elements neededto establish oneself asan authentic painter.Even thoughmuch of Toy Harris’work is abstract – dominated by bold colorsand intricate lines –it can alsobe arguedthat such lacks varietyleadstoartistic stagnation.Therefore,somecriticsmightnot be inclinedtowardsbestowing ‘masterful artisan tag’on him,but itappears evident that having fundamental knowledgehave been helpfulin buildinghisunique style.
2. Community approval
Another aspect that might determine whether someone is regarded as a real artist or not istheir recognition within theircommunity.People who follow anartist’s work usually appreciatesomething special abouthowthey operate,and often formkindred connectionsthanks the work produced.As memberofChicago’s Southside Gallery community,Harrisengagedotherseniorartistswhosupportedhimby attendinglocal shows where he was ableto talkabout his works openlywith others.For Toy,the process of displayingworkforthecommon critiquingofferedhimthe chance togrow evenfurtherasavisionary.Since then, hehas becomea prominentfigurein Chicago’sart world,and has created amajor art installation in the city.
3. Influence
Influencersare important because they act as role models to emergingartists.Their works tendto shape trends and dictate the direction of theirown niche.To date,Harris’ unique style has influenced many young artists globally,normally through social media sites likeInstagram andTwitter.Without a doubt, Toy Harris can be listed amongChicago’s most inventive spray painters due to his one-of-a-kindwork thatdelicatelypoints towardsan era of progressivenew age artistry.Harris is also challengingthe normsthough which traditionalportraits workby combiningit with graffiti culture,further pushing boundariesand defyingeasy categorizationofhis work.
4. Marketing
Ultimately, marketing plays a vital role in an artist’s perceived value.Fiercecompetitionexistsamongesteemedeconomies,and famous artists must strategizeto stay relevant; this includesinvestingin advertisingandpublic relations workingsuch as buildingpersonalbrands onmultipleplatforms.Toy Harris has however taken a different route by remaining offthe gridwhen it comes to digital marketing.Apart fromminimalonline presence,it appearshe prefersdelivering his message through his works—making themself-explanatorymost times belyingthefactthatall greatartists haveat some point leveragedmedia publicity.This perhaps could be whyhis fameis notas far-reaching comparedto otherstreet-artists-but if we are reviewing creativity alone,his originality and inventiveness are unquestionableasthat itself continues tounderlinecredible mastery overyour craft.
The debate surrounding whether or not Toy Harris is a real artist is subjective: while all regard him as abrilliantartist,it seemspeople may disagree on whethertheorginal methodsof promoting your nameandleverage commercial activitiescarry more importance thanjust focusing purelyonyourcraft.Although it is apparentthat his art commandscommitment, hard-work,discipline,and genuine passion, it should be noted that an artist’s success story is defined by a complex combination offactorswhichhavebeenhighlighted in this article.