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Doze Green

Profile

Born: Jeffrey Green, Washington Heights section of Manhattan, New York, 1964

How he got his nickname: He got the nickname Doze in junior high school. While growing up, he used to fall asleep and daydream all the time, looking at everything except the teacher.

"I'm a dreamer. I'm always in another place, and I'm always in the dream state, so to speak, thinking about ideas. And that's where I reside most of the time -- in the dream state."

How it all began: His love of art began in junior high. "All of these graffiti artists from Manhattan and the Upper West Side came down to do a mural. So in my art class, I joined the contest," Green says. He didn't win, but it "sparked something in me,"he said. He started writing graffiti in his neighborhood in 1974, and started painting subway trains in 1976.

He attended the famous High School of Art and Design, along with graf artists like Lady Pink, Daze, Ernie Valdez, Seen TC5, Mr. Wiggles, and others.

Little known fact: Although graf was illegal at the time, Green credits it with keeping him out of trouble. "New York at the time was going through a serious recession," Green says. "Kids really resorted to the gangs ... to kind of like say 'I'm a part of something.' [Graffiti] got me on a more positive direction towards expressing myself instead of smashing a window or smashing a head."Another little known fact: After starting to paint in a Brooklyn studio, Green tried to make money from his craft by working as a graphic designer designing corporate logos. It didn't last.

"It just wasn't fulfilling enough for me," Green says. "It was boring. It became redundant. I just started painting again."

Career highlights: In 1977, he joined the world famous Rock Steady Crew. The crew first started dancing at art exhibitions and galleries of Soho and the Lower East Side of Manhattan. the Crew also appeared in major movies such as Wildstyle, Flashdance and Style Wars.In 1982 Doze showed his artwork in a well known group show at the Fun Gallery. He went on to designing for clothing lines like Kikwear and Ecko and became a major player in the avant-garde "fusionistic" art movement. He's been featured in dozens of art gallery exhibitions and has been commisioned by select coporate clients to create advertising murals.In his spare time: Green pairs with a DJ to create original art work in front of a live audience.

"For me, it was almost like being a musician," Green says. "It was painting freeform ... no pre-conceived prepping, no pre-conceived nothing -- just a man, an audience and his canvas alongside his music."

Techniques: Green's canvas paintings incorporate wildstyle techniques with metaphysical concepts. He plans to explore 3-D painting and sculpture in the future.
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