Wayne Roberts (October 20, 1950 – June 11, 2012), known as Stay High 149, was an American
graffiti
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
artist.
Career
Roberts was born in
Emporia, Virginia, moving to the
Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
at age six.
[ He was called a "superstar" of the graffiti world in the late 1970s. Widely considered to use one of the most famous graffiti tags in the world, his trademark includes a smoking version of the ]stick figure
A stick figure, also known as a stickman, is a very simple drawing of a person or an animal, composed of a few lines, curves, and dots. On a stick figure, the head is most often represented by a circle, which can be either a solid color or som ...
from 1960s British television program ''The Saint
The Saint may refer to:
Fiction
* Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations:
** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...
''.
Roberts collaborated with a number of well known brands during his career, including Huf, and the Burton Snowboards
Burton Snowboards is a privately-owned snowboard manufacturing company that was founded by Jake Burton Carpenter in 1977. The company specializes in products aimed at snowboarders, such as snowboards, bindings, boots, outerwear, and accessorie ...
skate brand, Gravis.
Roberts was featured in the 2004 documentary ''Just to Get a Rep
''Just to Get a Rep'' is a documentary film directed by Peter Gerard. It premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2004 and played over a dozen international film festivals. The film covers the history of graffiti art and its rela ...
'' by Peter Gerard
Peter Gerard (born in Columbia, Missouri, United States) is a film director, film producer and film distributor. Gerard founded Accidental Media and Distrify, and is currently employed at Vimeo.
Filmmaking
Gerard's best known film is ''Jus ...
.
Death
Roberts died on June 11, 2012 from a liver disease at Calvary Hospital in The Bronx, New York.
References
External links
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stay High 149
American graffiti artists
1950 births
2012 deaths
People from Emporia, Virginia
People from the Bronx
Artists from Virginia
Artists from the Bronx
Deaths from liver disease