I.B.’s prolific tagger, transformed
After serving jail time for 218 cases of vandalism, 23-year-old is taking art classes, selling his work
By Wendy Fry
Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 12:01 a.m.
Kyle Boatwright, who lives in Coronado, started tagging on public and private property when he was 14. After an 11-month investigation led by a sheriff’s deputy, Boatwright was arrested in March, then released in August. Earnie Grafton • U-T
Kyle Boatwright, who lives in Coronado, started tagging on public and private property when he was 14. After an 11-month investigation led by a sheriff’s deputy, Boatwright was arrested in March, then released in August. Earnie Grafton • U-T
IMPERIAL BEACH — Sitting in a trendy Pacific Beach bar, discussing his paintings prominently displayed behind him, Kyle Boatwright talks about transformation.
Last summer, the tagger was sitting in a cell at the George Bailey Detention Facility in Otay Mesa after pleading guilty to 218 cases of vandalism and agreeing to pay $87,000 in restitution. Imperial Beach officials called Boatwright the most prolific tagger their city had seen.
Now his art is selling for more than $400 apiece and is showing at venues such as the TapRoom in Pacific Beach and the Machine Shop Gallery in East Village.
“He’s obviously really talented,” Machine Shop Gallery owner Chris Clements said. “Having a show and having his artwork be so well-received was just a push in the right direction to give him some confidence and keep him going.”
This time last year, Boatwright, 23, who lives with his parents in Coronado, was busy spray painting everything from buildings and sidewalks to freeway bridges under the moniker “Slow.”
He would often visit his work, mostly large cartoonish characters with exaggerated, colorful features, and watch from afar as city workers removed it.
“There were a couple times when I got pretty angry about them taking it down,” Boatwright said. “I liked putting a message out on the street and just seeing how people would react to it.”
Authorities weren’t pleased. Sheriff’s Deputy Zheath Sanchez, who led an 11-month investigation that included Imperial Beach Public Works Department staffers, said Boatwright’s efforts showed artistic skill but were nonetheless vandalism.
Soon after he was arrested in March, Boatwright found himself scribbling on scraps of paper in his jail cell.
“You know, I’d always heard all the stories about how bad it was in jail and everything. It was actually worse than anything I’d ever heard,” he said.
Boatwright said he began tagging public and private property when he was 14 to deal with depression.
“I had this incredible self-hatred that was really dangerous and destructive, and I couldn’t shake it,” Boatwright said. “I’m not sure even how it started it, but it just continued to get worse.”
He said he became addicted to tagging. Sometimes he would spend all night painting graffiti.
“And then I’d lay low for a while. And it kind of went on like that for years,” he said.
After pleading guilty and getting released from jail in August, Boatwright vowed to clean up his act. He began taking classes at the San Diego Art Institute last week. Today, he paints on a more traditional canvas. People are taking notice.
“He shows quite a bit of promise as a young artist,” said Jim McMillan, who with his wife bought Boatwright’s first piece on canvas. It looks like something you might see, well, on a freeway sound wall.
“We were quite taken with this one particular piece,” McMillan said.
Boatwright said his work represents “the craziness of living in the city and trying to bring art into the city and just trying to bring a little color.” His piece, “Hindsight,” a swollen purple and blue eye oozing with regret, reminds him of the fights he experienced in jail.
Boatwright has sold six pieces.
“Actually selling a piece and having it on a wall somewhere is really gratifying. It’s not getting painted over a couple weeks later.”
To see some of his work, go to
kboatwright.com.
wendy.fry@uniontrib.com (619) 293-1743 Twitter @WendyFry
See the full article and video of Kyle Painting at The Machine Shop here: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jan/22/ibs-prolific-tagger-transformed/
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