George Ibanez

George Ibañez (born December 31, 1964), also known as “Crime79”, is a New York City-based graffiti artist. His style is rooted in popular culture and often with political messages.

Early life
George Ibañez was born in New York City in 1964. He began painting subways at age of thirteen in the East New York section of Brooklyn. Ibañez was named Class Artist and received the Art Students League of New York Gold Medal. He then studied at the School of Visual Arts.

Career
As a street artist, Ibañez uses the tag or name '''Crime79. ''' From 1977 to 1984, he painted numerous subway cars, including painting an entire train with a poem. A photo of the poem appeared on the opening page of the The Graffiti Bible, Subway Art, is Online Right Here! and Subway Art by Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant.

Ibañez was a member of a group called “Soul Artists” who were among the first to transition graffiti art from subways to legitimate galleries. Crime79’s first show of paintings was at the Rainbow Gallery in New York City’s SoHo District in 1983. His works were regarded as, “simply the best pieces in the show” by ArtSpeak magazine. In 2009, two of his paintings were sold by the Millon & Associés Auction House in Paris, France.

In addition to paintings, Crime79 practices his art in a variety of mediums, including:


 * Album cover for Tony Touch (2004)
 * Mural backdrop for LL Cool J's “Hush” video (2004)
 * Wrapper for his limited edition chocolate bar, Caramel Crime
 * Canvas for Rev Run’s (of Run-D.M.C.) son Diggy Simmons for the MTV reality show, Run’s House

Crime79’s works are featured in documentaries, music videos, video games (“The Warriors”), and numerous publications, including The Source, ARTnews, Print, Warp, New York Daily News, and The Village Voice.

In December 2022, Ibanez wrote a book on his creative life called My Creative Journey, published by Ashford Street Press.