A pioneer of New York graffiti, John Matos, known as Crash, was born in 1961 in the Bronx. He first gained recognition in the 1970s by painting subway cars before transitioning his bold street style to canvas. A key figure in the street art movement, he began exhibiting in the U.S. and Europe in the 1980s. His vibrant work blends lettering, comic book influences, and explosive color, and now features in major international collections.
Over the decades, Crash has collaborated with major figures like Keith Haring and Eric Clapton, for whom he painted several iconic guitars. His style, a fusion of pop culture and wild abstraction, has earned him a lasting place in the contemporary urban art scene.