STAY HIGH 149 (1950 - 2012) Untitled Mixed media on canvas Signed in the work with the artist's name "Wayne Roberts 34 x 27 cm Provenance : Private collection His passion for tagging began when he had to use the subway more and more frequently. the subway. He quickly acquired his own style by practicing writing his own name, becoming one of the pioneers of graffiti with TAKI183, PHASE2, JOE182 and PRAY whose work inspired him. In 1972, he added the nickname "Smoker" to his name, as well as his street number (149). As a fan of the British television series "The Saint", he added the little character of the Smoker to his signature by making him smoke. From this came his nickname STAY HIGH 149 given to him by his best friend because of his heavy marijuana consumption. This tag became one of the most famous of the graffiti scene. In 1973, his face was revealed to the general public when the New Yorker published an eight-page article devoted to the subway graffiti movement, which featured one of his works and his photo. He was arrested by the police and fined $20, but had to give up his nickname. In search of a new pseudonym he opts for Overdose which he abandons after a few weeks of borrowing. Intrigued by reading an article entitled "Voice of People" he created a new vertical signature that he named "Voice of the Ghetto". According to some, he invented the process of tagging in three solid colours side by side. In 1974, Wayne Roberts was featured in the book "The Faith of the Graffiti" published the same year. In 2008 he was featured on the cover of the new version of the book. In 1975, he gradually withdrew from the world of tagging and went through a difficult period of drug addiction. 25 years later, his work gained in popularity and was presented in galleries. His work is finally recognized and he himself becomes a celebrity.