Phase 2 (Aerosol Artist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Phase 2
PHASE 2 in 1999
Born	Michael Lawrence Marrow (1955-08-02)August 2, 1955 The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Died	December 12, 2019(2019-12-12) (aged 64) New York, New York, U.S.

Michael Lawrence Marrow (born August 2, 1955 – died December 12, 2019) was a famous American artist from New York City. He was known as PHASE 2 and also Lonny Wood. He was very active in the 1970s and is famous for creating the "bubble letter" style of graffiti, which some people called "softies".

Early Life and Art Beginnings

Michael Marrow was born in The Bronx, New York. His parents were John Thomas Marrow and Adele Crichlow Marrow, who came from Barbados. He went to DeWitt Clinton High School. In the early 1970s, many young graffiti artists would meet near the school. They would then go to the 149th Street–Grand Concourse station to watch subway trains covered in graffiti pass by.

Phase 2 started creating art in late 1971. He liked that aerosol art let him become famous without anyone knowing his real name. He later said that graffiti was a way for young people in cities to show they existed.

Creating New Styles of Graffiti

An example of a PHASE 2 artwork on a subway car. It shows his famous bubble letter style.

In late 1972, Phase 2 created an early version of the "bubble letter" style. This style became very popular and was a big step forward in graffiti art. These puffed-out, soft-looking letters were soon copied by other artists. They added their own ideas to his style. Phase 2 quickly made many different types of bubble letters. He gave them fun names like "phasemagorical phantastic" (bubble letters with stars) and "bubble cloud." He called the excitement of painting subway cars "impact expressionalism." He also started using arrows in his graffiti around the same time.

Over time, Phase 2's art became more detailed. It changed from simple tags to complex, artistic designs. In 1975, he joined a group called United Graffiti Artists. This group helped professional aerosol artists get attention from the media. His work was featured in an article about graffiti art in New York magazine.

In 1986, Phase 2 became the art director for International Get Hip Times. This was the first magazine (or 'zine') about aerosol art culture.

Phase 2 and Hip-Hop Culture

Phase 2 was a big part of the early hip-hop scene. In the summer of 1982, he took part in hip-hop shows organized by Kool Lady Blue at The Roxy in Chelsea, Manhattan. These shows brought together top DJs, rappers, break-dancers, and aerosol artists from the South Bronx. They helped introduce hip-hop music and culture to other parts of New York City. Phase 2 designed the flyers for these events. He often created aerosol art live on stage during the shows. He also joined the first "international" hip-hop tour. This tour took stars from the Roxy shows to England and France.

In 1982, Phase 2 also released two rap songs. One song, "Beach Boy," was a team-up with Barry Michael Cooper. The other, "The Roxy," featured the group Material.

Phase 2 was also a b-boy (break-dancer). He said that his dance group created the "uprock" style of dance. This dance style is also called "battle rock."

Phase 2 helped create a famous break dance group called The New York City Breakers. He also gave them their name. He made many flyers for hip-hop events and was the first person to use the term "hip hop" on a flyer. Michael Holman, who worked with Phase 2, said that Phase 2 cared deeply about hip-hop culture. He spent a lot of time teaching others about it.

Phase 2 was the first artist to create a large, three-dimensional graffiti sculpture. This artwork was made of brushed steel and was over 6 feet tall. It was displayed for many years at the Jacob Javits Center. Sadly, it was accidentally removed and destroyed during a renovation of the center.

Phase 2 also influenced the classic early hip-hop movie Wild Style. The director, Charlie Ahearn, said that he thought of Phase 2 when creating the main character named "Phade." This role was played by Fab Five Freddy. Phase 2 later worked as a consultant for the 1984 movie, Beat Street.

Later Life

Michael Marrow passed away on December 12, 2019, in New York City. He was 64 years old. He had been suffering from a serious illness called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.