“My studio is a mess,” says painter and graffiti artist Barry McGee, whose workspace is a riotous funhouse of color, pattern, animation, pop culture, subculture, laughs, and winks

His office is crammed with books, a framed poster of cyclist Eddy Merckx, and a work in progress layered with blue tape.

The lanky, green-eyed artist grew up in San Francisco and started tagging in the city in the the 1980s. “I love it here right now,” McGee says of the Mission neighborhood where he lives and works.

“This whole area became an arts district over the last three years. There are so many interesting kids.” Check out McGee’s mid-career survey at Berkeley Art Museum through Dec. 9. 

This article was published in 7x7's November issue. Click here to subscribe.