Before graffiti parlayed into the worlds of pop culture and fashion, the vandalistic act ventured its greatest risk yet—surviving in art galleries. As if foreseeing the sense of urgency brought on by the handcuffs of the police and the snarl of mean-bred canines patrolling train yards, some writers replaced the metal-skinned cars and receptive brick facades with stretched canvases and the white, virgin walls of the introverted art world.

Bearing witness to the changing climate of his teenage tomfoolery, New York City born STASH navigated his way through parts of the Upper East Side down to the seedy and decadent West Village and Lower East Side with an arsenal of markers and garden-variety spray-paint. Along the way, he saw graffiti grow from a monotone scrawled name to a massive, vibrant display of one-upmanship that literally took over the city. He realized that something as scandalous, rousing, and problematic as graffiti had to be important. Through this whole journey, STASH managed to continually tread his own path, traveling from the lay-up to the gallery as property owners heated up like a firecracker and critics and collectors scratched their heads with disbelief.

With walls and subways becoming increasingly difficult to hit and the art world taking more notice to canvassed graffiti, STASH bowed out of the illegal side of the game in 1987 with one last hurrah—a “thanks for the memories” bombing of his last train with a group of pals like ZEPHYR and LUST. More of a realization than a waving of the white flag, STASH felt the relevancy of graffiti in both the art world and pop culture resonate louder than a bomb.

As more people embraced the shifting culture, STASH’s life imitated his art. Along with friend and creative partner FUTURA, the two threaded their marker and can lifestyle on cotton in the form of Rustoleum, Krylon, and Phillies Blunt logo t-shirts. Over the next several years, STASH would continue this trend with his own brands, Subware and Recon.

Although the spray paint and caps rest quietly in a section of his crowded Williamsburg warehouse office, STASH has grown synonymous with the catalyst that birthed the graffiti lifestyle. No longer a vandal, he now bears the names of artist, businessman, and innovator—all steps on the stairway he continues to ascend.