Who is Angry Kevin?

To any resident of Baltimore, Maryland, seeing the city streets covered in various expressive displays of graffiti is not uncommon. The artists or in some cases, the vandals who redecorate the city in their spectacles of color use different approaches such as the original spray paint graffiti and now sticker graffiti, also referred to by locals as “slaps”. Popular local artists often have their names printed on slaps so they can easily mark their territory around the city. On street signs, trash cans, and bathroom stalls, many names have been passed around such as CASPA, Mini Baby, and Gorilla Face. But no graffiti is more commonplace than the visual plague of

the obe called “Angry Kevin”.

Standing noticeably apart from the rest, the signature of Angry Kevin is comprised of two major factors: the head of the 90’s cartoon cartoon character, Arnold from “Hey Arnold” and the vandal’s sloppy John Hancock in bold caps: ANGRY KEVIN. Kevin’s methods of vandalism

include: Stickers, spray paint, stencils, and inking. The identity of Angry Kevin is currently unknown and due to lack of evidence, it doesn’t look like that will be changing anytime soon..

In a Baltimore City paper article from February 2, 2015, Brandon Soderberg, the articles author, depicts how famous Street Artist, Michael Owens, is known for being accused of stealing lettering styles and shamelessly promoting street art with expensive sportswear brand, “LuluLemon” , had

been receiving criticism from the street artist community in the Baltimore area. When the so-called government praised “poster boy” of Baltimore street art dedicated his mural, “One Day At A time”, our “scorched earth hero” Kevin, and other street artist such as “ Doughnut Bougus”, took it into their own hands to obliterate this appropriator of their beloved vandalism art form by, well, more vandalism. This act of art mutiny consisted of writing short phrases of roughly sprayed lettering saying “REAL STREET ART” and “BOGUS CYA” absolutely obliterating Owens and his clean takes on Baltimorean street art.

While this isn’t the first time this has been done to one of his Murals, it’s as apparent as ever the meaning of it. The Perfectionist style of Owens vs The Sloppy Masterpiece of Kevin’s mass produced and organic art with the conflict of how Owens slaps his name

and website on every mural, while Kevin remains anonymous creates a beautiful contrast to how street art in Boston is created and treated. Artist Like Kevin will never be admired by the masses like Owens, but that’s what makes his and other street artist vandalism and art unique. In other words Angry Kevin is an enigma, like no other. And should be treated as such. Anyone who tries to take from the artist will have hell to pay for appropriating street art styles. It’s obvious now that whether or not if Kevin is multiple people, or just one person, or even native to Boston, Kevin to this day still remains in boston, with new works coming up from the famous Baltimore “Graffiti Alley” or a local Bathroom near you.