David Hammons
David Hammons, born in 1943 in Springfield, Illinois, is a highly influential American artist known for his provocative and often politically charged work that critiques race, class and the art world itself. Hammons first gained prominence in the 1970s with his "body prints," using his own body as a stencil to create haunting, ghostly images. He is also famous for his conceptual and performance art, including the 1983 piece "Pissed Off," in which he urinated on a Richard Serra sculpture. Despite—or perhaps because of—his refusal to play by the art world’s rules, Hammons has become a revered figure, maintaining an elusive persona while commanding high prices for his work in the art market. His art, often ephemeral and site-specific, continues to challenge and inspire discussions about identity, power and the nature of art itself.