Gauntlet Gallery — Mr Brainwash Print & Edition Index
Samo Is Alive
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Samo Is Alive, 2016, is an eleven-colour screenprint on hand-torn archival paper, hand-finished with spray paint, measuring 33.5 x 46.5 inches in an edition of 125. Signed, numbered and thumb-printed on the verso, it references Jean-Michel Basquiat's early SAMO street tag, tying Mr. Brainwash to graffiti's canonical history.
Collector notes: Edition of 125 according to the saved release record. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered; artist thumbprint on the reverse. Verify each feature on the physical copy.
Why It Matters
The SAMO reference invokes Jean-Michel Basquiat, one of the most important figures to emerge from street art into the fine-art canon. That homage, combined with an eleven-colour build and hand-applied spray paint, makes this one of the more technically involved and art-historically loaded prints in the 2016 group.
Collector Perspective
The Basquiat connection gives this piece strong narrative appeal for collectors of graffiti lineage and street-to-gallery history. The eleven-colour registration and hand-finished spray layer mean high production complexity and impression-level variation. Large landscape format at 33.5 x 46.5 inches; verify signature, numbering and verso thumbprint.
Historical Context
SAMO was the tag Basquiat used with Al Diaz on late-1970s New York walls before his rise to art-world fame. By invoking it in 2016, Mr. Brainwash situates himself within the mythology of graffiti's transformation into gallery art, a lineage he frequently draws on.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Hand-finished editioned print
- Release date
- 2016-04-13
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release date from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Series
- Sport & Cultural Icons
- Medium and materials
- Screen Print; catalog dimensions 33.5 x 46.5 inches; eleven-color screenprint; hand-finished; archival art paper; hand-torn edges.
- Edition details
- Edition of 125 according to the saved release record.
- Signature and marks
- The saved release record describes: signed; numbered; artist thumbprint on the reverse. Verify each feature on the physical copy.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: The studio dates Mr Brainwash's first Life Is Beautiful solo exhibition to 18 June 2008; this page treats that as career context, not proof that the present edition appeared in that exhibition.
Meaning / interpretation: The studio describes the practice as combining street-art energy, pop-culture imagery and positive messaging. Subject-specific intent or endorsement is not assumed unless a release or collaboration source states it. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2016-04-13 and attributes the edition to Mr Brainwash (Self Released).
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- No certificate is stated in the saved release description. For an individual copy, compare the support, dimensions, edition number, signature, thumbprint and any studio or gallery paperwork. The studio says it cannot guarantee works bought from external vendors.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed in the legacy record to Mr Brainwash (Self Released). That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence and condition photographs.
Related Artists and Exhibitions
- Life Is Beautiful — first solo exhibition — CBS Columbia Square, Hollywood · 18 June 2008 · Artist-career context; the source does not establish that this later edition was exhibited
Videos
- Official video archive — ARTE and Los Angeles Times features — Mr Brainwash studio · Artist process and exhibition context; not release-specific
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; official studio policy and career context added
- Saved release record — Art Collectorz · secondary catalog snapshot · Accessed 2026-07-12 · Starting record for title, date, edition, dimensions, medium, release price and release description. Public access was unavailable during this audit, so primary confirmation remains pending.
- Studio FAQ — certificates and web orders — Mr Brainwash studio · primary artist policy · Accessed 2026-07-12 · The studio says it issues COAs only for works after January 2021 and will not backdate earlier works.
- Collector authentication disclaimer — Mr Brainwash studio · primary artist policy · Accessed 2026-07-12 · The studio does not guarantee externally purchased works and directs collectors to the relevant reseller or gallery.
- About Mr Brainwash — Mr Brainwash studio · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-12 · Studio biography and artist-level context; it is not an individual-edition record.
- Life Is Beautiful — first solo exhibition — Mr Brainwash studio · primary artist archive · Accessed 2026-07-12 · Studio history of the 18 June 2008 debut exhibition, which included prints among several media.
FAQ
What is the documented edition structure?
Edition of 125 according to the saved release record.
Which signature or authentication features are documented?
The saved release record describes: signed; numbered; artist thumbprint on the reverse. Verify each feature on the physical copy. No certificate is stated in the saved release description. For an individual copy, compare the support, dimensions, edition number, signature, thumbprint and any studio or gallery paperwork. The studio says it cannot guarantee works bought from external vendors.
Is original packaging documented?
Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
How certain are the release details?
The date, edition, dimensions, medium and original-release description come from a saved secondary catalog record. Official studio sources on this page support artist-level context and current authentication policy, but not every release-level field.
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