“Bright Side Nihilism: (Syria +/= Video Music Awards) < The Dog Peed on the Futon” 12×16-inch art print

A graduate of the Law Center at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, North has no formal arts training. “I like colors and funny faces. Itʼs more than that,” the artist concedes, “but Iʼm the first to admit Iʼve got zero technical ability.”

Bright colors, rotten smiles, and (often) snarky captions in bold block-letters characterize his work but a closer look reveals intensely honest, reflective, personal journals in small print. “I donʼt shoot heroin anymore but Iʼm still an emotional basketcase,” North says. “Paints and pens are the tools I use to balance myself out.”

For every piece of art that North creates, he writes a statement to accompany the piece. They generally include all of the text found within the piece, as well as stories, notes, and additional context, explaining what makes each work of art meaningful to him. They both tell the story of his life and reveal shockingly vulnerable (often embarrassingly personal) insight into his emotional state.

Following an extended relapse and hiatus, North returned to art and opted to drop the nickname. For now, you can find him on social media as Sammy thrashLife or at sammythrashLife.com.

samnorth.art launches in full soon.