Prisoner, 2007

French pop culture artist Invader infiltrated the art scene in the 1990's. Although his first work took some time to gain recognition, his creations can now be seen on buildings in over 30 countries and 60 cities. Invader's modern art imagery is of pixellated characters inspired by 1970's and 1980's video games like Invaders and Pac-Man. These pieces are created from mosaic tiles and are cemented onto outside walls and buildings in public spaces. The tile used in his art lends itself to the digital block look of the pieces that he designs. Some of his critics consider his work to be vandalism. As early works were not authorized, he has been arrested multiple times but considers this to be part of the job. Even though he has faced controversy, many believe his methods are brilliant as it is symbolic of the theme of his vision evidenced by a piece recently selling for a quarter of a million dollars. Staying with the same block theme, Invader now creates pieces made from Rubik's Cubes. Using a computer program, he organizes around 300 cubes to create recognizable images based on the 6 color squares on each cube. Some of these pieces include images of the Dalai Lama and the Mona Lisa as well as representations of other famous artworks and historic figures. From his beginnings at a tiling school on the planet of Mars (per interviews) to "art invasions" throughout the world, the creative world is looking forward to what he does next. (Artist website)