René Moncada: The Provocateur Artist Defying the Art World

Illustration by Paola Bilancieri. Nobody likes to provoke people more than my friend René Moncada, an artist who has been shunned by the art world. His revenge has been to display his art in alternative public spaces where his work can’t be ignored. We met in the 1980s in Soho, New York, where we both lived. For many years Soho has been an important art and touristic neighborhood in Manhattan. We’re from South America (I’m from Argentina and he from Venezuela) and we share an unusual sense of humor (my daughter calls it weird) that has made us fast friends. His most iconic street painting said it all: “I Am The Best Artist,” signed René. It had a background of thick multicolored vertical lines covering the street level wall on West Broadway. This infuriated the artists living in the neighborhood who would throw paint over his work to discourage him. Little did they know. Instead of feeling defeated, he returned with cans of paint, and, incorporating the graffiti, patiently recreated the mural. Police officers would catch graffiti artists defacing René’s work and asked if he wanted to press charges. “Oh, no, please don’t,” said René. “They add character to my...