Why it’s the ideal time to buy Layer Cake art

It’s likely that you’ve already come across Layer Cake art on social media, or in person on the streets of New York. Also known as Sean Sullivan, Layer Cake is the latest street artist to find success in galleries across the world.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Manhattan, Layer Cake is a multi-faceted artist. Entering the street art world at a young age, he cites fellow Maddox artists Banksy and Mr Brainwash as key influences for his work. Having previously been involved in music production and fashion design, he is now impressing art enthusiasts and collectors with his unique work.

In less than two years of painting professionally, he took Instagram by storm and has successfully exhibited in galleries around the world — including Maddox Gallery, Mayfair.

Creating a street art layer cake

Part of the reason for Layer Cake’s success is that he shares his life and his perception of the world around him within every artwork he creates.

He often uses cartoon characters and pop culture icons such as Pink Panther and Popeye, as well as classic pin up imagery and other vintage iconography. Mixed media pieces often incorporate full collaged pages of vintage comics, completed with his trademark stencils.

Layer Cake art is an homage to his New York upbringing. His compositions are deep with texture, and many paintings are a combination of different ideas.

“I have a fascination with this stuff in New York, how everything is… on top of each other,” he recently explained to Vendôme Magazine.

“All the graffiti is on top of each other, the advertisements are on top of each other… that’s why my work looks the way it looks, it’s because of the strong influence New York City has on me.”

“I do collage, I do painting, I do stencil… that’s why my work looks the way it looks and it’s pretty unique.”

Strong symbolism

Just as RETNA uses a unique calligraphy to create his artworks, and Bradley Theodore has his signature Dia de los Muertos style, Layer Cake art also follows a certain set of traditions.

“In every painting, someone is going to have a halo over their head, three dots — which are tattooed on my hand and stand for my crazy life — and a heart somewhere in there which symbolizes how art saved my life from a very, very bad path.”

“Art is now calling first before anything… I think this is it, I don’t ever have to retire from being an artist.”

A street art shrine

Layer Cake recently helped to curate The First City Project’s transformation of a historic 9000-square foot mansion in Glen Cove, Long Island into a shrine of street art and graffiti.

Over 120 different artists contributed to create an amazing mix of styles and genres, and the project didn’t fail to attract attention from local residents and others across New York.

Fellow curator Joe LaPadula referred to Glen Cove as “a street art and graffiti aficionado’s dream.”

The site opened to the public on the 2nd March, but if you can’t make it to Long Island in person, you can take a virtual tour of the First City Project here.

Why buy Layer Cake art as an investment

In our opinion, Layer Cake art is a prime example of investable contemporary work. Thanks to more established names such as Banksy, street art is now a respected artistic genre which can command high levels of interest and potentially see huge increases in value over time.

To see Layer Cake’s artworks up close, please pay us a visit at Maddox Gallery. We have two galleries in the Mayfair area, and our Sotheby’s trained art consultants are on hand to advise and educate visitors.

If you want to learn more about investing in contemporary art, take a look at ‘The Six Key Factors to Consider When Making an Art Investment.’ To find out more about any of our represented artists, please contact Maddox Gallery. Our Sotheby’s-trained art consultants will be happy to provide expert advice.

Written by James Nicholls, Managing Director and Curator, Maddox Gallery.