“My greatest piece of art is myself.” – Salvador Dali

You may have noticed a pattern of stylistic question marks throughout the Ville, taking over water bottles, trashcans, runways, and art galleries. These projects are all the work of our local artist 444IDK also known as Dale “Fours.” 

Dale, a West Palm Beach native who always dreamed of studying at the University of Florida, had his sights set on a more traditional career path. “I pretty much said my whole life that I was going to be a lawyer.” As he was gearing up to study law, he realized that due to the program he was accepted into, the only in-person classes he could take were art classes. He had already begun his journey into the world of art in high school when he and his friends began doing graffiti, which became a great influence to his art style. However, when he got to Gainesville, he realized the risk of this art form.

“My freshman year of college, I got super into graffiti, and pretty much right off the bat I got arrested twice.” 

These run-ins with the law were undoubtedly a turning point. Still, the artist didn’t want to give up the aesthetic he had grown to love, so he decided to pass to a legal alternative where he could create and push boundaries without negative consequences that could affect his future. While he is less active in the graffiti scene, the artist still greatly respects and appreciates the medium for giving him valuable experience. He says: “Graffiti was my introduction to large-scale projects; my first big paintings were on trains.” 

When he got to UF, he took an art history class which made him fall in love with the craft. In this class, he learned about Warhol, Basquiat, and Duchamp, which shaped his admiration for art and helped him find his artistic goals. “Studying art history and having an admiration for the greatest who have ever done it showed me that I needed to revolutionize something and probably dedicate my whole life to it.” His passion for art was shaped heavily by two different artistic worlds; the world of fine art and that of street art. As a teenager, he fell in love with the clothing brand Supreme. “By the time I came up with the 444 logo, I had the epiphany that this could be my own Supreme”. This helped develop the aspect of his art that uses repeated recognizable patterns on clothing.

Dale is now a senior at UF and is grateful for the opportunities that the local Gainesville scene has given him, namely The How Bazar. The How Bazar is a local business focused on creative community engagement, events, and showcasing our local talent. Dale was allowed to put on his first-ever pop-up thanks to them, which was an incredible milestone in his career. “If it wasn’t for the How Bazar, I would’ve had to work a lot harder to even find a scene to grow my brand.” The How Bazar also allowed him to put on his first-ever runway show. He has just put on a second one at the new Gainesville music festival, The Big Sho’, hosted by Dion Dia Records on April 15th. Earlier this month, Dale organized his second art exhibition with the Gainesville Fine Arts Association. This art show featured a 444IDK furniture collection and myriad installations of various mediums. 

After graduating and earning his degree in printmaking, Dale plans to hike the entirety of the Appalachian trail from Georgia to Maine. “I am chasing that spiritual journey to become more in touch with myself.” He plans on moving his entire operation to New York City to continue his career on a more expansive scale in a place with even more opportunities and connections. He plans to engage more with gallery art and continue the fashion brand. “Moving to New York has always been the plan or at least my dream.” The artist’s work is mind-bending, and he pushes the boundaries of what is considered fine art today. “We are the generation that gets to decide what art is.” 444IDK is determined to make his mark on the art world and has made it his goal to alter the field drastically through stylistic boundary-pushing. He continues to amaze the Gainesville art scene through his creativity, and we can’t wait to see where he goes.

Make sure to check out 444IDK on instagram @444idontknow to follow upcoming events and new works as well as visiting his website at http://444idontknow.bigcartel.com to see his incredible clothing collection.