Bursting with color and cultural references, Death NYC’s (American, b. 1979) work is hard to miss, whether on the street or hanging from a gallery wall. Death NYC intersperses images of famous figures—like Marilyn Monroe, Barack Obama, and Mickey Mouse—with iconic motifs from art history, such as Andy Warhol’s soup can and Jeff Koons’s balloon dog, to create collages that poke fun at pop culture idols and the media-fueled culture of idolization. Humorous and irreverent, Death NYC’s street art is often emblazoned with the ominous tag “DEATH,” an acronym for “Don’t Easily Abandon The Hope.” A New York City native, Death NYC prefers to remain anonymous to protect the freedom of her street art practice.