Dream SMD rest in peace

DREAM SMD passed away a few days ago in Long Beach, he was 46. He was known as a bomber in Los Angeles in the 80s and 90s whose gigantic silver pieces always stood out amongst the rest. He began his writing career as an adult, unlike many of us, but in the early days of LA writing he was one of the first generation. He was prolific painting with the likes of Green, Ocho, Slick, Risk and others. Below are some words from his friend Risk:

Robert Tagudar aka DREAM
August 3, 1964 to May 28, 2011

DREAM was the epitome of everything I stand for; we shared the motto, “On to the next, burn to the last.” He loved all aspects of graffiti, but chose to strip his work down to two colors. He didn’t want anyone to be able to say he hid behind colors or characters. He wanted his pure style to show through—and it did. He was a true king.

On a personal level, DREAM was a good friend. He was always there for me—up until the very end. He came to the graffiti exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of California Art, and he came to my show, Blurring the Lines, at Corey Helford Gallery.

He told me he wasn’t feeling well, and left the opening early. Later that night, he texted me and told me he was proud of me.

Well, brother, I’m proud of you. You always held your head high, never complained, and were humble, loyal and strong.

You did your last piece for Art in the Streets, and it seems like everything we dreamed of as young writers in the 1980s is finally coming true. I wish you were still here to enjoy it with me, but either way, you always be a pillar of West Coast graffiti.

Thank you for being an inspiration and, most importantly, being a friend.
Rest in peace.

RISK