Baron Von Fancy

Von Fancy has collaborated with fashion, sportswear and media brands. Among the brands that he has worked with are: Nike, Google, Vans,[7] Uber,[8] Rag & Bone,[9] Reece Hudson,[10] Reformation, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics,[7] Gitman Vintage, Smith Optics and MeUndies. He is known for his originality and talent in matching an object with a humorous and memorable phrase. Larger retailers such as Urban Outfitters,[11] Elizabeth Arden, Inc., Juicy Couture,[6][12] Porsche Design Group,[13] and Patagonia[2] have collaborated with him on distinctive collections and projects. As in the case of the work publicly presented by the artist Ally on her site, Internet Whatever, many of the "works" sold under the name Vonfancy, Baron were in fact created by other people, the actual artists.[14]

The mobile phone accessory company Incipio launched a line of iPhone cases featuring Baron's art in December 2017.[15] In advance of the November 2016 launch of its new television series Good Behavior, TNT asked Von Fancy to design art and an installation, which was previewed at 29Rooms, promoting this new, edgy series. Baron was featured as an artistic ambassador for Nike's and KITH's pop-up store in SoHo that opened in August 2016.[16] Later that Fall, he was retained by MOO, the London-based printer of custom business cards, to create five custom designs for a capsule collection of colorful, innovative business cards.[17][18] Rogers & Cowan worked with Von Fancy in November 2016 to promote the American cotton industry's jeans recycling program.

In June 2018, Women's Wear Daily reported that New York City-based legwear firm Fun Socks! would collaborate with Von Fancy on a line of socks for F/W 18.[19] On January 1, 2016, Vans launched a collections of sneakers featuring Baron Von Fancy's designs.[20] In Fall 2015, Von Fancy provided visuals[21] for the launch of the Louis Vuitton Windows book, published by Assouline.[22] That Summer, Converse selected Baron Von Fancy (among other artists) for social media promotion of its Chuck Taylor All-Star II, the first changes to Converse's highly successful line of sneakers in nearly a century.[23] In his signature typeface, Von Fancy prepared several phrases for display on Converse's Twitter page, including "Can't Wait,"[24] "What's Next?",[25] and "Ready for More."[26]

For Valentine's Day 2015, Kreemart presented an exhibition of his work at Melissa Galerie's SoHo store. Paperless Post launched a collaboration with Baron on Valentine's Day 2014, featuring his greeting cards, invitations and Valentine's Day cards.[27]

For the past five years, Baron Von Fancy has displayed his art on billboards in the SoHo neighborhood and elsewhere in his native New York City. Billboards featuring playful and charming expressions such as "On my way to steal your girl," "Don't call me baby," "Never not working," and "May the bridges I burn light the way," among others, have greeted New Yorkers in Manhattan and its environs as they look skyward since at least 2013.

Von Fancy's billboard "On my way to steal your girl"

In May 2016, his billboard featuring the edgy phrase "If you're feeling down, I can feel you up" was posted in lower Manhattan at the intersection of Canal and West Broadway.[28]

In the Summer of 2013, his "I Can't Grow Up" mural was displayed on a billboard on Orchard Street in the Lower East Side.[29]

In October 2013, for its 125th anniversary celebration, Katz's Delicatessen invited Baron to contribute a work to their pop-up art gallery housed next to the deli. The result, a ten-foot high mural of "I’ll Have What She’s Having," referenced When Harry Met Sally...'s legendary fake-orgasm scene that had been shot at the deli.[30]

Murals with some of Baron Von Fancy's signature phrases were shown in Paris at Colette, in "A Thing Called Love," a show that opened in February 2013.[2]

Since 2006, his work has been displayed around the world with exhibitions in California, New York, Florida, at Ochi Gallery in Idaho, as well as in Rhode Island, Iowa, and France.[31] In August 2015, The Tripoli Gallery presented his exhibition "Never Say Goodbye," of paintings that humorously comment on romantic relationships,[32] featuring cartoon characters such as Casper the Friendly Ghost and Jiminy Cricket. Previously, in Spring 2014, The Tripoli Gallery presented an exhibition of his original paintings entitled "I Remember It Differently," which featured paintings of Archie and Disney animated films.[4]

Colette invited Baron Von Fancy to create "A Thing Called Love," a show held at their flagship location in Paris and featured a range of his artwork.[2] Von Fancy has created sculpture using electroluminescent wire, a fresh medium ideal for explorations of the effects of color.[5] His fascination with color interaction has also been manifested through a number of "water projects," in which he and his collaborators add multicolored dyes to fountains, rivers, etc. for public display.[5]

The artistic name evolved from his college nickname "Fancy-pants," which itself had originated from his collection of vintage Versace jeans.[1][33] Baron Von Fancy also is known for other of his numerous collections which include homemade prison artifacts, pre-9/11 Twin Towers ephemera, and peep show sex tokens.[34]

A hallmark of Baron Von Fancy's signature style is the use of common, English language phrases.[3] In some cases, the words are highlighted with a bright color, such as green, pink or yellow. Von Fancy's critics have exercised considerable verbal talent in elaborating on these simple words, even going so far as to describe them (with no intentional hyperbole or irony) as "poignant,"[35] "playful,"[6] "clever,"[6] "oscillat[ing] from colloquial to profound,"[4] "bold,"[36] "poetic,"[2] and "reminiscent of the classic, hand-painted billboards that populated New York in the 1950s and 1960s."[37]

Stevenson is a sports collector, primarily of baseball memorabilia, but also of the UFC. His collection includes Babe Ruth baseballs, the first baseball bat that Mike Trout ever used in a game and got a hit with, New York Mets championship rings, and the Superfight championship belt from the second fight between Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie at UFC 5. Stevenson is an avid follower of the New York Mets, and he actively maintains a social media site (together with his girlfriend) to proclaim his devotion to this baseball franchise with more losses than wins. He frequently enjoys the recreational use of cannabis.[38]