Ryan McGinness is an artist, living and working in Manhattan. He grew up in the surf and skate culture of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and then studied at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as an Andrew Carnegie Scholar. Known for his extensive vocabulary of original graphic drawings that subvert the visual language of public signage, corporate logos, and contemporary iconography, McGinness is credited with elevating the status of the symbol to fine art through the creation of his paintings, sculptures, installations, and books. One of the most controversial and original thinkers of our time, McGinness is widely regarded as an "artists' artist" with works in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Cincinnati Art Museum, MUSAC in Spain, and the Taguchi Art Collection in Japan.

The New York Times noted, "In the past decade, McGinness has become an art star, thanks to his Warholian mix of pop iconography and silk-screening." Vogue declared, "Ryan McGinness is a leading pioneer of the new semiotics," while the Wall Street Journal dubbed McGinness, "the rebel art star."