I AM THE BEST ARTIST Rene

Beginning in the late 1970s, and continuing into the 1990s in New York City, several prominently located murals of impressive size proclaimed I AM THE BEST ARTIST to all who walked or drove past them along the streets of SoHo. The murals were the creations of artist René Moncada, who lived in the neighborhood. René Moncada's I AM THE BEST ARTIST murals became icons not only of the neighborhood's art world associations but of the era in general, when art became a profitable commodity and SoHo became its Wall Street.

The murals have been likened to effective advertising slogans and recognized as an early act of "art provocation". The murals placed René at the forefront of street artists of the era and helped transform the streets of the art district into an alternative exhibition venue.