Richard Hambleton

Richard Hambleton was born in Vancouver, B.C. in 1954. He was predominantly known for his street or public art. In his early career, Hambleton often used the pseudonym R. Dick Trace It. His early public artworks often centered on his Image Mass Murder concept and the Downtown Art Detective Agency he created. Hambleton painted police chalk outlines around volunteer murder “victims” on various streets in North America, splashing red paint on the walls around the chalk outline.

Hambleton was a founding member of PUMPS alongside other artists, including John Mitchell. Hambleton and Mitchell had a close relationship in the 1970s.

Prior to his death in October 2017, Hambleton lived and practiced as an artist in New York City.