New York – Saturday, January 18, 2014

Very shocking and unfortunate news from the NY art world tonight. 9/11 first responder and fellow Castle Fitzjohns artist Jef Campion, also known in the street art community as Army Of One, has passed away.

“Very, very sorry to receive news this evening that my friend Jef, who many of you knew as Army Of One, died today… Always an encouraging and friendly word, a firefighter and this man did so much charity work particularly for his kids at Ronald McDonald House… Very sad news… RIP, my friend…” — Oh Captain My Captain

Video via Everyday People Project

In Jef’s own words:

“I was born an Artist, I became a firefighter”,

But it took the tragic events of 9/11/01in NYC to unleash the Artist buried deep within me, and send me back into the Studio , after a global street Art Campaign to raise awareness to the plights of Children put in Harms way through War , Poverty and Disease , and,

Trough the ashes of Ground Zero ,this Artists soul and vision was unleashed,

Prior to 9/11/01,I had packed up my studio and art supplies and was content within the Firefighters ranks,

No Art, No Creative outlet, until the World Trade Center attack.

Through Days into Months spent on the pile at Ground Zero, coupled with the social, political and religious I was now experiencing , I retreated in to a world of PSTD and self destruction , finally realizing that humanity had lost its innocence .

Years of therapy and soul searching , followed by re opening my studio and my first portfolio” Atrophy”

Was born,

“Nearly 10 years After I Quit the Creative field , ” Atrophy” combined with Haunting and emotion stories and visceral Artwork, peeled back layer after decomposing layer of a life less ordinary, a hidden life of Drug ,sex and Alcohol Abuse, a highly dysfunctional upbringing and self destruction hidden deep inside my sub conscious , this Artwork and Writing is meant to awake Primal Emotion in the viewer, welcome to my world ,

The images and writing that make up the portfolio “Atrophy ” are not about 9/11/01 or Firefighting ,my artwork breaches the Tenacity of the human Spirit with survival Under the harshest realms of madness……

Art saved My Life……”

Jef