David Boatwright, Birth of Daisy Mae

Known as Lucky Boy Art, Charleston-based artist David Boatwright has made his mark on the city's creative landscape through colorful paintings, large-scale murals, and hand-painted signs inspired by popular culture and playful storytelling.

A graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, Boatwright began his career in experimental filmmaking, screened his work throughout Europe, and received a National Endowment for the Arts grant before returning to Charleston in 1984.

In Birth of Daisy Mae, Boatwright revisits Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus through the imagery of American popular culture. Marilyn Monroe occupies the central role, surrounded by portraits of cultural icons. Painted in oil, the work brings his characteristic wit to the enduring mythology of beauty, fame, and celebrity.