The Life and Artistic Evolution of Jay DeFeo Born Mary Joan DeFeo in Hanover, United States, the artist became a celebrated figure in the 1950s within the community of Beat artists, musicians, and poets in San Francisco. After studying at the University of California, Berkeley, she traveled through Europe, living in Paris and London before settling in Florence. Her early career involved creating jewelry, small paintings, and drawings, often working as an artist's model. DeFeo’s practice was characterized by an experimental approach to various media, including drawings, paintings, sculpture, p…