s ▁Dow nt own ▁Gallery ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁where ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁champion ▁of ▁American ▁Modern ism ▁in ▁the ▁visual ▁arts . ▁ ▁Sp out z ▁attended ▁Card inal ▁Mo oney ▁Catholic ▁College ▁Pre par atory ▁School ▁in ▁Marine ▁City , ▁Michigan ▁where ▁he ▁graduated ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁ ▁Sp out z ' s ▁parents ▁divor ced ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁ 9 ▁years ▁old . ▁He ▁was ▁raised ▁by ▁his ▁mother , ▁his ▁father ' s ▁parents ▁and ▁his ▁uncle , ▁Ian ▁Horn ak . ▁During ▁the ▁school ▁year ▁he ▁lived ▁in ▁Mount ▁C lem ens , ▁Michigan ▁and ▁many ▁sum mers , ▁and ▁hol id ays ▁he ▁spent ▁with ▁Ian ▁Horn ak ▁at ▁his ▁home ▁and ▁studio ▁in ▁East ▁Ham pton , ▁New ▁York ▁and ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁ ▁Through ▁his ▁early ▁expos ure ▁to ▁the ▁art ▁world ▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁Sp out z ▁took ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁art ▁and ▁became ▁his ▁uncle ' s ▁studio ▁manager ▁in ▁East ▁Ham pton ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 6 . ▁El mer ▁Sp out z , ▁Eric ▁Sp out z ’ s ▁pat ernal ▁grand father ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁real ▁estate ▁developer ▁and ▁business man , ▁died ▁when ▁Eric ▁Sp out z ▁was ▁ 1 8 ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁and ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁trust ee ▁of ▁his ▁grand father ’ s ▁estate . ▁Later ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁when ▁Sp out z ▁was ▁