Street Art in a Museum.

Vandals, and tags, and slap tags, and bombs, and pieces, and heavens, and rollers, and wheat paste, and streaks and spray paint and crews...OH MY! The vernacular of graffiti culture is as vast is the number of graffiti artists on the planet. This exhibition showcases the work of about 50 big names and does a good job of holding our hands and walking us through each and every term, historical landmark of graffiti and all that glorious paraphernalia...I mean materials and street art supplies. MOCA takes good care of us with the Art in the Streets show; very slowly moving us from one section of the museum to the next...and you leave with a sense of security, like a grandmother's sweet embrace.

In case you were wondering, graffiti and all forms of street art are still illegal in Los Angeles. Artists all over LA county are still being arrested for having a couple markers, cans, and a few hundred USPS stickers with their monikers scrawled in a hundred different ways in their backpacks. The show currently running at MOCA is a feel good, celebratory exhibition of rebellion at amusement park proportions. Once you enter the museum you are free to roam free of the danger of the actual streets, and it really is fun for the whole family. On display is some very credible work that historically has managed to gracefully transition from the subways and freeways and freight trains and billboards to the pristine walls of high end galleries and museums such as MOCA. The visitor is given a sense of comfort and satisfaction in being able to view this stuff in the confines of a clean, guarded museum...that will run you $10 to even enter if you forget your 5 year old student ID, ugh!

When I visited I couldn't help being taken aback by the huge crowds of upper middle class parents with their children [one child had a pair of louis v. shoes...what the??] I always take time to notice the demographic of the visitors at any given exhibition, and for this one I was expecting nothing but a buncha hipster graff enthusiasts running around like "toys" [A graffiti artist's term for a novice. More experienced graffiti artists will often write "toy" next to the tag or graf of the novice. eg. "That fuckin' toy threw up some shitty tag over my graf." via the ever helpful urban dictionary.] with their heads cut off, making the most of their last day of Spring Break 2011. Yes, these hipster graff young people def made their presence felt, but the older and parental demographic with their spawn were the majority and completely threw me off. Not saying it's wrong or they don't have a right to see the show, it was all just so unexpected! I just hope some of those elementary age kids left with the urge to do bad things in their communities...and create colorful works of art.

This exhibit, as you can guess from my delivery thus far, is the most inauthentic graffiti viewing experience possible, but I'm not discounting the artists or their work. I'm beyond thrilled that some of my favorite local, national and international artists, who break the law on the regular and have risked their well being for a piece of public art, are being recognized for their beautiful, and often self indulgent work :] Don't get me wrong, friends; I love graffiti - it's been a part of my life for over a decade. It influences my own art almost as much as my own life experiences. It's a big love and sometimes the respect I feel tends to make me a bit defensive and very protective for the art form and its creators.

So, we don't have to think that far back in order to recall the Blu incident with MOCA, a classic tale of censorship. Blu is an Italian street artist whose work is usually controversial. MOCA commissioned this artist to prepare a mural on the side of the museum in honor of the upcoming [currently ongoing] show that would be celebrating street art, and he decided it fitting to do a series of illustrative coffins covered in dollar bills. MOCA promptly buffed it out, claiming it inappropriate, and Rime stepped up at the last minute after being contacted by the museum to paint a more viewer friendly, happy go lucky mural that is currently running on the side of the museum with a few more outdoor works, pictured above. It confuses me that Blu wasn't allowed to have his work run outside the museum, but works all throughout the exhibit express a similar message or concern or at least express contempt for governments, authorities, wars, etc... but then again considering the general history of graffiti should we really be surprised by this contradiction?

Now, let me get this out of the way. I detest Obey/Shepard Fairey. I find him to be a plagiarist and his work is exploitative. I feel a similar disdain for Banksy. Is he ever going to develop his work past pure satire just for the sake of being controversial? Does he really care that much about these societal issues or is he just some arrogant asshole trying to get recognized? Yeah, it makes people "think" but it's also always about a cheap shot. His work is easy to read. There is no depth. His commentary on the first world, while generally accurate, has gotten old and makes him a one trick pony, in my eyes. These two big, rich men have works up towards the back of the museum, but I feel this exhibit could have done without their works, since I don't think they've contributed much to graffiti or street art, other than the fact that everyone who knows how to use a Photoshop filter or cut out a stencil now believes they're the world's next great street arteest. *eye roll!* The inclusion of these two would be my biggest criticism of the show.

Overall, Art in the Streets is a very detailed, and beautiful show. However, it's hardly comprehensive or all inclusive. I think they tried to document too much all at once. Ok, I'll admit that I'm pissed there weren't more artworks by women. I half expected to *at least* see a Fafi or Miss Van piece...While the curators managed to include a few heavy hitting female artists and there wasn't a complete lack of feminine presence, I couldn't help but notice the distinct under representation of international female street and graffiti artists and it made me sad.

lady pink! <3

While it remains a popular topic of debate, I maintain that graffiti and art are not mutually exclusive. Thankfully, it's apparent that most Angelinos and other Americans across the nation and world agree and show an appreciation for the work of street artists and disagree with The Man's all too common knee jerk implementation of laws to protect private property from art. It is increasingly interesting to me that the artists exhibited can garner a trip to the county jail or a high price tag depending on the setting. Inside MOCA and various galleries all over the world these pieces are not only worth a lot but are considered an important contemporary style that is representative of a huge portion of this generation's contribution to the fine art world. Outside the museum and gallery walls, no one is allowed to paint on private property without permission, no matter how beautiful or amount of skill involved. The authorities still treat it as a criminal act that needs to be covered immediately in white paint. Art in the Streets gives hope. I critiqued this show so harshly because I love this art form, like I've said, however, I think this exhibit is important and is definitely worthy of a visit, even at ten bucks a pop. My experience at MOCA was not completely negative. I think this show is an indication that things are moving forward and more favorably for the vandal artists of the world. That is something to celebrate.