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!
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
