"Art in the Streets" on View at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA LA

Written by Rock Garuneko Monday, 15 August 2011 21:34

Los Angeles.- "Art in the Streets" is the first major U.S. museum survey of graffiti and street art. Curated by MOCA Director Jeffrey Deitch and Associate Curators Roger Gastman and Aaron Rose, the exhibition will trace the development of graffiti and street art from the 1970s to the global movement it has become today, concentrating on key cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, and Sao Paulo, where a unique visual language or attitude has evolved. The exhibition will feature paintings, mixed media sculptures, and interactive installations by 50 of the most dynamic artists and will emphasize Los Angeles's role in the evolution of graffiti and street art, with special sections dedicated to seminal local movements such as cholo graffiti and Dogtown skateboard culture.

A comprehensive timeline illustrated with artwork, photos, video, and ephemera will provide a historical context for the work. The exhibition, which is accompanied by a major book detailing the history of American graffiti and street art, remains on view until August 8th 2011, after which it will travel to the Brooklyn Muesum to be shown in 2012.

The exhibition presents a picture of a panoramic celebration of the genre, with the 50 included artists ranging from old-school greats like Fab 5 Freddy, and Lee Quiñones, to more recent superstars like Swoon and JR. The focus is on figures who have managed to parlay their success in alleys and on overpasses into broader commercial careers. Starting with railway hobo tags and the 'Kilroy was here' graffiti of World War II, the exhibition works through early east and west coast taggers (including s selection of the taggers "black books") to the biggest names of the present day.

Amongst the big names included in the show are Banksey (who has his own room), Jean-Michel Basquiat, Todd James, Barry McGee, Stephen Powers, Devin Flynn, Josh Lazano, Dan Murphy, Alexis Ross and the late Margaret Kilgallen (1967-2001), who was schooled on hobo monikers and hand-painted business signs and is represented in the exhibition by "Main Drag". Mr. Cartoon, provides his specially commissioned "Ice-Cream Truck" and there is a blacklight lit recreation of the bedroom of famous New York writer, performance artist, hip hop musician, art theoretician and sculptor Rammellzee (1960 - 2010).


Founded in 1979, MOCA is the only museum in Los Angeles devoted exclusively to contemporary art. It is committed to the collection, presentation, and interpretation of work produced since 1940 in all media, and to preserving that work for future generations. In a remarkably short time, MOCA has developed one of the nation's most renowned permanent collections. Now numbering over 5,000 works and steadily growing, this invaluable cultural resource provides extensive opportunities for education and enjoyment to thousands of national and international visitors. Today the museum is housed in three unique facilities: MOCA Grand Avenue, The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, and MOCA Pacific Design Center. MOCA's mission is to be the defining museum of contemporary art. MOCA engages artists and audiences through an ambitious program of exhibitions, collection, education, and publication. MOCA identifies and supports the most significant and challenging art of its time, places it in historical context, and links the range of the visual arts to contemporary culture. MOCA provides leadership by actively fostering and presenting new work, emerging media, and original scholarship. A former police car warehouse in Little Tokyo renovated by the noted California architect Frank O. Gehry, The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA (formerly The Temporary Contemporary) opened in 1983. This location offers 40,000 square feet of exhibition space and a branch of the MOCA Store. Visit the MOCA website at ... http://www.moca.org

---

Click on logo below to add this article to your favorite Social Website ~