Talk about ADD, I’m all over the place!

“Street Cred”

07.05.11

Author: Annie Buckley

05.15.11-09.04.11 Pasadena Museum of California Art

This exhibition may initially appear as yet another street art show, but it was, in actuality, announced six months in advance of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art’s major gathering “Art in the Streets.” It also fills a vital gap in Jeffrey Deitch’s extravaganza: the social and cultural legacy of Los Angeles, where cholos marked territory with elaborate placas (plaques) as early as the mid-1930s, predating the explosion of style writing on New York subways by more than three decades. Curated by Steve Grody, author of the 2007 book Graffiti LA, and Shirlae Cheng-Lifshin, this exhibition includes large and vivid paintings as well as a handful of collages and sculptures by thirty-one Los Angeles­–based artists.

“Street Cred” is by no means a historical show, but the roots of local street art––particularly from East LA––are evidenced throughout. Some artists, such as Saber, Man One, and Codak, transform the gothic-style letters of earlier decades into elegant and dimensional forms that veer into abstraction. Others, including Alex Kizu, Retna, and Paul Kanemitsu, invoke placas but suggest influences ranging from Japanese calligraphy to ancient hieroglyphics.

Grody’s photographs of the artists’ work on the streets of LA are included alongside pieces in the gallery, preserving the authenticity of their distinct contexts while allowing connections to be drawn. For most of the artists, the movement from street to studio has been lateral, as exemplified by Chaz Bojórquez, whose influences include cholo writing and Asian calligraphy. But for some, such as Juan Carlos Muñoz Hernandez, who moved from Boyle Heights to Venice to apprentice with the late Robert Graham, graffiti was an entryway to working in acrylic, oil, and bronze. In contrast to popular interest in graffiti art, which tends to emphasize the dark glamour of gangs, drugs, and sundry illegality, what stands out in “Street Cred” is a depth of commitment to the formal, social, and communal possibilities of art, both in the gallery and on the streets.

ART FORUM

More Amazing Shots HERE

I’ve been following Delta career’s for years. I think he’s one of the most amazing graffiti artists alive. He’s in the fore front of pushing this art form to the next level. Haven’t had the opportunity to paint with him yet, but hopefully our paths will cross at some point.

MORE INFO @ NormWillRise

Known Gallery
441 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
310-860-6263

Only Time Will Tell from Vans The Omega on Vimeo.

Revok tells the story of the wall:

“I just finished a wall in LA with Rime, Askew and Deus from Auckland, Vans from Australia, Score from Berlin, Dabs & Myla, and Witnes…

“Instead of the typical bullshit, everyone decided on the phrase ‘Only time will tell’ with the wall being divided into four sections, with each section representing a change of season… Using that as a starting point, everybody built on that and went in their own direction, some of us getting dumber and more retarded than others.

“The assignment went as follows… VANS/ RIME/WITNES; Winter, with VANS on letter detail painting the phrase ‘ONLY’.

“DABS/MYLA/SCORE; Spring, With SCORE on letter detail painting ‘TIME’.

“REVOK/RIME; Summer, REVOK on letter/background detail painting ‘WILL’

“ASKEW/DEUS; Fall, ASKEW on letter detail painting ‘TELL’.

“I’m pretty proud of the outcome, as I’m sure so is everyone else involved… There are a lot of stupid little details and jokes throughout the wall we all had a lot of laughs coming up with both intentionally and by accident.

“A big thanks to ASKEW for shooting the final shot and putting in the labor stiching it all together.” -Revok.

Here’s Rime’s account of the “stupid little details”;

Dysfunctional points of interest:

* Coked up Charlie Bronson Yeti saying “AAAAARRRGGGHHHH” to a timid young chick.
* Santa says yes to 4LOKO.
* Jesus turning tranny was unintentional. The legs were on the wall first. Intended to come randomly from behind the “Will” piece. Later I sketched up Jesus chillin’ at the beach. Revok said I sketched it too small and too far over to the left. I ended up buffing the first Jesus sketch out and painted it larger and more to the right. It took us a good two hours before we connected the possibility that the legs could be Jesus’s. Tired and late as fuck we laughed about it and embraced the idea… Fuckin’ Tranny Jesus!”

Music Credits:
Jesus I was evil by Darcy Clay
The Flame by Black Keys
Numb by Portishead

MORE INFO AND IMAGES @111 MINNA GALLERY

ALSO @RISKROCK