“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

I am honored to be involved with the current show at the Pasadena Museum Of California Arts called “Street Cred: Graffiti Art From Concrete To Canvas”. Steve Grody is the curator, and the show focuses on Graffiti artists based out of Los Angeles who have transitioned into fine art. This show displays a variety of works organized in categories of traditional wild style interpretations, figurative, removed abstract, and sculpture. This show only scrapes the surface of the talent hidden behind the stereotypes of what people believe Los Angeles graffiti is. There isn’t a museum large enough to be able to fill with all the undiscovered works from the overlooked local talent. I commend PMCA for shedding some light on a well-deserved group of artists.

One of my favorite sculptures in the show is a blocky wild-style piece that spells out the LA legend’s moniker TEMPT. This piece is particularly monumental because Tempt is suffering from the condition (ALS) often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, which is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Members of Free Art and Technology (FAT), OpenFrameworks, the Graffiti Research Lab, and The Ebeling Group communities teamed-up with TEMPTONE on the creation of the piece. Tempt was diagnosed with ALS in 2003, a disease which has left him almost completely physically paralyzed… except for his eyes. This international team is working together to create a low-cost, open source eye-tracking system that will allow ALS patients to draw using just their eyes. Through this amazing technology Tempt was able to draw the plans for his sculpture. Nothing short of a miracle, Tempt was able to participate in this museum show honoring Los Angeles Graffiti Art. The show ends September 4, 2011………