![]() Although the animatronics may feel somewhat kitschy, the overall complexity and level of detail make Street an exceptionally engaging installation. The faces remain in shadow and hidden from view, in keeping with the anonymity required of artists making illicit work. Elsewhere, a hoodie-clad figure spray paints hard-to-reach areas by sitting a top another’s shoulders. An arm reaches out of a small tree, spray paint can in hand, and tags the concrete wall opposite him. The installation is dotted with animatronic graffiti artists engaged in their craft. It was created by T odd James, Barry McGee, Stephen Powers, Devin Flynn, Josh Lazcano, Dan Murphy, and Alexis Ros, and is an updated version of Street Market shown at the Deitch Projects in 2000. One of the highlights of the exhibitions is, Street, a scaled down cityscape with multiple alleyways, abandoned stores, bright billboards, and decrepit spaces. Not even the restrooms are left untouched, as the stalls (both inside and out) are covered by bubble letters and iconic figures of André the Giant by Shepard Fairey. This floor plan allows for smaller exhibition spaces within the exhibition itself, immersive shows unto themselves. ![]() The space is divided into various sections, each of which is associated with a different artist. ![]() Unlike many museum shows, which feature a linear progression and clear navigation route through the exhibition, ‘Art in the Streets’ is more fluid. Both of these shows had a more contemporary focus, as compared with the MOCA exhibition which takes a retrospective approach: various wall panels feature a timeline of street art, and highlight important moments from the past few decades, from the 1989 Slick/Hex Battle to the launch of Juxtapoz Magazine in 1994. In 2010, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego mounted ‘Viva La Revolución: A Dialogue with the Urban Landscape” and in 2008 ‘Street Art’ exhibited at the Tate Modern. ‘Art in the Streets’ is by no means the first museum show to deal with street artists. Street art has been making its way into the mainstream in recent years, in large part due to the visibility and notoriety of Shepard Fairey’s Obama poster, Hope, and the success of the Banksy directed film, “Exit through the Gift Shop”. You should only pay if you want to get rid of it.” The exhibition was slated to travel to the Brooklyn Museum in 2012, but was recently cancelled due to financial constraints.īanksy’s stained glass window (2011) via LA Timesīanksy with Students from City of Angels School, Los Angeles, Stained Window, detail (2011) Bansky is quoted as saying, “I don’t think you should have to pay to look at graffiti. #Geffen moca museum free#Both in spite of and because of these debates, the show has sparked a discourse that is significant for both artists and audience- since the show has opened, Banksy, one of the artists included in the exhibit, has begun sponsoring free admission on Mondays to pull in even more viewers to an already record-breaking show. The mural was painted over after Deitch deemed it insensitive given its location near a veteran’s memorial. Even before the opening, MOCA Director, Jeffrey Deitch, drew criticism for the museum’s censorship of Italian street artist Blu’s mural depicting coffins covered with dollar bills. As with any survey show, there have been many objections relating to both the inclusion and exclusion of certain artists. Indeed, the area surrounding Geffen Contemporary saw a spike in graffiti following the opening of ‘Art in the Streets’ in mid-April. The show has come under fire for its glorification of what many perceive as vandalism. Located at MOCA’s Geffen Contemporary in Los Angeles’s Little Tokyo, the massive space includes the work of around 50 artists in a range of media including murals, photography, installations, graffitied vehicles, and re-created cityscapes. ![]() MOCA’s exhibition, ‘Art in the Streets’ has proven to be a hugely popular, if not highly contentious, addition to L.A.’s summer arts scene. Zabrodski for Art Observed, unless otherwise stated. ![]()
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