This show couldn't fail with the talent that's involved, and in parts it is really great. The Os Gemeos, Barry McGee and Steve Powers sections stood out for me. Banksy's section is good; it's great to see the classic stencils mixed in with newer pieces (for me it's really special to see the simple stencils that first got me into street art in London - 'Buried treasure' and 'This is not a photo opportunity'). This show will go down as an important event, and it will help broaden recognition of street art.
But Art in the Streets is a missed opportunity: the show focuses so heavily on graffiti that it ignores so many of the important street artists that have been active in the last 10 years, without whom this show would not have happened. The 'street art movement' of the last 10 years is minimally represented; of the hundreds of artists that have appeared on Unurth, only about 12 are represented in this show (of ~95 total). Some people say that's necessary to give a historical perspective; but it's hard to make that case when the most important influence (Blek le Rat) on the most acclaimed artist in the show (Banksy) is absent.
And the Blu debacle matters; the show is much poorer for his absence, and the spirit that he represents.
The Banksy gallery:
Shepard Fairey, Neckface, Kaws, Swoon, Andre, Retna
Keith Haring, John Fekner, Steve Powers/ ESPO, Barry McGee, Amaze, Futura
Roa, Space Invader
Os Gemeos
MOCA's information on the show.
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Prepare for a watered down version of the street art anyone cares about, where political statements that may cause offense are too much.
Deitch's inglorious stumbling included asking Blu to play along. Blu was quoted by the LA Times:
It is censorship that almost turned into self-censorship when they asked me to openly agree with their decision to erase the wall. In Soviet Union they were calling it 'self-criticism.'
Deitch invited me to paint another mural over the one he erased, and I will not do that.
See the backstory.
image by Brian Forrest / MOCA via LA Times
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An amazing wall by Blu in LA, and an even more amazing move by MOCA to buff it within 24 hours.
It raises interesting questions about Jeffrey Deitch's influence and the much-hyped forthcoming 'Art on the Streets' show, as GOOD says:
So what gives? Was the mural too politically charged for other members of the MOCA team? What would that mean for Deitch's purported sea change? If a blanket anti-war (or anti-death industry?) statement is too controversial for MOCA, what can we look forward to this spring?
Update: Apparently MOCA has provided a response (which took significantly longer to formulate than it took to buff the wall):
“MOCA commissioned Blu, one of the world’s most outstanding street artists to create a work for the north wall of The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA.
The Geffen Contemporary building is located on a special, historic site. Directly in front the north wall is the Go For Broke monument, which commemorates the heroic roles of Japanese American soldiers, who served in Europe and the Pacific during World War II, and opposite the wall is the LA Veterans’ Affairs Hospital. The museum’s director explained to Blu that in this context, where MOCA is a guest among this historic Japanese American community, the work was inappropriate. MOCA has invited Blu to return to Los Angeles to paint another mural.”
To me, this is a terrible explanation. The concept that street art and graffiti must be 'appropriate', to the point of not making political statements, is absurd and contrary to the history of the medium. In this context, I doubt the 'Art on the Streets' show will be appropriate to its title.
Update 2: Blu's reaction:
1. Moca asks me to paint a mural
2. I go to L.A. to paint the piece and I almost finish it
3. the Moca director decides to erase the wall
4. on the next day the mural is erased by Moca workers
5. journalists are still not sure if this can be called censorship so they start asking my opinion about that
See more by Blu.
artist: Blu
location: MOCA, Los Angeles
images by Casey Caplowe. Thanks to Daniel Lahoda/ JetSet Graffiti for the tip
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