Beyond The Streets
Beyond the Streets is a not-to-be-missed exhibit that is currently open to the public in Los Angeles. We are rejoicing at the fact that the show has been extended and will now be ending on August 26, 2018. If you haven't had the chance to see it yet or if you will soon be visiting Southern California, we highly recommend that you check it out.
This pretty much says it better than we ever could. Go! Tell your friends. REPEAT!
The exhibition includes well known artists whose work is influenced or inspired by these risk takers and whose efforts have elevated the movement to new heights. It is a very well curated show that includes works by giants like Basquiat, Keith Haring, Shepard Fairey and Banksy. There are over 100 artists featured in this very approachable presentation that is housed in a former warehouse in Chinatown. The art is done by graffiti artists, street artists and muralists. The works vary greatly in tone, topic and scale. It is filled with social commentary and powerful political statements from international artists. It feels inherently democratic and diverse. Pretty much every medium you can think of has been used but none more so than the iconic can of spray paint. When you enter the exhibit, one of the first things you come across is a wall of vintage cans of spray paint. The varied packaging is an exhibit all on its own. I didn’t want to lurk in front of it for too long, so I took photos to study at a later time.
Vintage spray paint magic!
Powerful messages by the Guerilla Girls
Blacklight/Neon Musings of Kenny Scharf
The entire exhibition is vast and memorable. This isn't your basic Instagram museum. There is real grit inside these walls.
Swooning over Swoon, Honestly, this part of the exhibit was breathtaking.
I could study every single detail of this magic, forever.
Swoon aka Caledonia Curry was my favorite, hands down. Her works are mixed media, specializing in life-sized wheat paste prints and paper cutouts of human figures. Several of her art works are featured in a somewhat narrow hallway, that I wanted to move into. My mind was blown by what I saw. She layers portraits on top of old doors and a collection of graphic prints. In this show, her portrait subjects were done in neutral tones, black & whites and sepias. The environment that surrounds the subject is full of color and texture. It is an organic blend that all comes together to tell a detailed story. In researching Swoon I learned that she believes that we store things in our body and that a portrait can become an x-ray of those experiences. She wants her portraits to capture something essential in the subject. She tries to document something she loves about the subject and has seen in him or her. It is a way to connect with the subject. By putting the portraits on the streets she is allowing for others to witness this connection and make their own. One such connection, she says, has stuck with her throughout the years, as she mentions it in multiple interviews. She met a woman who asked her about a small piece of art that she had put up in a neighborhood. The woman proceeded to tell her that a mentally disabled man who lived in the neighborhood had started to call it “The Secret” and he would take people to it and show them. The little piece had become a special thing in the community. This moment has affected Swoon, telling her that one tiny thing can make an opportunity for connection and can inspire the feeling that maybe there is another world existing around us and that we only need a perception shift in order to see it. She has since tried to evoke this in all of her other artwork. My point in mentioning all of this is to illustrate that Beyond the Streets is a lot more than some strokes on a wall made with a can of spray paint. If you go, I encourage you to find out at much as you can about the art and the artists that move you. There is also an incredible book about the exhibition that you can pre-order when you buy tickets or can be purchased at the not-to-be-missed gift shop.
LA street cred by Slick. <3 Mickey, forever!
Ella loves the cartoon/Disney-inspired graffiti sculptures and design. Classic graffiti tropes + classic cartoons? A surprisingly perfect combination.
Shepard Fairey has become ubiquitous in Los Angeles. Some see his art as being too commercial. Personally, I am a big fan.
Tools of the trade by Shepard Fairey
Decor by Bill Barminkski. Everything is cardboard in this interactive room.
What really blew me away about this was the fact that I had all of these cassettes in the 80's.
And this is a gift shop that cannot be missed. They are constantly updating the merch, so it is worthy of repeat visits.
Beyond the Streets is breathtaking in its size. The show is an elaborate maze that is so layered that it warrants repeat visits. The museum is only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are $25 each and it is highly recommended that you buy tickets/reserve an entry time online before going. All parking is street parking so definitely leave extra time in order to find a space.
We hope you love this show as much as we did!