Art in the Streets

 

It’s hard to believe that this is the first major survey of graffiti and street art.

I’d hoped this exhibit would be as energetic and free flowing as street art, itself.  The artist Banksy (Exit from the Gift Shop)  made the exhibit much more accessible by sponsoring free Mondays.

“I don’t think you should have to pay to look at graffiti. You should only pay if you want to get rid of it.”

But  the exhibit is strangely Disney-like.    Tame.

The image above wasn’t the only staged event.   There are two animatronic figures “fake” spraying graffiti. They play like a failed urban exhibit at Universal Studios.

I have no words.

One space has a drum set and guitars open for visitors to play, although oddly no turntables or mic.

One FB post captured the lack of spontaneity perfectly:

via my F’book post: My only wish is that they had an interactive exhibit…. where anyone can spray paint, doodle, or place a sticker…. isn’t that what street art is all about?!!

Some parts of the exhibit are puzzling. A room of photographs with young people felt very random.  It was very hard to see their connection to street art.  The aesthetic of the framing was much more Avedon than street cred.

A simulation of a New York street complete with beloved window gate comes closest to the anarchic dark energy of the streets. The grime and claustrophobia, the fake homeless man fading into began to approach the visual despair that made graffiti feel like hope.

There are several sublime murals inside and outside of the exhibit (on a bus).  The women’s bathroom has graffiti so lifelike that several women doubted its cleanliness

Decide for yourself.  Photographs courtesy of Adam Fox.

Banksy

Car Culture

Wall of Flyers

Wow.

Hmmm

 

The Environment

 

U.K., Nice Touch

 

Mexican iconography. Sci-fi illusions.

 

Ah, the el(evated) (subway)

 

Low Rider. LA rules!

 

The Influence of Commercial Art

 

Which street is this simulating?

The U.K. again.

 

 

 

 

Things I Like — What Does It Mean To Be Present? A ‘Children’s’ Book

Book Review: What Does It Mean To Be Present?

A children’s book for all ages.  I struggle to stay present and will buy the book. Check out this description from the publisher:

What Does It Mean to be Present? is a sweet little book by Rana DiOrio (and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler) packed with a powerful message that is as appropriate for adults as it is for kids – pay attention in the present moment. Period. Simple, right? Simple, yes, but not so easy. Talking while driving, surfing while watching TV, pretending to listen while waiting to talk, planning what’s next before we have experienced now. In a culture that applauds multi-tasking and abhors stillness, we are constantly learning how to avoid truly being with ourselves and, in turn, teaching our children the same. Without even knowing it, we are disconnected – from others, our environment and, most importantly, ourselves.

Business at the Speed of Light

Can our minds and plans keep up?

This is why I love/get frustrated with the media business. We were looking forward to finishing our web series and distributing it through TubeMogul. So finally, we’re almost there. Look up TubeMogul and behold …  TubeMogul has moved on.

“By April of last year, the company began downplaying its early distribution business, instead becoming a full-fledged media buying tech and services firm, i.e., a DSP.

Big brands are usually drawn to broadcast networks’ sites Hulu and YouTube, but that hasn’t been much of an issue for TubeMogul. Currently, 50-some brands are running campaigns via TubeMogul a week, including the likes of Toyota, Microsoft, Range Rover, Kia, Allstate and Clorox. Rotblat claims that traditional brands — half the Fortune 500 — are drawn to TubeMogul because of the precise targeting it offers, from site selection to demographics and even data-driven segmenting.”

Love it/hate it.