As the summer nears it’s end.. it is time for bamboobanga to look back at a fulfilling summer.  This was a horrible summer I ain’t even gonna lie, but there were bright spots and our trip to MOCA for Art in the Streets was undoubtedly one of them.  This exhibit which ran from April to the first week in August, broke records for the David Geffen space.  Looks like Jeffrey Deitch kicked some ass during his first year:

I am both elated and truly surprised that this particular exhibit garnered  this type of attendance.

MOCA announced today that the exhibition Art in the Streets, presented in the first year of MOCA Director Jeffrey Deitch’s tenure at the museum, attracted 201,352 visitors from April 17–August 8, 2011, marking the highest exhibition attendance in the museum’s history. Previous attendance records were set with the museum’s presentations of Andy Warhol Retrospective (2002) and ©MURAKAMI (2007), which welcomed 195,000 and 149,323 visitors, respectively. With this exhibition, MOCA expects to double its annual attendance this year to 400,000 visitors. (MOCA.ORG)

To that I say ..AWESOMMEEE..  We attended both Andy Warhol and the Murakami sessions and of those exhibits , I must say we returned to Art in the Streets 3 times .. OK..

Krylon..Krylon..Krylon.. photo courtesy of SuperbNess

It was a wonderful foray into the world of street art past and present.

Each decade and scene was represented. It took you from the first  Krylon Can in the 30’s to the LowRider Ice Cream Truck sitting on Daytons in the RIGHT NOW …. .. I mean it was awesome.. Everyones art was well represented ; from Lee Quinones to the homies Legit and Soon ( The King with the most tags on Venice)..

Peace to the Young Lords.. and RIP to both those brothas and MIKE ONE…

photo courtesy of SuperbNess

Street Art and it’s origins differ between East and West Coasts respectively , Los Angeles’ urban art has roots  represented by the cholo stylings of Charles “Chaz” Bojórquez his work can be cited back to 1969.

Our walls and yards have always been dominated by Gang Graffitti, visions of Guadalupe, Hand signs, RIP blocks , and Roll Calls; these things have always been present on our ghetto streets.  They were usually helpful indicators as to who’s hood you were in and where the hell you were, if you were paying attention.  We then branched out into traditional Hip Hop styled graffiti around the late 70’s to early 80’s.

The East Coast’s version of “writing on the walls”,  was created for similar reasons and additionally, to try to beautify, (in the hood’s own way) ,the raggedy ass buildings and pissy alleyways we must look at every damn day.  Taggers and Artists made sure to bomb every hallway, train, freeway off ramp, building space etc.. until the whole neighborhood looked like a comic strip.

DONDI

photo courtesy of SuperbNess

A comic strip that some people swore looked like hell.  Major pieces though on trains and buildings were more than just a “throw up”.   These are the types of pieces that you see in say “Wild Style” or “Style Wars” or even at your local laundry mat or liqour store, these jawns require planning.. I mean you have to blueprint the colors, the measurements, how much paint is required etc..

You must….plan that shit out in your black book and create magic in the streets ..

More flicks from Art In The Streets  after the Jump..  Continue reading →