Sometimes what’s missing is just as interesting as what is present. In an art exhibit packed with colorful works, a sudden swath of white wall becomes a minimalist statement.
For me that’s the case with an ambitious exhibit at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA this weekend which tries to translate street art to gallery art. Curated by Jeffrey Deitch, Art in the Streets features some of graffiti’s most well-known artists including Fab 5 Freddy (New York), Lee Quiñones (New York), Futura (New York), Margaret Kilgallen (San Francisco), Swoon (New York), Shepard Fairey (Los Angeles), Os Gemeos (São Paulo), and JR (Paris).
I was looking forward to the show because Italian street artist Blu was set to participate, but Blu was buffed out of the exhibit. Blu began his Deitch-commissioned mural on one of Geffen’s outside walls, but don’t try looking for it. The Italian artist’s street mural was a bit too “street” for Deitch and was whitewashed, then painted over by other artists before the exhibit’s member-only opening last night.
I’m still going because I want to see the rest of the features which range from work by Keith Haring and Michel Basquiat to projects by REVOK and Mr. Cartoon, but it would have been great for there to be a little Italian Blu. Without a little “inappropriateness” how street can art be?
3 comments
Moneyless | Ganzo | Dishing up visionary Italian style - without the cheese | Ganzo | Dishing up visionary Italian style - without the cheese says:
Apr 26, 2011
[...] sad that Italian street artist Blu was censored at a show in the US, but I am enjoying the noncommissioned public sculptures of Italian artist Moneyless. Constructed [...]
Iniyah says:
Apr 3, 2012
Very unfortunate. Sounds like you still dont get it tohugh. While you diss the people who are moaning about the BLU mural getting buffed you moan about this one getting buffed. Censorship is censorship any way you look at it. There is no use in denying this because one only adds credibility to the other. We should stand in solidarity for we have more in common then different. Where is Jeffery Deitch on this most current BUFF? Surely he has some ties to the city officials involved. please post a link if you have statement from him.
Spaghetti Brains | Ganzo | Dishing up visionary Italian style - without the cheese | Ganzo | Dishing up visionary Italian style - without the cheese says:
May 4, 2011
[...] controversial for MOCA, Blu is now back in Italy with a great new piece in [...]