Local Art Scene in Southern California: Graffiti as Art

Walking along the streets of Los Angeles, and along the subways trains of New York, one would most likely gawk in wonderment at the wild designs, characters and writings on empty lots and public places, that seemed to stretch from one end to another. Those found in New York, can be seen in the subways and alleys in the city’s perimeter. In Los Angeles, the street graffiti may be found in all abandoned places – tunnels, lots, structures, and whatever little space, nooks and alleys that are considered public property.

Graffiti is an art. It is modern art. This came about through the contribution of many artists who added their own intricately designed masterpieces that ultimately added spice to the mural designs on the streets of California. The confluence of different graffiti artists into the public art scene, contributed to the diversity of wall art as to ethnic origin, social class and race.

Evolution of Modern Graffiti as Art

The ever changing mix in the graffiti scene, started with kids who identified themselves with a common ethnic group. These kids live together and shared the same neighborhood sentiments: so they hook up and make their personal sentiments known through graffiti. Another group however, did not share this same ethnicity-centric sentiment. They form part and join any group that are into street art. The third group, meanwhile, are the iconoclasts, who seeks to make known their sentiments whether shared with a group or not. It is really a mixed bag of people, that brought about the unfolding of the graffiti phenomenon into mainstream culture, as seen today.

Commercialism in Modern Street Art

The recent phenomenon on street art, had come to the attention of the public, paving the way for these artists to become commercially successful. It is now common to see the works of these artists not only in the streets, but in the museums and art galleries as well. Some of these street graphic artists, had entered into the corporate arena doing advertising and marketing work for a number of product lines. A great number of them had even altogether abandoned street art, to join the more lucrative exhibitions in museums and private art galleries. The known street artist, John Fekner, a pioneer in urban art – had his works exhibited in Washington Project for the Arts in 1981 and was included in the book, Street Art: The Graffiti Revolution, by Cedar Lewisohns, a known art curator.

Local Graffiti Art Scene in the Southern California Area

There is an awakening in the graffiti art scene throughout the city of Los Angeles at present. The key locations would include those in the vicinity of the Sunset and Beverly Boulevard, Melrose Avenue, La Brea, La Cienega and Hollywood to name a few. In 2011, the world’s larget exhibition dedicated to street art, opened at La Brea Avenue. The art works on the exhibit were massive – that included around three hundred (300) art works from thirty (30) artists like the renowned Alec Monopoly, Thank You X, and Smear.

The most notorious and popular street artist today, that has remained faceless, is Banksy. He is known for his political satire and anti-war sentiments, mainly in Bristol, England. However, his works can be seen even on the streets of Los Angeles, Palestine and the Middle East.

Banksy’s art catapulted him to world recognition, but divides his audience firmly into two groups. One group, like those in Bristol, England officially supports him and protects his art; while another group, consist of officials who have considered his work as nothing but vandalism, and had them blatantly removed from the streets.

Up-and-Coming Galleries in So Cal

There are a number of galleries around Southern California that have become very popular in recent years. These galleries are showcasing some of the top street artists in the area and feature many different styles of art.

The LALA Gallery in Los Angeles is one of the newest galleries in town. The gallery was formed by notable mural artist Dan Lahoda. The gallery on Willow Street features a number of art pieces that have been crafted from not only artists in Southern California but also artists in New York and a variety of different countries.

Lab Art Los Angeles is a gallery that opened up last year on La Brea. The gallery was opened by Iskander Lemseffer.

The gallery was opened with the intention of making street art a more respectable form of art. It considers this form of art to be a part of contemporary culture. The gallery is home to paintings, installations and a number of works of mixed media. Many of these works are satirical in nature.

The Carmichael Gallery on Washington Boulevard in Culver City is a gallery dedicated to contemporary and experimental art. It has become popular not only for its unique exhibits dedicated to contemporary art from the area but also for the many shows that it holds. These include shows dedicated to street art and various other forms of contemporary art.

Another of the more interesting galleries to see in Southern California is the Maximillian Gallery at the Sunset Marquis Hotel on Alta Loma Road in West Hollywood. The gallery is dedicated to contemporary art that is often subversive or satirical. The gallery is becoming more popular thanks to the many different exhibitions that it airs throughout the year. These exhibitions cover several forms of street art that range from the offbeat to the serious.

The LA Mart Design Center on South Broadway in Los Angeles is a popular gallery that has been raising more eyebrows in recent months. The gallery has become popular for its various special exhibits dedicated to public art. This includes art from not only the state of California but also from different countries around the world where street art has become popular in. The exhibits featured here are very popular and unique.

The Crewest gallery on Winston Street in Los Angeles is the last of the new galleries to check out. It is an urban art gallery that focuses on real to life artwork and modern expressionist art. The gallery also features many works of art that have been inspired by society and current events. The art gallery has become so popular that many of the works of art that is being sold here can be bought. The available pieces for sale vary by each month and include many items that have been publicly displayed here.

These galleries are great spots around California that are showcasing some of the hottest new talent in the world of art. They can be found in many areas around the southern part of the state and offer several interesting things for people to see.

Up-and-Coming Artists in So Cal

There are all sorts of big names coming out in the Southern California art scene. These graffiti artists are some of the most unique people to take a look at this coming year. They have their own styles and use all sorts of different ways to pay attention to details when getting their work set up and displayed in all sorts of spots around the area.

The KTE Family is one of the top names to check out. The members are KTE, 3A, ETB and P2I. They are graffiti artists who have been around Los Angeles for the last couple of years and have been noted for creating intricate and detailed works of art. Many of these works are made with different kinds of designs that combine colors together to create more details.

Phret is another top name to see. This up-and-comer has been found around Los Angeles for the last few years and has made several simple graffiti designs that include more intricate patterns inside their letters.

Aware is an artist who has been painting trains and assorted billboards in recent months. The works are made with a combination of unusual images and true to life details. This includes working with exact measurements to create some of the most realistic looks around while still having plenty of whimsy in the illustrations that artist uses. The work that Aware is using is practically a form of mobile abstractionist art that can be seen throughout Southern California.

Prism is the next artist to see. This graffiti artist is responsible for several works that incorporate simple symbols inside the artwork to create some more unique appearances. They make for some attractive designs for anyone to see when in the area.

Risk is also a big name to see. Risk is relatively mysterious even though he has given a few interviews in the past. Risk makes street art that includes contemplative figures and attractive color arrangements. The mysterious looks that Risk uses in his work makes him a top name to see.

Angel Ortiz, who is better known as LA II, makes street art that includes several highly detailed arrangements. These art pieces are made with a variety of smaller lines and figures and can be seen with more than ten colors in an area on average. The attention to detail that Ortiz uses in his work makes him one of the most interesting new figures in Southern California to check out.

Retna is another artist whose work is becoming more popular around this part of California. Retna‘s work is known for having simple colors while also being intricate in terms of the patterns and shapes that are used. This includes an attention to individual shapes with there hardly being anything overlapping in an installation. Renta has become popular in recent months and even prepared an installation on the Bowery Graffiti Wall during a recent visit to New York.

These names are all attractive figures to find in the Southern California art scene. They are up-and-coming artists that people should expect to see over time thanks to their talents and their unique images.

Graffiti Displays In Southern California Museums

There are many things that a people can see when they visit Southern California Museums. This is because the museums are filled with a wide variety of displays some of which are related to the historical happenings as well as the most recent trends in this area. It therefore is without disputes that lovers of arts can find the museums to be some of the places where they can enjoy viewing a number of artistic displays that will help them to learn a thing or two about the development of arts in the entire Southern California region and even beyond.

Some of the things that a lover of arts can be sure to see are graffiti posters. Although graffiti is one of the oldest artistic trends in this area, expect to enjoy your stay if you visit the museums because there are many of them to see. Initially, this was an art that was left for the streets and other similar areas. However, with the increased interest of people of all ages in graffiti, you can now find many of such artistic products in many other areas including museums. Of course, this is something that is worth a celebration.

If there are graffiti artists that you only heard of but never got the opportunity to see them, then you do not have any reason to worry. Why should you worry yourself when there are many of their works being displayed in Southern California Museums? Chances are that the most famous artists, especially those from the early times, never visited your area or when they did, you were still too young to understand what graffiti is all about and you therefore missed an opportunity to see them in action. The huge fan base that they commanded is something that you have only been told about.

Indeed, the artists barely sold their products including posters in every part of the world. Some of the most remembered ones only sold their products in auctions. It therefore was not easy for someone who has not won the auction to understand what exactly the posters were about. However, with the change in the way people appreciate this kind of art, you can now be sure that whenever you want to see anything, you can go to any of your favorite museums in this expansive area and search from the many options that are available.

What is important to mention is the fact that the trends are changing. Since many years have passed since people started appreciating graffiti, there is no doubt that what is done currently is not what used to be done initially. Indeed, everything changes and people change too. If you thought that when you visit any of the Southern California museums you will only find the old art, you are mistaken. There are modern twists that make graffiti to be even better and you therefore should grace yourself for more breath taking posters and other artistic works. The best thing about it is that museums are easily accessible.

Southern California Art Culture

Southern California is a metropolitan area in the California state, south of the U.S.A. Major urban centers in the area are San Diego and Los Angeles.

Various cities and counties in Southern California are centers of arts and culture. These include:

Anaheim:
The city of Anaheim in southern California is home to the Muzeo, the newest museum in the region. The city established the Anaheim Arts council in 1977, which is an advisory council for arts and culture in Anaheim city.
It encourages the community to be involved in drama, dance, culture, visual arts, music and heritage. The arts council uses various ways to get funds so that it can give grants for the completion of projects of history, culture and art.
Membership to the council is open to all cultural, arts, historical and nonprofit service organizations within Anaheim.

Santa Monica:
The scene of Santa Monica’ arts are important for the attraction of people to the city. Santa Monica has six museums, forty public art installations, public art displays and more than ninety art galleries. These make it a perfect destination for the people interested in exploring Southern California art culture.
Cultural institutions such as the summer Santa Monica Pier concerts series at Santa Monica are open for both visitors and locals.

Los Angeles:
This city is renowned for its mural art and its many examples of wall art which are believed to be more than those in other cities across the world. The Chicano art movement was very active in Los Angeles during the 1960s and 1970s.
Art works that were produced by the East Los Streetscapers are still preserved in the East of Los Angeles. Chicano arts enabled the rise of self help Graphics &Art, which is internationally renowned. Various museums are found in Los Angeles. These include the Hammer museum, the Norton Simon Museum, the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Los Angeles has a wide collection of contemporary art. There are three distinct incarnations in the Museum of contemporary arts. These are the MOCA Downtown, the Pacific Palisades and the Geffen Contemporary. MOCA downtown is the standard collection of the museum whereas the Pacific Palisades is a multi-purpose building that comprises many offices, showrooms and stores. The Geffen contemporary is used for keeping of large installation pieces by artists that are more renowned.
There are other small art museums in Los Angeles such as California African American Museum and the Craft and Folk Art Museum. Private art collections by the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation and Eli broad are open to the public.

San Diego:
The Arts and Culture fest is held annually in San Diego. It is organized by a group of multicultural residents who live in the Diamond neighborhoods of the southeastern parts of San Diego. The fest is aimed at appreciating and promoting understanding between different cultures. It is one of the biggest cross cultural events in San Diego.
The San Diego Art & Culture museum is also an important part of the Southern California art culture.

LOS ANGELES’ ARTS DISTRICT:

The Arts district in Los Angeles was previously known as the warehouse district. It occupies the eastern part of downtown Los Angeles and borders the 101 freeway on the north, the 7th Street to the south, Alameda Street on the west and the Los Angeles River to the east. It is sometimes referred to as artists’ district or the Artist.
The Los Angeles’ arts district is full of former railroad and older industrial buildings. The Artist in Residence ordinance was passed in 1981 and allowed former industrial buildings to be used for residential purposes.

Artists and the Los Angeles art community had started buying and renting the former industrial buildings by the 1970s, which they used as art lofts. From the 21st century, the neighborhood’s popularity started attracting wealthier residents who were interested in getting the artist lifestyle.

The population has increased rapidly with new residents, mainly young professionals, coming to the Los Angeles’ arts district. These individuals reside alongside industrial and manufacturing businesses that are still functioning, as well as the veteran resident artists.
The Los Angeles’ arts district is defined by high-income, high-tech and higher education according to a demographic survey that was carried out. The survey was the first one to be done in history.

Both visitors and residents move in large numbers to the eclectic and edgy urban living corner. It has been a flourishing business center for more than forty years for artists as well as art organizations .It attracts very educated and wealthy residents, business owners and employees.

The landscape is dotted by condos and loft-style apartments that are found in renovated industrial buildings. The arts district is home to film locations, government facilities, food processing, cold storage, major rail yard, personal storage, furniture and fashion design and warehouses.

There are many artists in the district in work or live spaces which support non-profits and creative entrepreneurial businesses. The Southern California Institute of Architecture, a school of architecture, is also found in Los Angeles’ arts district.

The arts district is also home to the following:

• The Americano restaurant:
  • This restaurant’s menu comprises New American Cuisine in an industrial setting .It offers craft beers, domestic wines, rustic breads, artisanal cheeses, and seasonal selections of produce that is locally sourced.Art District public Art Medallions:
• Public art Medallions were unveiled on February 2012 by the BID. These are intended to mark and celebrate the creative arts district’s history. Currently, the medallions adorn light poles from Alameda to Santa Fe.
• This is the first phase of the project.Restaurants :
  • Include Urth Caffe, Wurstkuche, R23, Tony’s salon, Church & state, and Villains Tavern.
• Daily Journal’s offices:
  • The daily journal is the legal daily newspaper of California. Its Los Angeles offices are located in the arts district.
• Shops and galleries:
  • There are variety of eclectic galleries and shops in the arts district. The Royal Elastics, a shoe and apparel line, is also found in the district.

The La Kretz CleanTech Innovation Campus is to be established in Los Angeles arts district. More buildings are expected to have been constructed by the start of 2013.

Annual Art Events in So Cal

Southern California has continuously held a lot of art events for people who are enthusiasts of art. To add more, some of these said events are held annually. For this reason, a lot of people come to Southern California in order to be able to participate in this kind of events. But, recently, a new form of art has arisen and has caught the attention of the public. This art, that was once considered vandalism, is now seen in a different way. This new form of art is called graffiti.

What is graffiti?
To those who are not familiar with this art, graffiti or graffito (singular) can be defined as writings or drawings that are usually scribbled or sprayed unlawfully on walls and on other surfaces in areas that are considered for public. Graffiti can be simple written words or complex wall paintings. Graffiti’s existence was seen even during Ancient Greece and Roman Empire. But, nowadays, the definition of graffiti is no longer applicable since a lot of people have already considered graffiti as a work of art. In fact, there are art events in Southern California wherein they feature graffiti art.

What are the materials used in making graffiti art?
Commonly, paint, particularly spray paint, and marker paints are used in creating graffiti. In some countries, putting graffiti on properties without the consent of the owner is considered an unlawful act. But, because a lot of people have shown interest and appreciated this kind of art, graffiti has created disagreements among various city officials and other people.

Graffiti as a rapidly developing art
Graffiti can now be considered as one of the rapidly developing art. For this reason, a lot of annual art events in Southern California have featured graffiti. Of course, as expected a lot of people come to witness these events.

Events that featured graffiti
Last August 08, 2011, the Museum of Contemporary Art has presented Art in the Streets wherein graffiti and street art where the subject. During this exhibit, the development of graffiti and street art was shown, from the early 70s up to the present. As expected, a lot of people showed their appreciation for graffiti by attending to this event. To add more, due to the undeniable success of this art exhibit, the exhibition traveled to Brooklyn Museum and was made available for public viewing last March 30 to July 08, 2012. Art in the street has also featured installations of some of the most dynamic artist from the graffiti community. These artists include Fab 5 Freddy, Futura, Swoon, Os Gemeos, Lee Quinones, JR, and a lot more. The event has also made emphasis on the role of Los Angeles in the development of graffiti and street art.

Graffiti as one of the most appreciated art
Due to the success of events that showcased graffiti as an art, it is certain that a lot of people have appreciated the beauty and the true meaning of graffiti and street art. That, through this kind of art, people now have a new way of expressing how they feel and how they perceive their current situation in life.