Los Angeles

New Image Art Gallery Presents: Anthony Lister. A Body Of New Work. (Los Angeles, CA)

February 13, 2012 , , , , ,

Anthony Lister

 

ANTHONY LISTER

OPENING RECEPTION

THURSDAY

FEBRUARY 23, 2012

6PM – 9PM

 

Opening Thursday, February 23, 2012, with a body of new work, New Image Art is pleased to present a new solo exhibition by returning artist Anthony Lister. Lister’s work takes influence from street art, expressionism, and pop art. Taking inspiration from his immediate surroundings he paints the parodies of modern life. His distinctive style is a visible tension between figuration and abstraction executed with bold confidence.

For his new exhibition Lister has created a montage of figurative renderings with special focus on the central theme of the beautiful and sometimes twisted form of the dancing ballerina. Along with a special print release and new series of sculptures, this new body of work promises to wow the viewer in its technical skill and refinement derived from sketching a live model. The opening reception will also feature a live dance performance as well as a hanging installation.

Born in Brisbane, Australia in 1979, Lister is a renowned painter and installation artist with an international profile. Lister graduated from Queensland College of Art in 2001, shortly after, he went to New York and worked under the mentorship of New Zealand painter Max Gimblett in 2002 and was the recipient of the 2004 Education Queensland Minister’s Art Awards, with a further mentoring workshop residency at Blender Studio, Melbourne. A selection of Lister’s work was the focus of the monograph, Twice on Sundays, published by Fox Galleries (Brisbane, AU) in 2005. Recently, he undertook a research residency in Berlin, and his travels have extended him to take part in an impressive list of sell-out solo and group exhibitions around the world. Lister’s work has been acquired by the National Gallery, featured in Juxtapoz magazine, and he was a finalist in the 2007 ABN Amro Award. In 2010 Lister was named one of the top 50 collectable artists in Australia by Australian Art Collector. He has held solo exhibitions throughout the US, Europe and Britain, straddling the boundaries of street art and the gallery world. His work has been featured in numerous publications including Forthcoming title, Wooster Collective, Taschen and Beyond the Street, 100 Leading Figures in Street Art, Gestalten.

New Image Art

7920 Santa Monica Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90046

323.654.2192

www.newimageartgallery.com

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Retna Does New Wall In Downtown Los Angeles for LA Freewalls

February 11, 2012 , , , ,

Los Angeles based Street Artist and graff writer RETNA has his own alphabet when it comes to writing on walls. We occasionally meet someone who says they can read it, but I’m suspicious that they may also be the kind of clairvoyant person who is able to divine water that lies underground with a wooden stick in their hand. Hell I’m dyslexic with standard English so I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if I can figure out what RETNA’s secret language is. But that’s not the point of this story, is it?

Photographer and BSA contributor Birdman captured this new work by RETNA, on the side wall of the soon to open LALA Gallery, as he worked with a monochromatic palette of grays, silver and black. This is the first phase of this wall as the artist will be adding more work in the future.

Says Birdman “Dunno what it says but its in Spanish, tried to get a translation but it didn’t happen”. Can you tell us what it says? Any interpreters online today?

Looks nice though.

RETNA. La Freewalls (photo © Birdman)

RETNA. La Freewalls (photo © Birdman)

RETNA. La Freewalls (photo © Birdman)

RETNA. La Freewalls (photo © Birdman)

RETNA’s best friend looking pretty buff in that snug jersey. La Freewalls (photo © Birdman)

RETNA. La Freewalls (photo © Birdman)

RETNA. La Freewalls (photo © Birdman)

RETNA and Zes are in a new show “Excavated Revelations” opening today at the Known Gallery in Los Angeles. For further information regarding this show click here.

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Known Gallery Presents: Zes/Retna “Excavated Revelations” (Los Angeles, CA)

February 9, 2012 , , , , , ,

Excavated Revelations

EXCAVATED REVELATIONS
Featuring: ZES & RETNA

Opening reception: February 11, 2012 | 8 – 11 pm
Show runs: February 11 – 25, 2012

Known Gallery
441 North Fairfax Avenue,
Los Angeles, CA 90036
info@knowngallery.com

 

“Back in the day, there were these old buildings in downtown Los Angeles on Broadway Street that were abandoned, but they were so beautiful.  Zes and I wanted to climb them no matter how high they were, just so we could write on them.  They might not have been paintings, but to me, they were still works of art.” – RETNA

Known Gallery is proud to present Excavated Revelations, a dual exhibition featuring new work by Los Angeles-based artists ZES and RETNA.   Introduced in their youth by their mutual friend AYER, ZES and RETNA led parallel lives through an upbringing in graffiti. Utilizing a fluidity and precision they mastered by painting some of the most coveted walls in the city, their refined technique is now exemplified in this fresh body of abstract work.

ZES began his career at the young age of thirteen and gained recognition for his determination to climb some of the city’s most challenging locations, stealthily navigating the streets of Los Angeles and commandeering its obscure walls at night. Growing up in the heart of the city, by the age of fifteen, ZES became one of the youngest members of the legendary MSK crew and has helped define the contemporary graffiti movement. Widely respected for his innovations to West Coast wild style, his determination to overcome the obstacles the nature of graffiti presented resulted in a fervent approach to his modus operandi.  His longevity has allowed him to produce a substantial amount of work on the streets, making him one of the most influential and recognized graffiti artists not only in the city, but also internationally, along with his contemporaries AYER, REVOK, and SABER. He has traveled from coast to coast in search of new environments that challenge him to climb higher and paint pieces that express his creative intensity.  To this day, ZES can still be found on rooftops, ledges and fire escapes.

RETNA is always brimming with new ideas.  This past year alone, his work has been spotted everywhere from tail wings of jets to the walls of the Museum of Contemporary Art.  RETNA continuously pushes personal, artistic and physical boundaries as demonstrated in Excavated Revelations.  In this exhibition, he challenges himself with various methods including etching, the most esteemed technique used for master printing.  The age-old process utilizes zinc plates, produced and manipulated through washes and resists and placed in a bath charged with an electric current that physically “etches” the plate. An impression is then printed by running the plate and a sheet of paper through a press at about 2,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. The result is beautifully embossed into the paper.

Known Gallery
441 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
info@knowngallery.com
310-860-6263

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“Wrinkles” Revisted, Revealed : JR New Mini-Doc

February 7, 2012 , , ,

A year ago on BSA and Huffington Post we brought you the new installation by French Street Artist JR on the streets of Los Angeles called “Wrinkles in the City”.

At the time the installation was still unveiling on walls across a swath of LA, greeting morning commuters and puzzling image-conscious plastic surgeons in the city of angelic youthfulness. The city was anticipating the soon-opening “Art in the Streets” exhibit at The Museum of Contemporary Art, and the artist himself had just garnered a TED prize.

Today we get a look at the new mini-documentary about the “Wrinkles” series and learn much more about the people featured in the gargantuan images plastered on walls everywhere. A sensitive portrayal of the subjects, the pacing of the doc allows stories to unfold before you. Following the video are images of the LA street show by Todd Mazer and Jaime Rojo.

JR Los Angeles (photo @ Jaime Rojo)

JR Los Angeles (photo © Jaime Rojo)

JR Los Angeles. LA Freewalls (photo © Jaime Rojo)

JR Los Angeles (photo © Jaime Rojo)

JR Los Angeles. LA Freewalls (photo © Todd Mazer)

JR Los Angeles (photo © Jaime Rojo)

See our article of JR “Wrinkles in the City” with great photos by Todd Mazer on the Huffington Post HERE

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Lab Art Gallery Presents: Q & A “Legal Walls” A Conversation (Los Angeles, CA)

February 2, 2012 , , , ,

Legal Walls

LAB ART Presents Q&A – LEGAL WALLS

A CONVERSATION BETWEEN STREET ARTISTS AND LA CITY OFFICIALS

January 27th, 2012, Los Angeles, CA – LAB ART, the largest art gallery in North America dedicated to Street Art, opens up a new era in the Los Angeles art scene by creating a dialog between LA City Officials and Street Artists with their new panel discussion ‘Q&A – LEGAL WALLS.’ LAB ART is thrilled to bring a new conversation to the LA art scene where LA City Officials sit down with Street Artists and discuss how the policies they created really affect the Artist.

Representing the City of Los Angeles is ‘Tanner the Planner’ the well known Los Angeles city planning official who is cited by LA Weekly as single-handedly raising the issue of the 2007 controversial public mural moratorium and helping to rewrite the Mural Policy to lift the moratorium. Showing the support of the Los Angeles City Counsel for public art will be Council Member John Darnell of District 5.

Lydiaemily, Activist & Street Artist who was arrested by the LAPD and made an example of by the District Attorney for practicing her craft on the streets of LA, now gets a chance to create a practical dialog with the City that arrested her. Not something to miss.

“Our society seems to have a difficult time accepting responsibility, and as a guy who paints on walls I guess that means that I do as well.  As our attention span shortens from our sugar high, democracy has been replaced by capitalism. Rome is falling again. Hold on. Meanwhile let’s play in the streets and have a good laugh.” – DOC

Exclusive Street Artist DESIRE OBTAIN CHERISH (DOC) will be rounding out the panel as an artist who straddles both the urban world of street art and the high concept world of advertising as a graduate of Parsons. He recently contributed to the international Street Art scene by taking part in the Madrid Street Advertising Takeover (MaSAT) in Spain.

Starting @ 7PM till 9PM ‘LAB Art Presents Q&A – LEGAL WALLS, a A CONVERSATION BETWEEN STREET ARTIST AND LA CITY OFFICIALS’ will feature the following talking points.

– The Question of Materials : Who creates the official guide for muralists?

– Subject Matter : Who sets the ‘acceptable standards’ for independent walls?

– Existing ‘illegal’ Murals : How does the new policy effect existing murals? Will there be a ‘grandfather’ clause?

– Sponsor Art : What are the guidelines to distinguish ad from art? Where does sponsored art fall?

‘Tanner the Planner’ will be starting the night off with a quick presentation covering the following –

 

  • new murals have been banned in LA since 2002 due to an attack on LA’s public art exemption by the outdoor advertising industry.
  • In October 2011, the City Council voted to advance a “time/place/manner” administrative permit for murals;
  • City planner Tanner Blackman has the responsibility of drafting new mural regulations, workshopping the proposals with the public, and guiding the new ordinance through the legislative process.

About LAB ART –

LAB ART Los Angeles is dedicated to an alternative exhibition of street art and installation. The gallery features works of more than 30 of the most prominent and up-and-coming names of the Los Angeles Street Art scene and beyond. Spanning 6,500 square feet of gallery space, LAB ART offers art collectors and art lovers a dynamic roster of vibrant and thought-provoking exhibitions.
Tanner Blackman –
Tanner Blackman is a planner for the Code Studies Section of the City of LA’s Department of City Planning and an adjunct professor of urban planning at USC’s Price School of Public Policy.  He has taught in the Future Initiatives Program (SCIFI) at the Southern California Institute of Architecture.  He is responsible for drafting LA’s citywide mural ordinance.
Lydiaemily –
Lydiaemily Archibald is a political activist, and both a street and fine artist. Her fine art has been shown in galleries world wide. She has produced murals throughout California, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.

DESIRE OBTAIN CHERISH  (DOC) –

DESIRE OBTAIN CHERISH lives and creates in Los Angeles. He graduated from Parsons and has won awards creating advertising campaigns, composing music, and art directing fashion magazines. DOC has gained respect for his sharp wit and graphic style on both the streets and in galleries. He has been attracting an international reputation as well by contributing to the Madrid Street Advertising Takeover (MaSAT) in Spain 2011, as well as numerous gallery shows across the US.

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Images of the Week 01.29.12

Images of the Week 01.29.12

January 29, 2012 , , , , , , , , , ,

The streets have been seeing an uptick in socio-political messages recently, whether because of the Occupy protests, or because artists are exercising their speech in low cost, low-tech, person-to-person methods. The very personal nature of this kind of messaging actually feels impactful when it catches your eye with a sense of intention, grabbing you by the ear and making you think. This week we have Street Art  commentary about housing, class inequality, the abuse of poser, erosion of privacy and fears of a police state. It makes sense that art on the streets is reflecting us back to ourselves.

Here’s our weekly interview with the street; this week featuring Buff Monster, Cash4, Cope, Dirty Teddies, Ema, Enzo & Nio, Essam, Faile, Hush, Ment, Shiro, XAM, and XXX.

ESSAM. A more conceptual culture-jamming series of new signs in certain New York neighborhoods is meant as a way to raise awareness by an Iraq war veteran turned civil libertarian, according to news reports published recently. This sign warns about alleged plans for Police surveillance drones could be ubiquitous in society. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Wolf rides, anyone? Faile (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Hush gets to know some of the local neighbors while busy at work in San Francisco (© courtesy Hush)

Hush has been on the street in San Francisco this week (photo exclusively for BSA © courtesy of Hush). Stay tuned for a Hush special feature on Monday of his current show.

Ema (photo © Jaime Rojo)

The billionaire Mayor of New York is taking a hit here from this Street Art poster by Enzo & Nio. Styled as Marie Antoinette, Michael Bloomberg is portrayed as a haughty royal who is disconnected from the rabble, and cares not a wit. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

A masters graff wall in Miami (photo © Jaime Rojo)

XAM is addressing the ongoing bank mortgage crisis in the US with this street sculpture installation on Skid Row in Los Angeles (photo © XAM)

Cash4 with Ment (photo © Jaime Rojo)

You see! XXX (photo © Jaime Rojo)

You can always spot the tourist dinosaurs with their fanny packs in Times Square. Dirty Teddies (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Untitled (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Dabs & Myla: Carlos Gonzalez Talks About His Video

January 26, 2012 , , , , , ,

Last month photographer and video artist Carlos Gonzalez tagged along with Street Art duo Dabs & Myla in Los Angeles to do a bit more than the typical mural project. Following them through the steps of their own tradition, Carlos captured some of their humanity along with their serious skillz with cans. Since illuminating different angles of the creative process that provide you with more insight is always a BSA value, Carlos has appeared on these pages many times as photographer and videographer. This time he’s thinking his newest project is a documentary. Let’s see what you think.

Dabs & Myla (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Brooklyn Street Art asked Carlos a couple of questions about his experience shooting on the streets and how many arms he would like to have:

Brooklyn Street Art: You like both stills and video. How do you divide your time when shooting a new installation between still photography and video. Do you wish you could have eight arms to cover everything that happens?

Carlos Gonzalez: I still lean more towards still photography even though I have a background in film and graduated from film school. I like the concept of freezing a moment in time. That’s something you can’t capture in video. When one remembers a certain moment from the past, it’s always an image or a single moment that comes to mind. It’s hardly ever a scene playing out entirely. At least that’s my experience. So I feel like photography captures moments that will never happen again in a more honest way.

Of course this complicates things when making a video because in essence, I have to choose between capturing those moments in stills or filming the moment. The best approach: Be ultra aware of everything that’s going on so when the special moment happens, you’re ready to capture it before it’s gone. What’s really interesting about this Dabs & Myla video, and one factor which didn’t hit me till later on, was how uniquely close the mural footage looked to my photos. In this instance, it was just a matter of predicting when those moments would happen and capturing them as soon as possible. So yeah, it’s a balancing act and at times, I do wish I had multiple cameras all running at once from 5 different angles. But even then, I’m sure I would still kick myself for missing out on a small human expression, a certain movement, a wink or a smile. Case in point, the shot where Myla’s hair is blowing amidst the wind. I wish I had photographed that moment as it happened. I still look back and think, “how did I not get that shot?”

 Dabs & Myla (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Brooklyn Street Art: You begin the video with the artists going to a grocery store and debating over purchases. At the end we find out what they are used for.  Can you talk about the experience from your perspective?

Carlos Gonzalez: The experience was really interesting and I felt privileged to be a part of it, mostly because I understood how important this tradition is for Dabs Myla. Before the mural even took place we got together and talked about the tradition, their reasons for doing it, and I even saw early sketches of the mural. From that moment I understood how special this project could be and it simply came down to capturing the whole experience in the most honest way possible. The entire process really came down to capturing as much footage as possible. Sure there were ideas of how to edit the video. But those concepts are always changing so you don’t worry too much about those technical aspects in the start. At least with this video, which I treated like a short documentary, I was just concerned with making sure I filmed moments that feel unique and that have a human element that we can all relate to.

 Dabs & Myla (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

I never once asked Dabs Myla to replay a certain moment just for the camera. I basically asked them to go through their routine as usual and pretend that I was never there. This feeling definitely comes through the video.  From the second they walk into the grocery store to the final shot of the film, it’s all real emotions and actions bursting through the screen. So in a way, this video is not so much about a mural, but rather it’s a story about helping one individual with street art as the backdrop. The last part of the process was to edit the footage in such a way that put a question in the viewers’ minds about what the tradition may be and you keep their attention till the very end so there’s an emotional payoff.

 Dabs & Myla (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Brooklyn Street Art: When you’ve hung out with artists creating murals on the street, have you had occasion to meet people who live there?

Carlos Gonzalez: I have had the chance to meet individuals whose properties or walls are being painted on. And they’ve always being very supportive of the art. I’ve only had one instance where certain people or neighbors feel like street art is affecting their neighborhood in a negative way. So yes, there’s a bit of stigma still attached to graffiti and street art, but it’s clearly changing and it’s more acceptable now than it ever was. And hopefully videos like this one and others can change more people’s perspective about how this kind of art can have a much more positive aspect across different communities.

 Dabs & Myla (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

 Dabs & Myla (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

 

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Fun Friday 01.20.12

Fun Friday 01.20.12

January 20, 2012 , , , , , , , , ,

Our top Stories for you on this Fun Friday:

  1. “These Boots Are Made for Walking” Nancy Sinatra (VIDEO)
  2. Pure Evil Goes Pop! Saturday at Corey Helford (LA)
  3. Ludo in Rome Saturday
  4. Ryan Seslow and Borbay
  5. Cheap Art at the Affordable Art Fair This Weekend in LA
  6. FAILE ON FILM: From Ride5 Films (VIDEO)
  7. RETNA with Primary Flight in Miami (VIDEO)
  8. Herakut for NUART 2011 (VIDEO)
  9. En Masse at “Art San Diego” 2011 by Fred Caron (VIDEO)

<<<<<>>>>><<<<>><><><><><>>><<

First we’d like to ask that all the Ladies get up from the desk and do some strutting around the office in high heel boots. That should liven up an otherwise grey winter day right? Come on boots, start walkin’ !

 

Pure Evil Goes Pop! Saturday at Corey Helford (LA)

Inspired by the relative ease of reproducing masterworks by so-called “copy villages” in China, as well as the reductivist assessment the market does to an artist’s body of work, Street Artist Pure Evil is knocking out versions of Jackie and Liz with black eyes dripping to the floor, just for fun.

Says the artist, “Edward Albee’s film ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ starring Taylor and Burton brilliantly illustrates a nightmare couple who use alcohol to fuel anguish and emotional pain towards each other. I was amazed at the film and so I did a painting of ‘Richard Burtons Nightmare’ / Liz Taylor’ and a print in 2 POP colourways and 2 months later, Liz died…”

Pure Evil Goes Pop! Opening on Saturday at Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City, Los Angeles.

http://www.coreyhelfordgallery.com
8522 Washington Boulevard Culver City, CA 90232

For further information regarding this show click here

Ludo in Rome Saturday

Parisian Street Artist LUDO travels to Rome for his solo show “Natures Revenge” opening on Saturday at the Wunderkammern Gallery.

The local paper tells about Ludo’s impending opening (© the artist)

Ludo in Los Angeles (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding this show click here

Ryan Seslow and Borbay

Local Brooklyn artist and Street Art enthusiast Ryan Seslow is having a show “Street Legal – Gratiffyti: Seslow & Borbay on Canvas” opening this Sunday at Iona College Arts Center in New Rochelle, NY.

For further information regarding this show click here

Cheap Art at the Affordable Art Fair This Weekend in LA

 

 

Almost 300 emerging and established artist show work this weekend in LA at the Affordable Art Fair. With prices from $100 to up to $10K. Be on the look out for C.A.V.E. Gallery at booth C-8 and for Thinkspace Gallery on booth B-9.

For further information, complete list of exhibitors, schedules and directions go to the Affordable Art Fair site here

FAILE ON FILM: From Ride5 Films (VIDEO)

Dang!  Did you see this video interview with the Faile twins yesterday on BSA? Brand New Faile Video – The 1986 Challenger Crash and It’s Impact

RETNA with Primary Flight in Miami (VIDEO)

Primary Flight teams up with RETNA in Miami to paint on Brimstone by Colin M Day.

Herakut for NUART 2011 (VIDEO)

A fine film of the adorable duo in action at Nuart this year as they stretch their imaginations for an installation that is nothing short of, and more than, set design.

En Masse at “Art San Diego” 2011 by Fred Caron (VIDEO)

 

 

 

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Corey Helford Gallery Presents: Pure Evil. Pure Evil Goes Pop! (Culver City, CA)

January 19, 2012 , , , , , , ,

Pure Evil

Corey Helford Gallery
Los Angeles, CA
presents new works by
PURE EVIL – Pure Evil Goes Pop!

Opening Reception Saturday, January 21, 2012 from 7-10pm On View January 21 – February 8, 2012

On Saturday, January 21, 2012, Corey Helford Gallery will present PURE EVIL GOES POP! PURE EVIL’s first solo exhibition at the gallery.

“The show is inspired by Warhol and Rosenquist and by the 60’s and is a departure from a lot of the street art based work I have been doing.. I was inspired by Warhol’s diaries and his manic obsession to paint beautiful famous people. At a certain point he realised that he had kind of lost the plot, and he was kind of losing ground to new school graffiti artists like Basquiat and Haring and they gave him the boot up the arse he needed.

I was inspired by an email I got from a copy village in China, they sent me a list of all the paintings from the world of art that they could reproduce for me and I was struck by the fact that they had distilled Warhol’s entire career down to 3 works, an electric chair, a Jackie Kennedy and a Liz Taylor.. All available for cheap ! A whole life that had been turned into 3 tiny thumbnails available to buy NOW. Warhol would have loved the joke. I decided to run with the idea and turn myself into a copy village .

Edward Albee’s film ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ starring Taylor and Burton brilliantly illustrates a nightmare couple who use alcohol to fuel anguish and emotional pain towards each other. I was amazed at the film and so I did a painting of ‘Richard Burton’s Nightmare’ / Liz Taylor’ and a print in 2 POP colourways and 2 months later, Liz died… Sales started to grow as the obituaries and TV specials morbidly repeated the same details of her life and her loves over and over again. “

The upstairs gallery will feature new works by UK artist Pure Evil. Inspired by Warhol, Rosenquist and the 60s, the collection entitled -Pure Evil Goes Pop!- is a departure from the artist$)A&Ps street art work and cel- ebrates Warhol&Ps obsession with capturing beautiful, famous people. Icon Elizabeth Taylor is immortalized in the painting -Richard Burton&Ps Nightmare,- created from a palette of strange hues with subliminal meanings.

-I have kept this whole collection of paintings very simple,- Pure Evil explains. $)A!]The features of the women are simplified down to the most basic lines possible, cut into three stencil layers with a sharp blade, and labori- ously sprayed to build up the faces. The eyes drip painted tears, the product of broken dreams of love.!\
The opening reception for -Pure Evil Goes Pop!- and -It$)A&Ps a Jungle Out There- by Eric Joyner is on Saturday January 21 at Corey Helford Gallery. The reception is open to the public, and the exhibition will be on view through February 8, 2012.

8522 Washington Boulevard Culver City, CA 90232 T: 310-287-2340

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Anthony Lister Goes Ape Crazy on the Barracuda Wall

December 12, 2011 , , ,

Yo, Whassup Chimp?

Under cover of night Street Artist Anthony Lister just monkeyed around with some cans on a wall in LA to do his own interpretation of “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”. The wall on Melrose is on the building “De La Barracuda”, “a well known wall that gets a lot of Street Artists on it,” remarks photographer Birdman.  Mr. Lister says he likes the job because it gives him a challenge. As you can see, he’s an excellent choice by wall producer Roger Gastman to interpret this modern jungle scene; a story with enough psychological layers and undertones to make any social scientist go apesh*t.

Five stars to photographer Birdman for showing these cool shots for BSA readers.

Anthony Lister (photo © Birdman)

Anthony Lister (photo © Birdman)

Anthony Lister (photo © Birdman)

Anthony Lister (photo © Birdman)

Anthony Lister (photo © Birdman)

Anthony Lister (photo © Birdman)

Anthony Lister (photo © Birdman)

Anthony Lister (photo © Birdman)

Anthony Lister (photo © Birdman)

Anthony Lister (photo © Birdman)

Anthony Lister (photo © Birdman)

Anthony Lister (photo © Birdman)

Gastman and Lister cross Melrose to get a good look. (photo © Birdman)

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The City of Angels AND Murals Considers a New Approach

December 8, 2011 , , ,

“Original Art Murals comprise a unique medium of expression that serves the public interest.”

Shocking as that may sound, it is just one of the statements contained in a proposed new mural ordinance in Los Angeles.  We don’t usually dip our toes into policy discussions regarding public art, preferring to concentrate on the art and the artist and where we’re headed from that perspective. But it has been a bit of high theater to see the machinations at work in a city prized for it’s history of public murals as official policy has wiped out perfectly legal community approved artworks and secured the rights of corporations to blight neighborhoods with billboard messages to buy goods and services.

​”For months, the L.A. Department of City Planning has been teasing street artists with announcements of a new ordinance that would lift the current ban on all pre-approved murals on private property in Los Angeles,” says the LA Weekly Blog yesterday, as they take the council of the celebrated local graffiti artist Saber and his community arts activist buddy Daniel Lahoda, among others, to pound out an agreement that puts public art back in peoples hands.  Without talking about vandalism, the current laws on the books actually prevent a property owner from commissioning artwork on their own buildings. The new policy will re-classify murals as “original works of art”  as long as they are not shilling for a business. Also, puppies are cute.  And boys like girls in short skirts. And the Pope is Catholic.

Below a selection of images from the murals in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles as part of the LA Freewalls Project spearheaded by Daniel Lahoda.

JR (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Shepard Fairey (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Anthony Lister (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Swoon (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ROA (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Saber and Augustine Kofie (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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