As art evolves, the question is worth visiting: is street art still relevant? In a world where Andy Warhol pop art knock-offs are prolific, the scope of creativity behind the craft of spray paint on concrete seems to be limiting. I mean, come on, how many wheat pastes of Marilyn Monroe can one city have?
In a hollowed out warehouse in the arts district of downtown Los Angeles, a group of street artists gathered to relinquish the fear of incarceration for the night for a gallery called “The Streets Will Never Be The Same” hosted by Cartwheel Art. Their work stood in protest of the idea that street art is dead. While masturbatory celebrity worship was obviously present, the majority of artists in attendance brought something fresh to the scene.
Pop culture unfiltered is the best way to describe Trust. iCON. Absurd juxtaposition that makes a statement.
“Become the art” isn’t just some cheesy catchphrase used by high school ceramics teachers. For Morley, he is inseparable from what he creates. That’s because each of his pieces feature a self portrait. The real Morley exists in the art he makes.
In fact, Morley himself said that he’s less afraid of being arrested for his street art. He’s more worried someone is going to draw a dick in his mouth. That’s as real as it gets.
More 90’s than a Gameboy Color, Lucas Raynaud cleverly stuck Biggie Smalls in a blender with Calvin & Hobbes to create nostalgia that seeps from the canvas.
The question “is street art still relevant?” remains to be unanswered. However the artists on the front lines turning banal urban walls into works of art refuse to let the craft die.
PHOTO CRED: MISHONE FEIGIN / INSTAGRAM
