Art in the Streets

Kenny Scharf's "LA Chunkpack 11," 2011


Neckface (in character as a bum throughout the press preview)"Art in the Streets" is ultimately a hybrid of two ethically ambiguous cultural movements, neither of which bears much resemblance to what it claims to be. Museums are alleged to be educational resources for the public governed by learned consensus — certainly not a tax-shelter arena for rich people's pissing contests. Street Art is supposed to be an inherently political collective visual reclamation of bureaucratically and commercially apportioned public space and consciousness — certainly not a cynical marketing ploy by semi-pro illustrators without the chops to make it in the industry. To the extent that these fictions cancel each other out and create a gap for creativity to flourish, the show is a surprising and delightful success.
- Doug Harvey ARTINFO