Art in the Streets | MOCA, LA

I was fortunate enough to be in Los Angeles last summer for the Art in the Streets Exhibit at the progressive Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). When I was in high school, I developed an interest in graffiti. I was fascinated by the intricate way artists would form words with a unique hand style. I recall the numerous classes spent creating a hand style of my own that was both unique and worthy enough to call a tag. I'm not going to lie, I dabbled a little with the spray can in my youth. But those evenings were some of the most memorable adventures of my young life. The thrill of it all was infectious and it had a long standing influence on all of my creative endeavours.

Unfortunately, I never had the balls nor the talent to fully pursue the art of graffiti but my appreciation for the art form never died. Graffiti artists have been making waves in the mainstream thanks to numerous conscious artists like Banksy, Sheperd Fairey and David Choe. It is because of this popular recognition that a show like 'Art in the Streets' was possible. 25 years ago, graffiti was thought of as mindless vandalism but today it has reached a level of acceptance in the art community and public domain.

Below is a series of select photos that I took at the exhibit. The thrill of seeing some of the artists that I have admired for numerous years was seriously inspiring. To say that it was life changing would be an understatement and I will forever be grateful that I was able to witness my 'Mona Lisa', 'Starry Night' and 'Last Supper'. Enjoy!



Keith Haring's painted car welcomed you to the exhibit.


L: Mr. A leading the way to the bathrooms. R:Swoon's massive paper cutout piece titled 'Ice Queen'


The most controversial graffiti artist there has ever been. The often imitated, never duplicated. I'm talking about the one and only Banksy!

Certainly one of the most impressive and talked about pieces at the show. Banksy's collaboration with local school children; Stained Glass


Have you seen Animal Chin?


One of the few OG painters still doing this thing. So classic yet ahead of his time. Risk.


L: Street wear fans will know about this guy. Original Fake, Medicom & Comme des Garcons may ring a bell. Kaws kills it! R: Barry McGee has one of the most unique styles I've seen! Amazing hand style and typography work.


Hugh Holland's photos of the Z-Boys have to be the gnarliest skateboard photos I have ever laid my eyes on. The fluidity is breathtaking!


I'm not sure who inspired this madness... but I love it!




I have a personal obsession with Martha Cooper's photography. Often called the "Fairy Godmother of Graff" she was the first to document graffiti to such an extent and was integral in creating the understanding that these people were not mindless vandals but were artists! Her grittiness and humanistic style is a major inspiration for my photography #incredible.



Thanks for reading and viewing the photos. Unfortunately, I don't have photos of everyone featured (Neck Face, Mr. Cartoon, Futura, Terry Richardson, etc.). Obviously, this is something that left a lasting impression on me and is something that I am still passionate about. I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did making it!

Cheers,

STV

Engagement Shoot: Rex & Christy

Celebrating the love and devotion that Rex & Christy share for each other. They are an amazing couple and I am very thankful that they welcomed me to document their love for each other! The light became extremely flat quickly that evening but we managed to pull off a fun shoot together in downtown Calgary, along Stephen Avenue. It wasn't too hard to see the love these two have for each other! Thank you to Chloe for being my helpful assistant for this shoot!

New Toy: Fujifilm x10

I've been looking for a new camera for the longest time now. Not something to replace my beloved Canon 5D Mark II, but something that is compact, lightweight and discrete. I was looking for something that I can carry comfortably while traveling, cycling and snowboarding. Obviously, while the 5DMkII is my favourite, it is cumbersome. After careful research, I decided on the Fujifilm x10! I actually own one Fuji compact camera, which is the Fujifilm Natural Classica film compact. I loved the camera so much that I gave Fuji a second shot with their brand new x10!

Fuji is well known in the industry for their extremely sharp lenses, vibrant colour saturation and for their beautiful camera designs. I'll admit, I'm a sucker for the old school look and feel of the x10, borrowing design cues from the 1971 classic Leica M5 Rangefinder. However, the functionality and operation of this camera is all 21st century. The 12MP CMOS sensor is a gem! Low light and high ISO performance is outstanding for a compact camera. Shadow detail and dynamic range is comparable to that of Micro 4/3 cameras (ie; Olympus Pen and Panasonic G-series). The lens is not interchangeable but will prove to be all you will need, offering a variable f/2.0-2.8 aperture and around 4X optical zoom! I couldn't really ask for much more from a compact camera

Did I forget to mention she's good looking?





Alright, enough camera porn and gear talk! The proof is in the pudding! Here is a little taste of what the little black beauty can do! I've only owned the camera for just short of two weeks now and here are some test shots from around town.























BYE!!

Munny Exchange 2012

It's that time of the year again, ladies and gents, where the 'In Laws' and I exchange original pieces of art. I'm talking about the yearly Kidrobot Mini Munny Exchange (in case the title didn't give it away)! Our creativity and mental toughness is put to the ultimate test as we painstakingly produce our masterpieces. Abilities are pushed to the limit in an effort to make the best Munny of the year and more importantly, NOT the worst Munny of the year! In any case, here are the Munny's; check them out and you can judge for yourself!