Public Works Opening at LALA Arts
No matter your opinion on the form, street art undoubtedly continues to shake up the art world. Plenty of gallery and museum shows have been paying close attention to street art’s forerunners and the impact of their art on everyone from unsuspecting passersby to established art critics.
One of street art’s biggest supporters, Daniel Lahoda, presented LALA Art’s second show “Public Works,” an exhibition that goes beyond the gallery’s walls. On opening night Friday, visitors could gaze upon works that make up a two-part exhibit. Inside, the pieces display the artistic finesse of names like Zes, How & Nosm, Risk, Revok, Insa and Shepard Fairey. Their murals will later appear around Los Angeles, covering the city’s biggest public, visual statements – billboards.
The show presents more than art pieces that simply decorate a wall, making “Public Works” a unique exhibition. You can see some pieces from the first show, “LA Freewalls Inside,” and trace the progression of LALA from its inception to now. But the show also serves as an invitation for viewers to keep an eye out for the projects and its artists on the street. It’s great to see so many talented artists on any gallery wall, but LALA proves that the real impact of street art comes to life when appears in unexpected places in the public sphere.
The unmistakable talent of the artists involved gives great strength to the show but it’s ultimately up to the viewers on the street to decide just how far LALA’s efforts will reach. For now, the show proves that you don’t need to separate street art into interior or exterior settings – it’s the perfect time to do both. To keep up with the location of the billboards, visit LALA’s site.
“Public Works” is on display until August 17th. LALA Arts is located on 1335 Willow St. – Eva Recinos; photos by Erwin Recinos
