Join Cartwheel Art Tours, in our neighborhood of the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District, more specifically “South of Seventh” for an in-depth graffiti tour experience, with Steve Grody, author of Graffiti LA.

This tour is a great opportunity to become familiar with the major forms of modern graffiti by a strong variety of graffiti “writers” as well as street art and some archival gang writing scribed into the sidewalks.

By the time the tour is done, everybody will have a more “educated eye” with which to evaluate the burgeoning street art scene.

Discover murals by graffiti artists such as, Saber and Zes, members of MSK/AWR Crew, K2S Crew, UTI Crew, YR Crew, Mice of Millions, Retna, Dame Risk/Revok/Able, and many others.

Some of the graffiti art we will be viewing is located on graffiti crew walls where they’ve been creating productions for years, but are not usually explored by those other then the graffiti community.

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

More about Steve Grody:

Steve Grody is a photographer, historian and the author of Graffiti LA: Street Styles and Art. Before Steve Grody earned his B.A. in fine arts, he was also involved in his era’s ‘pop’ graphics, psychedelic art.

When he saw spray can murals popping up around Los Angeles’ walls, he immediately recognized their creativity and verve. Since 1990, he has been driving across L.A. and searching its back alleys, washes and abandoned lots in search of this vernacular art. Over the years he cultivated trust amongst L.A.’s most prolific, skilled and infamous graffiti ‘writers’ allowing him access to obscure locations, and through interviews clarified their motivations, and thoughts on creativity as well as the troublesome aspects of its illegality. His obsessive drive to document this distinctive youth underground has resulted in an archive of over 35,000 images. From this he has chosen the best work to illustrate the range of styles and approaches of this urban phenomenon in Graffiti L.A.: Street Styles and Art (Abrams 2007).

In 2011 his photographs were in the MOCA “Art of the Streets” show and catalogue, and he was co-curator of “Street Cred: Graffiti Art from Concrete to Canvas” at the Pasadena Museum of California Art.

Notes for this adventure:

• Street Parking is usually found on S. Santa Fe Avenue or along Imperial and Jesse Streets by Urban Radish. Plan accordingly with your timing especially if your looking to eat in advance of the tour at Urban Radish, The Bread Lounge, Stumptown or the American Tea Room, which are all close to our meeting location.
• This is a walking tour that will be approximately 3 miles each way. We will be walking on uneven surfaces that includes older sidewalks, cobble stones and other rough terrain. Comfortable walking and closed-toe shoes only.
•  Please dress appropriately for the weather and bring water to keep hydrated.
• A signed liability waiver is required by all attendees.
• Advance tickets only. All sales Final

 

 

Steve Grody

Samples of work that may be seen on this tour (Photos by Steve Grody):

 

UTI Crew Wall. Photo by Steve Grody.

Photo by Steve Grody.

Photo by Steve Grody.

Photo by Steve Grody