Street art has transformed contemporary art. Once viewed as a form of vandalism, it is now a solid component of the global contemporary art scene, with artists like Banksy, Retna, Spate, MTO and others, pushing the genre to new heights. Street art is so firmly entrenched into traditional art circles, it is even sold on the global auction blocks. Virtues & Vice examines the distinct paths created by All the Girls Love Earl, Jennifer Korsen, Amanda Marie, Restitution Press, Septerhed, Anna Taratiel & Thrashbird, and the opportunities that they have created to thrive in the crowded landscape that is contemporary street art.

Curated by G. James Daichendt, Virtues and Vice looks at the commercialization of street art since it started to gain popularity and prominence in art and pop-culture. The “Street artists run from the romantic to the pragmatic and the borders of what these concepts entail have become muddy and porous. Even the act of curating something ideal connotes professionalism and a stance of reflexity is necessary. In this context, virtues become vices and vices become virtues leading to a crisis of distinctiveness for the artists and their associates. Given this tumultuous landscape, the following artists have each forged their own distinct path and created new opportunities for themselves and their work to survive and prosper in a crowded landscape, “ states Daichendt.

Virtues and Vice includes works by seven artists who are pushing boundaries and street art, including:

• All The Girls Love Earl is a street art campaign that weaves the fictional narrative of Earl Lee, a racecar driver, President and CEO of Earl Lube Industries. He is billed as the most complex and sophisticated all around millionaire sportsman, daredevil and lady-killer the world has ever know. 

• Jennifer Korsen utilizes the anatomy of the human heart juxtaposed with pattern and contextual elements that weave both personal and universal concepts together. The accessible symbol represents the communicable aspects of what works in street art.

• Amanda Marie’s storybook aesthetic is appealing and disconcerting. The soft and inviting characters at first glance look nostalgic and ready for print while a more careful study reveals clever narratives that undermine these visuals. 

• Restitution Press embraces the structure and motifs of the urban landscape by layering images on top of one another in a haphazard manner. A similar process is used outside as his imagery is wheat-pasted and becomes part of the city landscape.  

• Septerhed creates movement through formal simplicity. His optical lens creates an impression of flashing or vibrating patterns that are typically writ large on exterior walls. When shrunk to a gallery space, the black and white studies become stylized and allow for his design background to flourish. 

• Anna Taratiel aka OVNI creates large abstract installations that harken the movement of minimalism. The structurally strong compositions function as ornamentation and play off the grid and formal relationships of the public square. 

• Thrashbird is an aggressive and polarizing artist whose art questions the status quo. His rough and forceful imagery provokes and begs for confrontation and dialogue. 

 James Daichendt is an art critic and art historian. He is the Dean of Arts and Humanities at Point Loma Nazarene University in Southern California.

In recent years, the LA Art Show has become the most internationally diverse art platform in the Western world, bringing in the largest groupings of Korean, Chinese and Japanese galleries outside of Asia. Beginning in 2010, the Show has actively developed its international gallery offerings to provide collectors with a unique opportunity, to spot international trends and zeitgeist through art, a medium that has the ability to transcend language.   That same year, the LA Art Show became the first art fair to feature street art, as a fine art. The following year, The Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles mounted their blockbuster exhibition, ‘Art in the Streets’. Since then, Street Art has become a staple in contemporary art.

The LA Art Show takes place from January 27-31, 2016 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall A 1201 South Figueroa Street, 90015. For additional information, visit www.laartshow.com. General admission to the LA Art Show is $20.