Shahri (Urban)

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hos-22/ / CC BY 2.0

I’m well and truly excited for an art exhibit in Los Angeles. From the Streets of Iran: Works on paper by urban artists in Iran is going to be an interesting display of graffiti and urban artwork from artists doing what is blatantly illegal in the fundamentalist country. The exhibition, curated by Shervin Shahbazi, is the first of its kind in the United States (the artists' works have previously been shown in Europe and Australia).

Graffiti is a great platform for instant public exposure that has the potential to be hugely detrimental to a political regime; even the Romans knew of the powerfuln effects of the painted word made by the people, accessible by the people in a public forum. I am interested to see what kind of artwork this produces in the context of the Iranian state.

In regard to this exhibit's USA debut, I say: Good Timing.

I use the word ‘allegedly’ before the word rigged with disdain when I speak of the tumultuous elections in Iran that caused so much grief earlier this year.

These events shook the Western World and opened a door to question propaganda practices and leadership through fear; I remember, whilst in London, opening a newspaper to learn that the Iranian embassy in Kensington was filming protesters outside its gates. Worries about this course of action ranged from worry (for those protesters’ families still residing in Iran potentially facing retribution) to things as mundane as confiscated passports. Westerners were indignant and furious initially, and things grow more silent as we slowly forget the events, month after month.

Time to make things relevant again and, perhaps, see Iranian life and problems illustrated from the point of view of someone in its streets.

The exhibition runs from September 10th through September 26th.

Crewest is at
110 Winston St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013

For more information (artists’ mini-bios, gallery hours, etc.), click HERE.