The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art presents Ride or Die an exhibition on view September 6–December 6, 2013. Graffiti or “street art” has been largely synonymous with being made and viewed outdoors, on surfaces of public structures throughout cities worldwide, usually without permission. The works of art in Ride or Die will explore the influence of graffiti—direct and indirect—through works from the permanent collection of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
Ride or Die—the exhibition’s title taken from Gajin Fujita’s large-scale painting—includes works by Ed Blackburn, Archie Scott Gobber, Jim Hodges, Greg Miller, Roger Shimomura, and Frank Stella. These artworks serve as examples of the influence that graffiti has had on artists showing within a museum context.
The visual vocabulary used by graffiti artists has often expressed modes of activism, creative thought, and personal and cultural insignias. Visual signifiers and recognizable motifs often associated with graffiti culture, such as abstract graphic shapes, vibrant colors, bold lettering, and mural-like dimensions, are identifiable in works by artists outside of the genre. Many graffiti artists have also made the transition from working outside to showing in museum galleries.
For more information visit www.kemperart.org