Mr. Brainwash and Los Angeles: A Love Affair – written by Keisha Raines with photos by Birdman for Warholian
Posted In: 2011, Angeles, art, artist, birdman, brainwash, Gallery, guetta, Keisha, london, Los, monica, mr, mr brainwash, opera, photos, Raines, santa, show, street, thierry, Warholian
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2011 was very kind to Thierry Guetta a.k.a. Mr. Brainwash (MBW). Starting the year with an Academy Award nomination for “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” which catapulted him from obscurity. He contributed artwork this summer for the release of Red Hot Chili Pepper’s newest album. In October (with some minor controversy) he opened at the Opera Gallery in London. MBW concluded this golden year of his by opening a street art show simply titled Art Show 2011.
Located on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and La Brea in an abandoned warehouse, the show’s opening had a long line of fans wrapping around the block on both sides, waiting to catch a glimpse of MBW newest creation. The results was 80,000 sq. ft. and four stories completely filled with street art. To create an authentic street art feel, MBW invited local artists to contribute their own work and coupled it with his own. In an attempt to create an authentic feel of art in the streets, the show will be up temporarily and none of the work is for sale.
Each floor of the abandoned warehouse followed a different theme and not an inch of the space was spared. LA’s Seventh Letter Crew even had a chance to adorn the stairs. Throughout the space large statues depicting elements of street art could be found. From a truck scattering larger than life paint cans to Ancient Greek idols with paint rollers. The immense amount of art work in the space is impossible to fully take in on one day.
The show brought out people of all ages interested in seeing what Mr. Brainwash has done now. He did a great job of bringing everyone to gather and giving people a chance to check out street art in a contained space.
- written by Keisha Raines with photos by Birdman for Warholian
For more on Mr. Brainwash visit: http://www.mrbrainwash.com/
Such a well written article! Show was greatly overwhelming, in a true MBW form.
I’ve just come across a personal account, by someone here in LA, that says she was hired as an “extra” to wait in line at his 2011 opening, along with 100′s of others. And that these extras had to get one of his limited posters in trade for payment, which he has yet to produce. Now, who hired the Casting company is yet to be revealed. But if MBW had anything to do with it… he should be artistically permanently removed from any list that claims him as having artistic validity or valuable as a commodity to collectors and or any relavance to the history of art and culture. I have contact info. for the personal account and documents if any one wants the exposé. i’ve been reminded that MBW should get no more press as it stands, even if it is bad press. But your probably a fan of that genre of work and artists that have sprung from it.