Openings: “Street Cred” @ Pasadena Museum of California Art

Mear One

Last night in Pasadena, the art and influence of graffiti in Los Angeles was on full display as Street Cred at the Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA) opened its doors to a group of artists ranging in genres from letter-based legends like SABER, RISK, and RETNA (who also painted the facade of the museum), to so called post-graffiti abstract expressionism by painters like Augustine Kofie (whose mural with El Mac was put up in conjunction with the show) and Push, to fine artists such as Jeff Soto, Mear One, and Craola whose surreal works have elements that reflect some of the street sensibilities of their youth (full list of artists here). Co-curated by Steve Grody and Shirlae Cheng-Lifshin, this exhibition also included Grody’s photographs from the crucial years of the graffiti scene.