Cages & Cubes: Community & Souvenir A visual map of the relationship between fine art and street culture. By Nikkolos Mohammed / Art
Clicks, prestige and exclusion are usually portrayed in high school movies and schoolyard scenes. As universal themes, they display conscious decisions of wardrobe and style that reflect identities in musical interest as well as environment. In the fine art world, opening reception experiences can be both rewarding and degrading. While generally familiar to opening receptions, during ComplexCon, I saw these forces at work.
COMMUNITY & SOUVENIR FINE ART
STREET ART
FASHION
LINE CULTURE
JONAS WOOD (INTERIORS & LANDSCAPES)
COMPLEXCON (LONG BEACH, CA) ComplexCon — The NBA All-Star weekend to streetwear. The NBA All-Star weekend is a celebration of the best basketball players in the world, where all aspects of the business attract themselves to one location at one time. All of the sponsors create an experience, produce limited items for fans, design an interactive environment for people to engage with, and have tons of interviews of previously-celebrated players as well as current players.
There is a level of anticipation when visiting the opening reception of an artist whose work you enjoy. You expect to experience the work firsthand, see the artist and introduce yourself, possibly ask him/her a few questions about process, and lastly, hope to mingle with people that have some kind of relationship with the artist. Jonas Wood’s paintings showcase a playful mastery of space, and the use of color to break that space — therefore stretching a composition. He consciously errs towards flatness in constructing the subjects in his paintings, while allowing color to deepen compositions. His past work contains references of sports culture, whether it be a Spaulding basketball, a sports card, or New Balance sneakers. These symbols connect with the streetwear community and allow viewers with similar sensibilities to “enter” the work.
ComplexCon had a similar energy
was a celebrity you could identify,
behind it, but the “game” was the
and tastemakers hanging around
exclusivity of the collaborations
brand booths — giving consumers
brands. It was easy to see the brands’
a window into the networking and
competitive nature, keeping the
connections between brands.
hype at their booths as long as they
This branding experience made the
could, not unlike the ways nightclubs
world of streetwear seem very small.
operate. The tone of the weekend
Brands that didn’t have this sense of
was community building. One could
community didn’t feel attractive to
see the relationships between brands,
discover amongst the overwhelming
tastemakers, and large brands and
number of booths and experiences.
begin to connect the dots of influence. With the influence of brand and
Jonas Wood’s exhibition, Interiors & Landscapes, was a large turnout of various players in the art community — all attempting to fit seamlessly in this social
Entering ComplexCon was like showing
lifestyle in that convention center,
up to the first day of school with
everyone there had something to gain
the latest summer Jordan release,
through networking and meeting new
impressing no one. Every rare sneaker
people. There was a marked division
collaboration was sported and no
between people there for purchasing
Supreme t-shirt was left unworn. You
hyped collaborative products and
could smell the teen spirit and all its
those there to connect genuinely with
ego at the Long Beach Convention
brands.
Center. Everywhere you turned there
gathering called “the art opening.” One could observe a majority of attendees closely watching Wood’s visual acknowledgment of certain guests, and their reaction that said, clearly, “Jonas Wood acknowledged me and therefore I am important”. This dynamic leaves those who come to see the artist’s work searching for people they know in order to feel included. While they scan for someone recognizable to approach, they think silently,
“Why aren’t people acknowledging the artwork?”
It was clear upon entering ComplexCon
My first instinct was thinking about
that the hero was collaborative
how my purchases could interact with
merchandise. The all-star lineup of
my home goods, and it was apparent
musicians, designers, and tastemakers
that others in line were strategizing
created demand weeks before the
their purchases based on resale
While positioning yourself to view the
value is reiterated by partners whose
event, and closer to the anticipated
value. You can see the two different
artwork through the best perspective
garments provide luxurious contrast).
date, surprise collaborations increased
mindsets through the comfort in their
— you are fighting through abounding
Last, but not least in number of
demand further. The line culture was
body language and their angst to know
cliques of persons that value the
spottings, “the casual”; consisting of
alive and thriving. Some felt more
at every moment what was available.
social anticipatory aspect more than
neutral color basics complemented by
legitimate in relation to the cultural
Their nervously calculating strategy
the artwork. As bizarre as the aspect
luxury sneakers by Balenciaga or Raf
history of an item. Others were
was to optimize opportunity to turn a
seems, it is a chance opportunity
Simons x Stan Smith Adidas.
bullied based on their physical size.
profit.
Some stayed close to the entrance of
to network and connect dots of relationships in the art community.
The mass appeal of Jonas Wood’s
installations, while some paid others to
Panel discussions at ComplexCon
You glance at such celebrities as
work lends itself to products that
cut line for them, or purchase items for
were both interesting and valuable.
Tobey Maguire, and catch people’s
could be afforded and appreciated
them altogether.
These panels involved the minds that
eyes gravitating in his direction, only
by the public. An example is Takashi
making a move if first acknowledged by
Murakami making home goods at a
I’ve always understood resale value
merchandise that people literally were
the actor.
more consumable price point, while
and the hustle mentality — of being in
fighting for in the lines. I would imagine
knowing that his fine art is consumed
the moment, and knowing that millions
people want to have some literacy to
Demographically, most attendees seem
at a high price point. A kind gesture
of people are interested in the cultural
the merchandise that they spend so
to be in their mid-30’s to early 50’s,
at Jonas Wood’s opening was free
moment; especially the millions who
much energy to obtain, or be inspired
with sprinkles of art students eager to
posters, which acted as souvenirs
for whatever reason could not be
to make their own merchandise.
get their art careers jump-started, and
to the moment. These posters could
present to partake. It’s all “important”.
Style-wise, individuality was hard to
young models glued to under-dressed
easily be archived or used to decorate
elders. Attendees’ appearances vary
one’s home. Thus, we see a division of
When in line to purchase items from
wearing the same outfits, and the
in three iterations. First iteration, “the
people and product — of those actually
the official ComplexCon merchandise
word “uniform” was thrown around all
artist” — wardrobe covered in paint,
able to buy an original art piece by
booth, you are enamored with all the
weekend in reference to everyone’s
hand-constructed, one-off clothing.
Jonas Wood, and those that receive
Takashi Murakami collaborative goods.
rocking the same items.
Second iteration, a consciously under-
a free and memorable souvenir. This
dressed look, proving security with
creates not only a divide in class, but
one’s stake to the community (their
also a divide in personal value.
lived, constructed, and designed the
find. There were people there literally
SHEPARD FAIREY (DAMAGED) Items, clothing and sneakers “of the weekend” gave people extra confidence, making the items like a cape transforming Clark Kent to Superman. An example of this could be found in two friends, waiting for the N.E.R.D. “Listening Party” concert to begin, who both decided to put on their custom screen-printed OffWHITE printed-on Levi’s jackets signed by Virgil himself with a Sharpie. Before putting on the jackets, they were timid and quiet, but after a simple wardrobe change, they were charged up, confident, and highlighting to people around them that they were able to have an Off-WHITE piece. You had to be excited for these two guys, despite there being dozens of people around with the same jackets from the same booth. Living in the moment, you forget that people all over the world are here for this one moment, and when that moment is over, they may become unique in the culture they come from. I hoped that these global travelers’ common attraction to the same brands and items would unify the ComplexCon demographic. Instead, people’s egos clashed and questioned each other’s legitimacy in their ownership of the same clothing. Souvenir could be the ability to purchase items that were made solely for this event. It could also be the ability to build memories about how they spent their time in lines to purchase goods, attending the panel discussions and music performances — and the community interaction in all these experiences.
Shepard Fairey’s opening, Damaged, felt like a celebratory retrospective of his contribution to street culture. The anticipation of this event was immediate, with the ability to RSVP a month in advance. As the opening date neared, throughout LA, wherever you went, people were talking about Shepard Fairey’s exhibition. This is natural, owing to his work’s relationship with popular media, his clothing line and its wide range of appeal, as well as himself being a universal symbol of politics and art. In multiple panels during the weekend, Hiroshi Fujiwara said his beginnings in design came from his passion for music and how the politics of your identity had to mirror your passion. If you went to a punk rock show, you had to look punk and have the body language of punk. If you seemed like a poser, well, that could be life or death. He was also interested in disco music. The way you dressed had to be appropriate for the culture of disco aas well. As a creator, he figured out how to make clothing that infused those two identities, to make a more accurate portrait of himself, that he felt others could identify with. At ComplexCon, a majority of people visually portrayed themselves as “Hypebeast,” but imparted no unique variations on the look of a Hypebeast. You begin to question individual style and treating clothing identity similar to Hiroshi Fujiwara, fusing personal interest with personal style…or are people just interested in what the culture of Hypebeast offers?
Leading up to the opening, Fairey posted on social media various posts of free ephemera and souvenirs that would be given at the opening. This was not surprising in the nature of his work as a street artist. An interesting giveaway — and the spine of the show, was the live printing of a newspaper curated by Fairey, which gave even more clarity to the political foundation of his artistry.
SUPREME
When approaching the actual opening, you quickly realize that the RSVP you registered a month in advance would not be enough to get you in, as you gaze at a line spanning five city-industrial blocks. While standing there, you interact with the community in line just like you, who have mutual admiration of Shepard Fairey — all checking the artist’s social media to see photos of how it looks inside and getting a glance at who you know that can possibly get you in. You take another look at everyone in line and subconsciously try to figure out the commonalities in everyone, grouping them and comparing them to yourself. I witnessed that a majority of these people seemed like they were aged in their 30’s to 40’s. I found this to be interesting because I think of Shepard Fairey’s work of being acceptable by all age brackets and social classes with its highly consumable content. Or maybe it was because Keith Morris performed that this age group was so present?
ART IN THE STREETS (MOCA GEFFEN, 2010) In 2010, MOCA’s exhibition, Art In The Streets, was a cultural moment where the public felt included in museum culture. This was a compilation of celebrated street artists and their signature styles under the same roof of the museum institution, accompanied by historical commercial references, and separated by each artist’s unique aesthetic. Seeing this group’s cultural references gave the viewer an association with the artists’ personal surroundings, references and landscape. I remember this exhibition gained tons of controversy related to two questions, “Should a museum be Disneyland?” or “Art In The Streets needs to be celebrated in the streets and doesn’t need to be validated inside the sanctity of the art museum.” Every Thursday, there is an anticipation of new Supreme items to drop. With weekly drops, there is also a collaborative drop that is announced earlier. With limited places around the world where the brand’s items are released, the resale value and demand of everything is almost guaranteed to be higher than market value, creating a lot of business opportunities and community building.
With opportunity comes relationships. Businesses have been created beside With art museums, you expect levels of stillness and quiet akin to a religious
consignment stores reselling the product. These businesses serve clients that
building. This is a time to experience artwork one-on-one, and investigate the
are interested in purchasing Supreme every week and involve hiring a staff
intricacies and view artwork from various spatial perspectives. This was not the
to camp out. They spawn other businesses designed to take care of campers’
case with Art In The Streets. There was not a day where there was not a line at
needs, such as food and Wi-Fi, and more recently — barbers giving haircuts.
MOCA Geffen, or people coming multiple times to view the exhibition again or to
All these aspects of the various businesses create a community that is only
consume more of the souvenirs. The overpowering market demand for art didn’t
heightened with the consistency of a weekly release. We are universally familiar
allow experiential demand for art to enjoy quality time with the works. This
with online retail culture and the blogging of it, but not so much this physical,
created another series of debates:
intimate and specific, line culture.
• Is there a right and wrong way to celebrate art?
With high demand of the product comes a community of store workers. The
• Is it worth it to show work that doesn’t allow the viewer to spend time, discover and explore each work at their own pace?
people do whatever they can to be close to a salesman at Supreme. This comes
Supreme store has a notorious reputation of bad customer service. Consistently, with the possibility of bypassing the line, making it difficult to differentiate
• Is showing work that has an appreciation to a wider group more ideal with the function of a museum? If not, is there a way that there could be both?
between those trying to take advantage of the relationship and those that want to be cordial. These workers become valued in the culture of streetwear as models of other brands, affiliates in the posse of popular musicians, and, debatably, stars in their own right in the streetwear subculture — all because With the high attraction of Art In
they hold a small but important key to the Supreme street market monopoly.
The Streets, came collaborative merchandise and experiences. This made the art show feel more like an event or convention and less like an art show (see ComplexCon). I only have this expectation based on what is familiar, so, because this was unfamiliar — was it wrong? Besides the general catalog, do souvenirs belong in a museum exhibition?
Art openings and clothing conventions are similar in that they can be uncomfortable experiences in environments you just want to feel apart of and feel welcomed. No matter how much you choose to throw yourself in the mix and be apart of the community aspect of these forums, you will leave with souvenirs—whether in the form of product or memory.