LoCAL Streets
Curated by Dan Pfalzgraf
Reviewed by Mary Margaret Sparks
Entire contents copyright © 2011 Mary Margaret Sparks. All rights reserved.
On Friday February 4, I walked up the steps of the Muhammad Ali Center curious to see Daniel Pfalzgraf’s new endeavor “LoCAL.streets” a curated exhibition of urban themed artwork by local and regional artists.
As I rode the elevator up to the 4th floor of the Ali Center I was met by a video, aerosol installations, drawings, cardboard stencils, prints, paintings, skateboards and more. It was a visual feast of all things “urban”, combining the concept of ‘street art’, and ‘commercial gallery’, into a single viewing experience.
It’s obvious that Mr. Pfalzgraf had a distinct vision and built it, piece by piece, into a reality. Through a variety of work, he broadens the viewer’s perception of ‘street’ art. When asked about his inspiration for the exhibition, Pfalzgraf said, “It was just something that I have wanted to see in Louisville for a while now, so I went out and did it.”
The show is not without precedent, but Pfalzgraf contrasts this effort with other exhibits he has encountered: ” I know there have been a few street or graffiti themed shows before (like a wheat-paste poster show Aron Conaway and Hallie Jones were a part of), but nothing that I've seen that examined the back-and-forth influences between street and commercial gallery art. I'm not a big expert in graffiti, but I am very familiar with gallery artists, and more and more the lines have been blurring between street and gallery work.”
There are a quite a few recognizable names in the show. James Doiron, Sarah Lyon, and Tom Pfannerstill are represented by pieces both familiar and consistent with the show’s themes. Brad White’s cast bronze cassette tapes, outmoded technology flattened in the street, seem like miniature versions of the larger sculptures we are accustomed to seeing from this artist, the twisted ribbon of tape anchored by the crushed cassette body, while the seemingly non-representational paintings of Billy Hertz are bright abstract aerial views of urban landscapes that easily connect to Pfalzgraf’s theme.
These more veteran artists were balanced with names less familiar to gallery hoppers such as, Matt Loeser and Christian Forrer. Robby Burgess’ three large panels were also a standout; vividly rendered urban structures set against flat, geometric fields of color. Even more striking were two large dynamic wall installations, one by Matthew Dayler and another by Danny Babcock, respectively, that effectively exploit the space and signal the curator’s intent immediately to the viewer.
Finding the connectivity in such a rich and diverse selection of work might seem like a complex struggle for a curator, but Mr.Pfalzgraf’’s comments suggest instinct also plays an important role: “I just felt that I could create something exciting by drawing from my background in the commercial gallery world and the popularity of street art.”
However he arrived at the result, we can be happy that he did. LoCAL streets is a strong exhibit and well worth the time.
LoCAL.streets will be on display at The Muhammad Ali Center through April 30.
Click here to see images of the exhibition.LoCAL Streets
February 4- April 30, 2011
The Muhammad Ali Center
144 North Sixth Street
Louisville, KY 40202
502-584-9254
alicenter.org