“Beyond the Streets” finds a place to call home – Los Angeles becomes the spot for a new graffiti art gallery. Running till the 22nd of October, the latest exhibition “Post Graffiti” comes complete with a stellar scene of artists. Celebrating the pioneers, it prefaces present-day artists and champions those of the future. Beyond the Streets carefully tells the story of street art in its latest exhibition.

Former graffiti artist, Roger Gastman is the mind behind “Beyond the Streets”. His desire is to create cultural hubs that embrace street art.

Directing “Rolling Like Thunder” and consulting producer on “Exit Through The Gift Shop”, Gastman had been thinking about opening a gallery with a gift shop of its own.

“For years, even before we opened and did the ‘Beyond the Streets’ concept, I was thinking about opening a gallery […] We want to provide more opportunities, [so] it just made sense,”

Gastman says.

Home to limited edition prints, zines, collectables and apparel, “Post Graffiti” showcases the work of the risk takers; driven to paint their mark on the culture and those who strive to revolutionise the art form today.

A Hub for the Unique

“Post Graffiti” is an inaugural exhibition with a commitment to visualising the graffiti revolution. It spotlights the ambitions of artists like Lady Pink, Crash, Futura2000, Eric Haze and Kenny Scharf. They are true pioneers laying the groundwork for the movement.

There’s a big selection of other artists onboard. Blake Kunin, Chito, Conor Harrington, Felipe Pantone, Gregory Rick, Katsu, Kenny Scharf, Madsaki, Maya Hayuk, Nehemiah Cisneros, Ozzie Jaurez, Othelo Gervacio, Paul Flores, Paul Insect, Pose, Timothy Curtis and Todd James are featuring; serving undeniable energy and embracing wholeheartedly what has come before.

Artform Collaboration

In the present, fashion, technology, film and photography collaborate with the art form. New methods of applying the spray develops the art. An example of this is KATSU’s spray painting drones.

“I’m fortunate to have witnessed the evolution of my peers from the NY train yards to those early gallery shows in the 70-80’s and take part in that movement myself. It’s equally exciting to watch that same journey being made years later with other artists and take part in graffiti’s decades long influence on contemporary art. – CRASH

Gastman strives to ensure that the “history of culture is not forgotten.” This dedication to the practice moves toward an ideology of archiving and preservation.

“I want to continue to educate [people] on this culture, I want to push artists’ careers, and I want to show that we are here to stay,” Gastman says.

Graffiti Revolution

Beyond the Streets ultimately celebrates vandalism – a rebellious art born from the streets as a curation. However, it’s a renegade art form, full of rulebreakers pushing the very idea of art beyond any former boundaries.

Pre-occupation with the conversation about where graffiti came from and where it continues to travel and grow. The exhibition title itself – “Post Graffiti” embodies this sentiment.

Post Graffiti is a term that embodies the understanding of graffiti as transient and ever-evolving, “reinvented with every 16-year-old who dares to hit the streets and write his or her name…”

Art for Freedom

The genre of art with freedom of expression at its heart overlaps with the intrinsic desire to communicate. Whilst the transient nature of post-graffiti ensures a stylistic difference between all artists; all use a myriad of mediums to uphold their inspiration – graffiti.

In a dissertation on Post Graffiti, Sean Corcoran, Roger Gastman and Evan Pricco trace the history of graffiti and its presence today, recapitulating the essence of the practice completely.

“If graffiti’s impact could ever be summed up after decades and decades of style writing being seen around the world, it’s that the spray can represents an independence that no other tool in art could ever achieve.”

I couldn’t agree more.