• Listen to this segment

• Listen to the entire program

An unusual action took place in downtown Los Angeles on January 3rd when a group of artists and activists protested the Museum of Contemporary Art. The artists came together in opposition to what at least one participant called “censorship” by the museum’s Director Jeffery Deitch. In early December, Deitch removed a mural the museum had commissioned after it was deemed to be potentially offensive. Celebrated Italian street artist Blu had been invited by MOCA to paint a scene on the museum’s north wall. Blu painted a provocative anti-war mural of military coffins draped in dollar bills. MOCA leadership made the decision to remove the entire mural because it feared it would offend visitors to the adjacent Veteran’s Affairs hospital and the memorial for Japanese American soldiers. Among those protesting the museum were artists who are also US Veterans, as well as members of the LA chapter of Veterans for Peace. The assembled group used a lap-top and a projector as the medium to produce laser-light graffiti images on the now blank wall to protest the whitewash. One of the images chosen was that of Blu’s original mural.

GUESTS: Carol Wells, Founder and Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Political Graphics; Man One, Owner and Gallery Director of CrewWest Gallery; Vyal, LA Artist

There will be a follow-up protest of censorship by art institutions at the Biltmore Hotel, Pershing Square Los Angles, Thursday, January 20th, at 11am

For more information about the upcoming protest and
last Monday’s action please visit:
www.laraw-art.blogspot.com
The Center for the Study of Political Graphics at www.politicalgraphics.org

Find out more about our guests at:
Man One: manone.com
Vyal: vyle-art.blogspot.com