Mission Art Goes Uptown

Comments (0) By Silke Tudor Wednesday, Oct 28 2009

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From the deconstructed superheroes of Aaron Noble to the politic salvos of Balmy Alley, the artistic legacy of the Mission District is rich enough to draw comparisons to both New York’s East Village and Paris’ Left Bank. Street Art San Francisco: Mission Muralismo, a newly published and staggeringly beautiful monograph, is the ultimate testimony. In recognition, the series Friday Nights at the de Young presents Street Art San Francisco: Mission Muralismo is devoting a full year to exploring the colorful crannies and painted parapets of the neighborhood — it might be the most elaborate book-signing ever launched by a San Francisco museum, but Mission Muralismo might be the most important book ever compiled on San Francisco art. Amid 900 vivid images — including the large-scale public art of Rigo and TWIST, the taqueria landscapes of Cordova and Ernesto “Cruisin’ Coyote” Paul, and the loose-limbed, limpid-eyed doe-a-taurs of Hera — are dozens of poems and essays by guerrilla artists who relay the personal history of their neighborhood. Even for a native, these tales of Clarion Alley, police crackdowns on the pachuco parades, and the aggressive takeover of the Galería de la Raza billboard provide precious context for gorgeous work. Tonight, poets and performers raise the roof with Dr. Loco’s Rockin’ Jalapeño Band among thousands of archival projections. Future events are devoted to topics such as style wars, the comedic turns of R. Crumb and Andrew Schoultz, and billboard reappropriation.
Fri., Nov. 6, 5:30 p.m., 2009