Street art is characterized by its inability to be controlled. It fills lifeless architecture and blank industrial backdrops with an uncontrollable medium of protest, warranting censorship for the protest and change it could inspire. The Museum of Contemporary Art directly violated the principle purpose of street art in its attempts to cage an art form. Street art in museums is like “looking at wild animals in a zoo.”(1) Just as the true essence of wild animals is only displayed in the wild, their natural environments, street art belongs in the streets, and it certainly should not be surprising if it breaks containment. Art in the streets is a form of protest. It is controversial. It is uncontrollable. And it is not always pretty. Street art is regarded as graffiti and vandalism by masses of people disconnected from urban centers and urban youth because of its illicit display and controversial themes. Yet in an attempt to recognize the art form, the Museum of Contemporary Art failed to recognize the stylistic and demonstrative origins that define street art. The Museum of Contemporary Art’s whitewashing of an unfinished anti-war mural promotes the censorship of unpopular opinions, justified by their inability to be controlled.
Through the whitewashing of Blu’s unfinished mural, the Museum of Contemporary Art censored an artistic work meant to promote peace and inspire a desire for change in a society. With a full understanding of Blu’s schedule, local thematic strategy, and common themes, the Museum of Contemporary Art commissioned the world-famous artist to paint a mural on their Geffen Contemporary building. The museum and its directors gave approval to Blu to begin his painting upon his arrival, but a flight delay stalled the artist’s arrival, tightening the deadline for the mural’s display, intended before the full exhibit’s unveiling. The museum made little attempt to contact Blu, so, arriving late, the street artist began his work. Before it could even be finished, however, Blu’s mural was whitewashed by orders of museum director Jeffrey Deitch. The censorship of Blu’s mural received more controversial media attention than the mural itself. The mural was deemed too controversial and insensitive for its anti-war sentiment, but the censorship was often written off as another case of repairing the vandalism of graffiti or tagging.
1. Vaillancourt, Ryan. “MOCA Commissions Mural, Then Whitewashes It.” Los Angeles Downtown News. 14 Dec. 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.