Viva la Revolucion : A Dialogue with the Urban Landscape

JR is part of a Group Show, Viva la Revolucion : a dialogue with the urban landscape at the Museum of Contempory Art of San Diego. For the first time in history, the majority of the world’s population lives in urban communities. The urban setting and its corresponding lifestyle are major sources of inspiration in contemporary culture. This is an historic revolution in visual culture, in which the codes and icons of the everyday—found on the streets in graffiti, signage, waste, tattoos, advertising, and graphic design—have been appropriated and used as an integral part of contemporary art-making. The urban landscape inspires and serves as both a platform for innovation and a vehicle for expression for many artists. The city itself, its buildings, vehicles, people, and advertisements, are not only the surface where the art is applied. The city fuels the practice. For an artist like JR the city is undeniably a source of inspiration as well as of expression as shown in this museum exhibition.

R, Women Are Heroes, 2010, video installation with contact sheets, 9 min. 30 sec., black and white wall paper and video

Vhils, Scratching the Surface, 2010, sculpted brick wall with plaster and paint

Shepard Fairey, Hillcrest Mural, 2010, stencil and mixed media collage