Harry Gamboa Jr.’s Street Engagements Class at Gagosian Gallery

Just before spring break, longtime School of Art faculty Harry Gamboa Jr. and his Street Engagements class left the suburban confines of the 91355 to visit renowned contemporary art gallery Gagosian Beverly Hills.

Jerson Hondall, associate artist liaison and assistant to director at Gagosian, personally invited Gamboa Jr. (and his class) to the gallery for an hourlong tour of the current Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition with Gagosian Director Jessica Beck. Jean-Michel Basquiat: Made on Market Street, curated by Fred Hoffman with Larry Gagosian, is the first exhibition to focus on works that the late artist produced in Los Angeles. (It remains on view through June 1.)

For Gamboa Jr., a photographer, artist, director, essayist, and social activist, his Street Engagements class introduces themes and subjects of social, environmental, economic, cultural, and visual justice at particular historic points of interest in Los Angeles. The BFA and MFA students are then able to document objects, spaces, and relationships between structures and population.

From Gagosian:

Between November 1982 and May 1984, Basquiat produced approximately a hundred paintings, numerous works on paper, and six silkscreen editions in Venice, California. For an artist closely affiliated with the New York art scene of the 1980s, Basquiat was extraordinarily prolific in Los Angeles. Made on Market Street reflects on this consequential era by bringing together nearly thirty works—several of which are among his most important paintings. Larry Gagosian notes, “Los Angeles has always been a great city for artists and Jean-Michel seemed to find it a refreshing change from New York. While the immensity of his talent was immediately apparent, it was nonetheless a highlight of my own career to work with him, to introduce him to Los Angeles, and to witness the amazing impact that his art and legacy have made on our culture.”

Between November 1982 and May 1984, Basquiat produced approximately a hundred paintings, numerous works on paper, and six silkscreen editions in Venice, California.