From the street to the gallery - Pasadena Star-News

PALM DESERT

From the street to the gallery

The exhibition ‘Burner’ moves the works of artists Banksy, KEF! and more indoors

Perhaps the best-known artist in the exhibition is Banksy, whose often satirical and political visual statements have earned him a following worldwide.

Toward the cartoonish end of the spectrum is the work of Dalek.

The works of street artists from around the world, like this image by Germany’s KEF!, are on view at CODA Gallery in Palm Desert in exhibition “Burner.” PHOTOS COURTESY OF “BURNER”

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By Richard Guzman

riguzman@scng.com

They made names for themselves on the streets by tagging walls and creating artwork on public buildings and various structures, but several of these legendary street artists are now being recognized inside galleries.

Pieces by artists like Banksy, Dalek, Magnus Gjoen, Henri Lamy, KEF! and more will be celebrated as “Burner: A Group Exhibition of International Street Artists” comes to CODA Gallery in Palm Desert from Saturday through March 24.

“You have an opportunity unlike anywhere else, except maybe in a museum, to see works by such a broad range of artists,” said Mark Bronson, an organizer of the exhibition. “Or you would have to go lurking in neighborhood alleyways to see the work actually existing on walls or in sides of buildings.”

The exhibition includes about 40 pieces from “the who’s who of street artists,” Bronson added.

The works — which range from Banksy’s recognizable satirical and political creations and Dalek’s colorful, cartoonish imagery to KEF!’s distinct line art — were created in studios for a gallery show, Bronson said.

KEF! — aka German-born artist Simon Kef — said his work feels just as at home in a gallery as it did where he got his start, on the streets of his hometown.

“Street art is not the same anymore,” he said during a phone interview ahead the opening of the show. KEF! will be on hand during a public party to kick off the gallery opening from 4-7 p.m. Friday. He’ll also take part in artist receptions from 1-3 p.m. Saturday and 1-4 p.m. March 5.

“A lot of artists paint in the streets, but they also do work that can be displayed in galleries and I think this is very interesting,” he continued. “We kind of have our feet in two things.”

Shortly after he began tagging, KEF! evolved into a respected artist whose work can now be seen in galleries around the world. He’s also been commissioned for murals and his work can even be seen in stores, since he was hired by retailer Urban Outfitters to design the interiors for its spaces in London; Berlin; Stuttgart, Germany; and Hong Kong.

He has several pieces in “Burner,” all displaying his self-described abstract graffiti style, which is characterized by bold, swirling lines and wave patterns that combine his line art with rich colors.

“For me, the most important thing is to translate the message, the feeling of harmony,” he said. “The pieces are all different in a way, but the message is all the same.”

Visitors to the exhibition will also have the opportunity to display the art of some of these street masters in their own homes, since all the pieces will be for sale, Bronson added.