ONE TO REMEMBER by Luis

Taking a trip downtown is never short of amazing. It seems like every time I go there a new adventure is to be found; a new art venue to be discovered. A few months ago I found a small shop in the corner of Main and Winston with a series of colorful posters. Upon taking a look inside, I discovered that it was a graffiti shop owned by local street artist ‘Man One’ as he is commonly referred to as among his peers.

It was just mere luck that I stumbled upon such a recognized artist. I took this unique opportunity to ask him a few questions about how his shop came about. At one point during this brief conversation, we came the topic of Los Angeles’ existence as a cultural art center. Friendly, but always in a hurry, Man One hastily told me to check out Gallery Row while I was in the downtown area. As it turns out Gallery Row is one block away from Man One’s shop. Not surprisingly, he has had many exhibitions

throughout the Gallery Row and the greater Los Angeles Area

(as I later discovered). Upon researching Man One’s career further, I found that his artwork is not limited to museums and gallery exhibitions but rather displayed throughout the city’s streets. His work has been featured on billboards, murals, executive events, concerts and even construction sites.

Which got me thinking: Isn’t all art public? Isn’t the exhibition of artwork the purpose behind creating it in the first place? Taking this into account, I came to the conclusion that art should have no boundary. Art should be free and public. Understanding what was briefly described by Man One during my visit, it is the purpose of an artist to communicate to the masses a message in a clear eye-catching way. It is always useful to understand the existence of street art as a form of free expression, something that cannot and should not be oppressed.