Top Mob: A History of New Orleans Graffiti

From the Caves of Lascaux to the Subway tunnels of New York City, graffiti remains the oldest form of art known to man. In New Orleans during the early 1980s, graffiti writers emerged, and created a style and influence that would continue to evolve during the ensuing  decades. Often the subject of controversy, graffiti draws attention to urban blight and gentrification, the line between creation and destruction, and the social conditions that allow and encourage this subversive life-style. Over the years graffiti has evolved from a purely street level rebellion to a multi-million dollar business, attracting a new generation of “street artists” and changing the perception of where graffiti culture comes from. Top Mob, an exhibition at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, is a visual and historical retelling of the evolution of New Orleans graffiti by the ones who were there when it started and those who have kept it alive. Opening reception on June 16 from 6 pm–8 pm along with two other exhibits. ogdenmuseum.org.