Wortham , who has collected art for 15 years , never thought he would open a gallery . But last September , that ’ s exactly what he did , opening the doors of Kool Chit Street Art Gallery on South Coast Highway to showcase and sell some of the works he has amassed .

“ I have a large collection that would probably not see the light of day and I ’ d rather it be enjoyed rather than hidden in a dark place ,” Wortham says , adding that he has also acquired some new pieces for the gallery to sell .

Most of his collection centers around the street art genre . And , with the stigma attached to this type of art , he worried the

gallery might not do well , but he has been surprised by how much has sold in the first year . “ I do think , socially , our climate has changed and our perception has changed ,” Wortham says . “ Stigmas have dropped on lots of different things , so that has opened people ’ s minds and perspectives .”

Wortham explains that street art evolved from the late 1960s and early 1970s when a Greek American graffitist was active in New York City and using the “ TAKI 183 ” tag , which became a kind of calling card and inspired other street artists leading up to Banksy and others . Wortham presents a variety of street art pieces in the gallery including some by local artists Skeith

DeWine and his friend , Jeff Gillette . Wortham notes that Banksy chose a painting by Gillette to feature on a poster for an exhibit called “ Dismaland ” in 2015 . “ I tell this story to most people who come in ,” Wortham says .

The piece — which was on display in a Santa Monica gallery when it caught Banksy ’ s eye — featured Minnie Mouse on a tattered billboard . “[ It ] was the first of a series I ’ ve made of different Disney cartoon characters on a weathered billboard in similar post-apocalyptic settings ,” Gillette says , adding that he ’ s been told Banksy hung this painting in his kitchen . ( koolchit . com )

RYAN WORTHAM

54 LAGUNABEACHMAGAZINE . COM