O. J. Exhibit a ‘Spectacle’ in Itself at CSUN

A Cal State Northridge art historian set out to recapture the chaotic scene surrounding the Los Angeles County Courthouse--the site of the O. J. Simpson murder trial--and Monday night she did just that.

The professor’s exhibit opened to a barrage of news vans and cameras, replicating the daily happenings outside the courthouse.

Kenon Breazeale, a CSUN art history professor, assembled “The Courthouse Spectacle: Art, Politics and Commerce at the Simpson Trial,” which opened on the CSUN campus in a bungalow transformed into a makeshift gallery.

“Courthouse Spectacle” showcases the works of artists, political activists and craftsmen in an attempt to re-create the atmosphere on the courthouse steps.

“The scene is part debating society, part marketplace and, most intriguingly, part art gallery,” wrote Breazeale in an essay about the show.

Breazeale said she had originally planned to write an article about the spectacle in front of the courthouse, but was encouraged to turn her observations into an art exhibit. “I’ve never curated an exhibit in my life,” she said.

“I think it’s a very courageous show,” said Louise Lewis, the director of CSUN’s art gallery. “The media around the show is so anathema.”

Among the featured artists is a man known as “Chicago Wan,” who makes hand-painted baseball caps in support of Simpson. The shape of a glove with blood dripping from it forms the top of one of Chicago Wan’s caps. The words “It’s a setup” are written across the front of the cap.

One of the most interactive artists represented is Rodney Vanworth, who elicits debate from the public by displaying paintings that pose questions about the murder trial. He invites the public to comment on his work by writing or drawing on the canvas.

“Does O. J. get special treatment?” Vanworth asked in a piece displayed at the CSUN exhibit. He coupled this question with a drawing of a Barcalounger equipped as an electric chair.

“He doesn’t let you not have an opinion,” Breazeale said.

Another artist, Ozell Roberson, also directly addresses the public, but as part of an effort to promote peace and reconciliation between races.

Roberson makes collages of images of Nicole Brown Simpson juxtaposed with those of Martin Luther King Jr. to place emphasis on the victims and not on the race of the accused murderer.

Among Roberson’s most ambitious works is a performance art piece, in which he drives his 1958 Cadillac around the courthouse broadcasting King’s speeches over a public address system.

Breazeale’s show also features examples of performance art pieces by battered-women’s organizations that were put on at the courthouse during the summer. One piece mocked the media coverage of the trial by using a large fake television on which statistics about violence against women were scrolled.