Joey Krebs, also known as The Phantom Street Artist, has come to California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State), to display his latest installation: “Make Amerikkka Jack’d Again.”
Krebs’ purpose for creating the installation was to provide viewers the opportunity to “question our culture in question.”
“As a cultural revisionist, I’m reconstructing history as it should be told beyond its appearance,” Krebs stated. “I do satirical parodies, but those satirical parodies address our culture in question through these motifs.”
Through his “institutional critiques” of what he calls “transgressive acts of culture,” Krebs is able to expose artists who have stolen the work of others for their own personal and monetary gain. He does so through art installations, spoken word as well as taking on personas in artistic performances.
“That’s why I use the theme: Jack’d,” Krebs said.
Krebs has made it known to the public that figures such as Keith Haring, Banksy, Shepard Fairey and Museum of Contemporary Art Director Jeffrey Deitch have all contributed to the “rampant greed, corruption, and plagiarism” of modern day society, according to Stan State’s website.  
The exhibition, which takes place from Oct. 9 to Nov. 10 in the University Art Gallery, is open to the public for viewing. It is a part of the Social Justice Conference this coming November.
According to the Dean for the College of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr. James Tuedio stated that he collaborated with Art Professor Dean DeCocker to have a five to six week installation that would “dovetail” with the Social Justice Conference.
The department originally looked at an artist associated with University of California, Davis, Malaquias Montoya, who was unable to attend due to a scheduling confliction, according to Tuedio.
However, Tuedio added that Art Professor Dan Edwards had a connection to Krebs through the Art Department and was able to contact The Phantom Street Artist in time for the weeks prior to the Social Justice Conference.
“The art in essence is another form of expression that reaches us a little more viscerally and emotively and makes us bounce off of it or puzzle over it, and it doesn’t bring its own commentary, but kind of makes you figure out what to make of it. And so, it is a component of a larger impact that we’re looking to have,” Tuedio said.
The art installation displays work regarding perhaps some of the most controversial issues facing America today.
The installation features a Klu Klux Klan outfit embellished with San Francisco 49er apparel, “soiled” underwear depicting the face of President Donald Trump and other political figures, and phrases like “What you sell sells you” border the walls of the gallery.
“I recognize that there is probably going to be a very mixed opinion among the people who experience [Krebs’] work, and it’s probably going to be more controversial than Malaquias’ work would have been because it’s more overt and contemporary,” Tuedio said.
Krebs stated that he hopes that viewers will question their current culture when they view his work.
Tuedio stated that Krebs’ approach uses visual imagery to invoke a different kind of thought process, which differs from many of the keynote speakers chosen thus far for the Social Justice Conference.
“It’s using an expressive form of voice to convey a sensitivity of things, which I feel is a really important compliment to the structure of the discursive presentation of views and accomplishments and issues,” Tuedio said. “It gives people more to hang theoretical discussions on and reaches us on other dimensions.”
Student Assistant Paul Acevedo (senior, Art), who was helping construct the installation with Krebs.this past Tuesday, stated that he felt the installation was turning out well. Acevedo added that he was obtaining many unique ideas from Krebs’ work that could potentially inspire him with his own print making. 
“He addresses an important issue. There are not a lot of artists that capture these struggles. It’s important to capture the freedom of self-expression,” Acevedo said.
Besides being an institutional critique and street artist in Los Angeles, Krebs is also the founding member of the Art Saves Lives movement.
The Art Saves Lives mission is predominantly “an organization committed to social interaction across diverse expressions, cultural differences and ideas through exhibition education and community activities,” according to Krebs’ press release.
The press release went on to state that “Art Saves Lives is also a performance collective group of producers, artist and actor’s who create media, performance art and theater as a genre for social and political commentary.”
Tuedio said that the Art Saves Lives movement was what interested him in Krebs’ work first.
“I feel like that is a really critical way to remember the depth of these problems and the fact that they are real human problems and not just theoretical differences,” Tuedio said.
Krebs will be giving a live performance as a part of the Social Justice Conference on Nov. 9 at 4 p.m., and the gallery will be open until 9 p.m. at the University Art Gallery.
“I think the show compliments a variety of different platforms and leaving the audience members the ability to question their culture,” Krebs said.
This article has been updated to include two pictures and clarification on the time span of the artist’s performance. The name of the gallery site on campus was also clarified.