clipped from Losanjealous: Creeptastic mural still there...
Joseph Mailander a guy in la • elsewhere • email
"When did LA start hating murals?" serial muralist Judy Baca writes in CityWatch.
I have a feeling it's a rhetorical question, but try these for answers:
- When CalTrans wouldn't maintain theirs, even though they covenanted to.
- When it was demonstrated that murals did nothing to mitigate graffiti, which is often how they are pitched to arts commissions.
- When graffiti artists started getting commissions as muralists.
- When people realized that if a motorist actually took her eyes off the road long enough to look at one, she just might get in an accident.
- When LA's gallery scene evolved, creating more demand for individuals who work on individual canvasses, rather than hundreds who work on projects to the greater glory of one artist, usually named Judy Baca.
If murals are linked to graffiti abatement, then murals should be permitted only where graffiti is a pronounced problem. If muralists and commissioning agencies can't work together to maintain the murals they commission over time (see fiascos on the 10 and the 101 and the 110 and...forget it, there are nothing but fiascos on freeways), and we are destined to put the worst murals in the most public places, then let's change that, so that all of murals don't get impugned by a shoddy few; let's at least make sure murals end up where they belong, and where they are most loved.
Labels: a guy in la, murals
Posted by Joseph F. Mailander @ 3/11/2008 12:11:00 PM
12 Comments:
We don't need murals to distract freeway drivers now that more of the electronic billboards look like they are coming in, thanks to Rocky Delgadillo's hard work.
Graffiti morons will mark anywhere anytime. Last Saturday afternoon, a shaved-head guy in a wifebeater shirt (definitely not on the CEO career track) was marking up the underpass going s/b on the 5 to the 10 e/b while there was slow traffic moving by.
Not enough police to get this guy off the street.
Murals themselves are not respected by graffite vandals. It is competition for the space.
Murals should never be done by graffiti vandals unless you want to legitimize vandalism. They might someday come to call themselves "artists," feeling more entitled to "create" thereby being even more of a plague on the public spaces.
Maybe we should include among the things that "begin at home," putting up your art on your house (if you own it) before it goes anywhere else. That could be part of a real life portfolio. If you don't own your own place, which is probably the case, I guess you just stay in public areas and go to jail when you get caught.
Judy Baca whining again. Does anyone realize that Judy doesn't do any work on these murals? She will get a group of good naive artists together. Those artists will design it, apply for grants, do all the work and pay for all the supplies. Judy does absolutely nothing. Judy Baca then swoops in at the end, takes the grant money, all the publicity and all the credit. That is what she's whining about. It has to do with Judy not being able to make money and get fame off the backs of real muralists.
The topic of murals themselves has nothing to do with Judy Baca. I personally feel that they attract graffiti. Taggers want to tag on someone else's wall, art, mural, car even dog. Yes, they tag stray dogs. Murals should probably only be put in private places by corporations so they can be maintained and secured. You can't secure or maintain those freeway murals. Those murals are begging to be tagged.
Nobody gives a flying. Murals are a blight, over and out. Put one in your neighborhood and watch your property values drop.
I miss seeing the Freeway Lady on the 101. That was the best.
Murals need to be seen as temporary or transient pieces of art. Goes up for awhile, but doesn't have to be some sort of long term artwork. When it's time is up, put it out of it's misery. Put up a new one or just whitewash the wall. Some of the murals may look nice, honestly I don't want them in my neighborhood.
Who pays for the upkeep of murals? Do the artists maintain them, or just leave them to government agencies or property owners to deal with?
Murals, tagging, it's all the same. Hideous urban blight. No other state has this problem. It's despicable.
Why do you people hate the art work of the latino gang artists. Los Angeles has lots of cultural artwork painted on traffic signs, walls, sidewalks and delivery trucks for the gavachos to enjoy. This is just another example of you racist xenophobes hating on our latino culture.
Gang graffiti is one of the things that makes Los Angeles different than the gentrified gavacho enclaves in Los Angeles. Learn to enjoy the graffiti and the hard working people who provide the artwok for free.
Graffiti is vandalism.
Vandalism is a crime.
Criminals belong in jail.
Fuck off dude. I love Latinos. Hate graffiti. What a difference. Murals are just graffiti magnets and I view them mostly as just ugly billboards.
Sorry to dis your culture. My culture has sex with farm animals. I won't ask you to accept that. Fair enough?
And I agree with 11:40.
Graffiti is vandalism.
Vandalism is a crime.
Criminals belong in jail.
hi, iam a graffiti artist from los angeles, and i think some of you are taking a very biased point of view on the murals of los angeles.
yes graffiti tagging is a problem in los angeles as in many cities, and within the graffiti community there is a division of believes in regard to "tagging" on murals.
I am of the opinion that tagging on murals is wrong and very disrespectful, but to label tagging and mural art together is just downright uninformed.
your speaking from a limited point of view and understanding, i will explain
the murals on the 110 and 101, are very dated, and for the most part are the work of artists in the 80 and 90's, these murals have faded very badly and are not reflective of the people of los angeles. existing murals with olympic circa 1984 themes are an example of the city councils desertion of the people and artists of los angeles.
the city let these murals get destroyed, there are protective coatings that can be applied to murals that make them virtually graffiti proof, but this takes stewardship and maintance. The city did not hold up its part of the deal.
if a water main breaks, the city repairs it, its there civic duty and paid for in taxes by us the people of los angeles. The same should be true for the murals of los angeles. Bad things happen and you fix them, thats part of keeping the city running.
Art, and murals are a reflection a first impression, that the city is alive, that there is culture here, a thriving art scene, that is an important part of a vibrant city.
If we do not protect, and encourage art and murals, we might as well change the city colors to grey and beige.....
Dash2000 graffiti artist.
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