02 July 2006

darn taggers!

last week, i was passing through downtown LA. to my dismay, i saw graffiti on the murals on the 101 freeway between the olvera street exit and the cathedral of our lady of the angels. very saddening. the murals were restored not too long ago and now they're vandalized again. tagging. cleaning up. tagging. cleaning up. it's a vexing cycle that's a lot more painful for the cleaners than for the taggers. it's upsetting to see LA's already marred environs further worsened. the trashed murals i saw include:


going to the olympics by frank romero
this mural, with cars painted in bold and broad strokes can be found between alameda and san pedro streets. now, with all the graffiti, the cars are almost indistinguishable from the background. they've been covered in metallic spraypaint.



buckle up by steve rose
a friendly reminder to all drivers, this mural at spring street has been tainted again.



galileo, jupiter, apollo by john wehrle
also on spring street, vandalism has taken its (unwelcome) place amongst the floating sculptures and planets in this mural.



LA freeway kids by glenna boltuch avila
located near the los angeles street exit, this mural features a group of kids skipping, running, and being active. this is an old picture of the mural. back then, the vandals tried to spare the children and work their way around them. i've always made fun of the asphyxiated color of the last child on the right after its restoration, but now if you drive through the 101 and see the mural, all the children look bad.

darn taggers!

for more information about los angeles murals, visit mural conservancy of los angeles and public art in los angeles. visit no graffiti to join the fight against tagging.

Posted by ilovesecondhandsmoke @ 10:53 PM