I like the creative things. I don't really see the point of the gang stuff where the only point is to mark territory; those guys would be better off going to a career center and working on a resume or something.
Sometimes on my a.m commute I'll notice a new one on the freeway--or see some kids still out tagging at 8:30--and it might actually be good. It makes me feel better that there are creative people in the vicinity.
This kinda just breaks my heart though.
I remember when the mural went up in 1984 and it was a big deal to me even then as a little kid. I love that we still scrape together some money for public art now and then. This one just got restored earlier this year [not sure if the restoration was done by Avila herself], but you wouldn't know it now.
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Yeah, this always makes me sad too - because we remember how clean and wonderful they were when they painted them for the 84 Olympics.
I'm not so keen on graffiti. I think if you're a creative artist who is contributing something to the community that is one thing, but just some ghetto ass kid with spray paint, not feeling it.
I was at a hiphop event [in the ghetto] for an unveiling of a mural done for a community center [and the most rambling conversation with KRS-One but that's a story for another time].
They set up areas where anyone can throw something up exhibition-style as part of a larger collaborative effort. (The photo here is of "tagging" which is obviously not the same thing.) I thought it was cool that some kids--who have no real exposure to the fine arts--were learning that they can use this technique to communicate with their neighborhood something other than gang affiliation. Not to mention the importance of keeping this rich tradition alive in Los Angeles in the Latino and black communities. Even the Japanese American community has one [although not done by spray can] up by First/Central.
I'm on a case-by-case basis of acceptance on the stuff you see on freeway underpasses and the L.A. River.
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