Public Art of West Adams - Eve Gutierrez

 Public Art of West Adams

Artwork:

• All in a Day Mural at Farmdale Station
• LOVE Crew x CACHE Mural
• Pirate Studios West Adams Mural
• ZLA Murals
• random graffiti around the neighborhood
• Mural by @tenser._ and @pysainhiding
• Mural at Illa Canna by Mister Cartoon
• Bee Mural
• Haut-Relief on Address Plaque
• Full-Circle Learning Academy Mural

All in a Day Mural at Farmdale Station

This mural is one of many that can be found at most E-line train stations. Many of the murals made are meant to highlight important people, culture, and history of the area the station is located in.

All in a Day represents the rich history of the surrounding area, including Dorsey High School, and the people who helped the community grow.

"My intention is for the work is to honor and highlight this community as a vital part of greater Los Angeles." -Michael Massenburg

This artwork was first displayed in 2012 and is still up to this day.

All in a Day by Michael Massenburg

LOVE Crew x Cache Mural

This is a collaborative mural done by both artists LOVE Crew and CACHE. LOVE Crew is a group of artists who specialize in graffiti; they aim to spread love worldwide with their art. CACHE UNO is a Guatemalan artist who also specializes in graffiti; his signature are his colorful chickens that you can find in random public spaces. Both artists are primarily based in LA.

different angles of the LOVE Crew x Cache mural

Pirate Studios West Adams Mural

This mural is simple due to its straightforward representation of West Adams. This mural is connected to the studio its painted on, Pirate Studios, dedicated to providing rehearsal studios to local artists. They have another location in Silverlake where a similar mural is painted on the studio as well, just the words reading "Silverlake" instead of "West Adams". The studio wanted a recognizable yet flexible look, which is why they used the stretched Arial typology for their brand's aesthetic. 

"We're a disruptive company, always trying to find better ways to support our community. Our work with Only has been transformative and helped us to ensure we stand apart from every other music tech brand." -David Borrie (founder)

West Adams mural

ZLA Murals

There are two ZLA murals I found in this neighborhood, both somewhat hidden. One is located in collaboration with PG's Liquor. Another is found on the S.D.M. Company building, called Surrender. Both have a similar appearance, imagery of colorful eyes and his stylized characters interacting with them. Both murals are relatively new, both being displayed in 2022.

ZLA mural on PG's Liquor

Surrender by ZLA on S.D.M. Company

Random graffiti found around the neighborhood

A lot of buildings have been demolished in this neighborhood as of late, making empty lots canvases for street art. They might just be seen as vandalism to some, especially compared to the murals shown so far, but I still think they fall into art in my neighborhood.

graffiti in response to stencil art on the sidewalk

graffiti covering street art all over a wall on the corner of a street

graffiti on the wall in an empty lot

graffiti on the wall in an empty lot

Mural by @tenser._ and @pysainhiding

This is another collaboration between two artists that I couldn't find much information on, besides their handles on social media. This mural was displayed in October of 2023, turning two years old just recently. This mural has actually taken the place of another, which I also could not find more information on, but remembering it now, it seems like it was done by one or both of the same artists because of its similar style.

mural by @tenser._ and @pysainhiding on Instagram

Mural at Illa Canna by Mister Cartoon

Mister Cartoon is an LA based artist, known mostly for his tattoo and graffiti art. This mural is placed on the side of a cannabis store that has opened in the area not too long ago. The art depicts Los Angeles culture, focusing on the how Chicano culture and history has impacted LA's richness.

mural on Illa Canna wall by Mister Cartoon

Bee Mural by Mitch Henson

I couldn't find any information on this piece, but it has been up for some time. All I found was that it's by artist Mitch Henson who is inspired by SoCal life. This mural is not included in any series that he has created. It has remained untagged and has stayed up for years, unlike other artworks nearby.

mural by Mitch Henson

Haut-Relief on Address Plaque

This is another piece of art that I found while exploring West Adams. It's nothing complex, but it's still decorative and available for everyone to see. This relief is one of a kind as far as I know, and I haven't seen any other public spaces on the streets of West Adams with similar decorative art on their address plaques.

relief on address plaque

Full-Circle Learning Academy Mural

This mural has been in the neighborhood for as long as I can remember and it's been up longer than any of the artworks I had shown earlier. This mosaic piece represents what the building once was, a learning place for kids.

Its been an empty building for some time, but has recently become the neighbor to a newly opened cafe. Though it remains untouched, with two cafe's just a few feet away from it, it seems that it will soon be bought and turned into a retail place soon.

When looking at the art, you can see children were involved with the making of it. Tiles decorated with drawings of what is assumed to be self portraits of kids who attended this academy surround the rest of the tile work. The name of the academy is handwritten over the drawing hands holding the Earth. Above the mosaic, words read: WITH HEAD, HEART, AND HANDS. WE HELP THE HUMAN FAMILY.

mural on Full-Circle Learning Academy wall

The artwork found around West Adams is predominantly graffiti and painted murals. Lots of it are displayed on the walls of businesses, meant to be seen by passersby. From the works I documented, most of them are representing what they bring to the community or how they are related to it. The artwork overall has an LA look to it, which makes sense considering that from the information I had found, the art was made by LA based artists.

I've lived in West Adams for a long time, and I've seen how the neighborhood has been changing over the years. Recently, there have been major changes; gentrification has increased, creating new spaces and bringing in new people, but all the while destroying pre-existing local businesses and kicking out others.

It seems to me that the majority of the art in West Adams can be seen as representing Angelinos, directly and abstractly. I feel that West Adams could use more personal artwork though. The artwork that is meant to be more personal in representing the community is done by businesses and corporations. However, there is no direct local artist's work in this area, besides the tagging you can find on the walls and sidewalks. I'm sure the people who have lived in this neighborhood before gentrification reached this area are also very aware of what's happening around them. This is even more evident because whenever a new business is underway, opinions are known through spray painted messages, as well as stickers and flyers put up nearby. I believe that some sort of public art that isn't made by "an outside source" and isn't made just because it's part of a business or known public space is needed.

The public art of West Adams is colorful and vibrant, which suits the diversity you can find in the surrounding neighborhoods. There are many buildings in the area that have potential to display even more murals. In my opinion, there are still themes that are missing when it comes to representing West Adams. Representation of the working class and the minorities that call this area home is something I'd like to see more of. Representation of students and kids is also missing, considering there are multiple schools nearby. There are also lots of families in the area, so displaying artwork that can portray family values and family life would also be a theme to consider. Furthermore, more artwork with positive messaging can be displayed, for example, more artwork supporting eco-friendliness and sustainability. There can be more inclusion for female and LQBTQ+ artists to be given the opportunity to display their creativity in the neighborhood. Lastly, though murals and graffiti are nice pieces of art, I think there is room for other types of public art throughout the area. Besides the haut-relief I had found while exploring the neighborhood, there isn't variety in mediums the public art in this area use.

The most important thing for public art is to be representative and inclusive. I believe the best type of art piece for this neighborhood is to reflect on the history of the neighborhood and its residents, as well the current times.