East LA - James Chambers

East LA Public Art

I chose East LA because I've lived here for a decent portion of my life, and I've had family living here for as long as I've been alive. East LA and its artworks have inspired me and shaped who I am today. If you walk down any street within East LA, you'll be surrounded by beautiful murals. The murals I've chosen are some that I personally see and pay attention to at least once per week on my commute or in my day-to-day activities.




"The Wall That Speaks, Sings, and Shouts" by Paul Botello, 2001
3864 Whittier Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90023

This mural was painted in Salazar Park. I grew up going to this park very often, and I always noticed this mural. The mural depicts life, resistance, advancements, and key historical figures. The mural also includes a tribute to Cesar Chavez. During the workers' rights movement, protesters frequently passed by Salazar Park, which is why the park and mural feature a mural of Cesar Chavez. 





Unknown by LA_STEEZ
3959 Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90023

This mural was painted in the parking lot of a local burger chain. I order burgers from here at least once a week. After seeing this mural so often, I decided this assignment would be a good excuse to do research on it. The artist is LA_STEEZ on Instagram, who makes political artworks. In the post displaying this artwork, it was captioned, "Her: 'paint me like one of your Mexican girls." In the picture, there was a woman who looks like the depicted art.



"El Poder de la Mujer" by Fabián Debora, 2016
4125 Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90023

The name of this mural translates to "The Power of the Women." The mural was painted on an apartment complex. Fabian made this for the women who live in the apartment complex. He wants to empower women and children who have experienced or are experiencing domestic violence. The apartment complex and mural are both new, and I remember seeing the apartments being built. Now, every time I commute, I see this mural and always think of it as a nice sight.



Analysis
A common theme I noticed while researching these murals and looking at others around my neighborhood was the theme of empowerment. I also think these murals reflect the community of East LA. Many of East LA's residents are lower-class Mexican-Americans who seek to uplift their community and those around them. As someone with a Hispanic background and someone who's grown up around this community, murals such as these inspire me to uplift my community.

Proposal
One issue I've noticed with a lot of murals around this neighborhood is how often they get covered in graffiti and other forms of vandalism. On LA STEEZ's Instagram profile, a few of his posts are of him painting over graffiti done on his artwork. I would propose more effort from the city to protect these artworks from such vandalism. 







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