Graffiti

One of the cool things about my job and living Los Angeles is checking out graffiti and urban art. Some may think this marks a bad neighborhood, the ghetto if you will. Others like myself, believe graffiti adds flavor to an otherwise bland landscape of concrete and metal.
L.A. is home to many street artists, Shepard Fairey being probably the most famous at the moment. He designed the Obama "HOPE" and "PROGRESS" posters and slathered them all over town. His infatuation with the old wrestler, Andre the Giant, launched the "OBEY" following. Fairey was arrested in Boston this week on vandalism charges. Kinda cool these guys get arrested for making art, I'd say.
Another popular street artist who has a couple pieces up in L.A. is BANKSY. Early man seen with a fast food dinner is on Beverly Blvd. just west of La Brea and one of his rats is on Melrose just west of Mansfield. Check out his web site for some new work in New Orleans. http://www.banksy.co.uk/

One thing I'm sure of, there is some sort of argument about whether or not 'tagging' is art. I think it is trash. Tagging is illegible writing scribbled on walls or freeway overpasses (some can be seen in these graffiti photos I have posted).But what kind of street cred do I hold??? I do work with a guy who does hold a little cred. His name is Seth, but he goes by Meex. Sidenote: people in L.A. have unique names, or regular names but they are spelled all weird or you may be asked to pronounce them differently. I don't know what the deal is with that.
I do get to meet quite a few artists, rockers, and actors, etc. on different paths as I work. Below is one of Meex's works in Venice Beach.

Anyway, once working on a TV show we were dressing a building somewhere in East LA. The driver of our five ton got out to stretch his legs and found someone had tagged his truck while he was snoozing away.
Look around your city and see what is out there.