Friday, January 4, 2013

A Muralist Los Angeles Tour Showcases A Distinctive Cultural History

By Maryellen Lamb


A muralist Los Angeles tour reveals a continuing historical journey in street art. Originally these murals were part of a Mexican tradition that was passed on through Mexican Americans influenced by an earlier 20th century movement in Mexico. Succeeding generations of artists placed their mark on diverse place settings. The result is that the city has as an estimated 1500 murals. This unique heritage established its place as the world capital of public murals.

Government officials also demonstrated its support, for a time, by sponsoring many of these artistic impressions. There were 400 sponsored works were produced between 1971 and 1999. Yet today Lyon, France is known as the world capital of murals and a school has been established to share these skills. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, the city government has generally banned this practice since 2002.

From the time the ban was instituted in 2002 new murals may only be undertaken in restricted spaces. Output has been much diminished and come to a virtual standstill. However, there is some hope of change. A decade after the moratorium was imposed the Department of Planning passed an ordinance to remove the ban in October 2012. This legal instrument must still be reviewed by the city council and the PLUM Commission, but is passage indicates the dawn of a new era may be on the horizon.

The first generation of pioneers placed their markers on urban landscape in the 1930s. Ethnic murals that distinguish local neighborhoods have a cultural pedigree that goes back 100 years. The historical source was the 1913 painting by Gerardo Murillo of Guadalajara credited to be the first modern mural in Mexico.

A movement for reform encouraged by public art boomed in Mexico with government support during the early 20th century. This voice for reforms was led by artists such as David Alfaro Siqueiros and Diego Rivera during the 1930s. These artists worked on both sides of the MexicanAmerican border as evidenced by the recently refurbished masterpiece by Siqueiro on Olvera Street. The bold style of this Mexican muralism movement was continued by Chicano artists thereafter.

These outdoor paintings reflected the mixed Mexican and American heritage of Chicano artists. They represented their neighborhoods and cohabitants and the issues that concerned them. The distinctiveness of the street paintings lies in the fact that they are a collaborative effort. Several painters have impressed their vision on these works. This artistic partnership represents the community identity at a point in time.

The 1968 mural by Antonio Bernal in Del Ray, a Central Valley community is credited as the first Chicano mural. It is situated on the wall of the Teatro Campesino building. Subsequently, the walls in immigrant Mexican neighborhoods in California became such cultural identifiers. The movement flourished in East Los Angeles, Lincoln Heights, Highland Park and Boyle Heights in Los Angeles. Eventually, a movement driven by Mexican immigrants spread to other ethnic groups.

Besides commissioning some of this original art, the Cultural Affairs Department monitors the condition of its masterpieces. An inexperienced muralist may contribute to the fragility of the work with incorrect surface preparation, substandard materials or problematic siting. Environmental factors, neglect and frequent defacement constantly endanger these works and leaves them in a state of continuous jeopardy. Regular maintenance and the expert assistance of conservation professionals are required to maintain these vibrant cultural and artistic landmarks. A muralist los angeles painter in future will most likely like earlier predecessors reflect community values, problems and goals.




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