Sarah Carter, Public Art in South Los Angeles

The Site- South Los Angeles

The site I decided to choose for this assignment is the South LA area. I chose this area because it is my community and it holds meaningful public artworks in my opinion. This neighborhood is predominantly home to many minority groups and therefore a lot of the art pieces depict these groups and their cultures. Being the neighborhood I grew up in, the artworks I chose for this project are especially meaningful and something worth sharing.

Field Work

Mid-City's Prescott School of Enriched Sciences

Jefferson Park

This public artwork is located on the wall of the Mid-City's Prescott School of Enriched Sciences in Jefferson Park. The creator of this mural is unidentified and not labeled within the artwork, nor is the title of the artwork discovered. This piece was created by I assume acrylic paint on a cement wall. The artwork is of people of different ages and different skin tones drawn standing in front of buildings. I like to think this mural could be a reflection of the individuals in the community or maybe even the students of the school. It highlights the fact that this community and school is predominantly people of color. In addition to that, the location of this artwork could have significance as well. The fact this piece is created outside a school could represent the importance of education in minority groups and encourage the students who view it, or that’s what I like to think.

South Figueroa Corridor

This art work is located in Los Angeles within the South Figueroa Corridor district. The mural is tagged with the name MisterAlek, which I presume to be the creator of the artwork. This work seems to be done with acrylic paint on a brick wall. The artwork includes a number of revolutionary public figures including Martin Luther King, Louis Armstrong and more. This mural is another example of public art that represents the history of people of color. 

Critical Analysis 

Many of the public art murals of South LA shows awareness for the existence of the minority groups in the community. These pieces often depict people of many colors engaging in some form of activity, or they are simply murals of activists and public figures who stand up for equality and other issues the community faces. No doubt, the artists of my neighborhood center their art on the histories of the people they resonate with. In this case, the histories of people of color. 

What's interesting to consider is the individual who approves of these official public artworks. The Cultural Affairs Commission of Los Angeles approves of these works, but who appoints these individuals to approve these works is the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass. Karen Bass is the first woman and second African American to become mayor of Los Angeles. I think this could be the reason behind the many artworks presenting people of color around this site. 

Proposal

The public art found around the South LA Site include simple graffiti tags or fully rendered paintings with meaning. When it comes to these full rendered paintings, I often find that it represents a people and gives encouragement to the groups it is representing. When murals that emphasize power and growth are prevalent, it encourages a more positive view of the community and could even instill goodness in its people. Whether it represents minority groups or not, I enjoy when an artwork encourages a positive outlook on something. I believe this kind of thing benefits the community more than not. 

While I do enjoy the work of public artists in my community there are some public works that I don’t enjoy. There has been an increased amount of gang affiliated graffiti art in the South LA area as of late. Graffiti art is enjoyable when it is creative and unique, however when the graffiti is tasteless it creates an antagonistic look on our neighborhood. This could signal to visitors, and to locals themselves, that the area may be dangerous which creates a negative outlook rather than a positive one.

I believe the theme of uplifting individuals through representation is something that should continue to be used in the public art of my community. When art works that promote a message of peace while representing the local people are displayed, they can benefit the community. It is the reason why I chose this site for this assignment. I often pass by these artworks when running errands and no matter how many times I pass by them, I can’t help but admire them again and again. As someone who is personally a part of these groups, I appreciate the representation the artwork shows and it brings me joy to see it. Therefore, if artwork in our neighborhood can be created with the purpose of giving this positive effect on its viewers, I think it can be a very beneficial thing for the community as a whole.