THIS IS THE FEATURE PAGE

How should we view the vandalism of our mural on Interstate 10?
The Sun has one opinion and the artist has another.
Read both of them below.

The Sun's opinion: Los Angeles Marathon mural is —

(Photo copyright by Ramiro Fauve)

LOSING THE RACE!

Only 20 more years until the 2026 Los Angeles Marathon, and the runners in the mural on the north side of the I-10 Freeway look like they won't make it to the finish line.

Quite a change from the top photo, which shows the mural soon after Argentina-born painter Ramiro Fauve finished the the 23-by-386-foot work in spring 1994.

According to the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles, "This futuristic design depicts the survival and prosperity of the City of Los Angeles and the Marathon in the year 2026." Those are L.A. Marathon founders William Burke, president, and Marie Patrick, executive vice president, gamely leading the pack

Here is what Fauve wrote about his work in a letter to the city Art Commission:

When I designed the L.A. Marathon mural "Year 2026" on the I-10 and started painting it on the very morning of the [Northridge] earthquake in 1994, I had (and still have) a very positive vision for Los Angeles: one of racial diversity and harmony, progress, scientific and technical innovation, clean air, a respect for and awareness of nature and strict conservation of limited resources, and even a little good ole L.A. spirituality (represented by a lone seagull flying out of the mural). My mural speaks of unity and togetherness. I conceived of it during the time of the Rodney King beating, the Reginald Denny beating, and the O.J. trial. It depicts a landscape from East L.A. to a sunset ocean, the Glendale hills to the Santa Monica Mountains. Even the snow caps of Mount Baldy are back there. It also shows a proud City Hall building in the distance among new futuristic skyscrapers. There too are robots, humans running, and even an anti gravity floating metro rail system that will no doubt be a reality someday. Most of all it was a reflection of my hope for this city, the home I've come to love.

Time has taken its toll. The sun's rays beating from the south, uncountable volumes of road fumes, rain, wind — all have deteriorated the once-bright colors and buoyant optimism of Fauve's hopeful vision.

Not to mention the taggers.

At one time Caltrans worked quickly to remove graffiti from all freeway walls — but a public outroar forced a halt to the state's effort when some freeway murals were thoughtlessly defaced by Caltrans painters. Now the taggers are free to mess up the murals lining our freeways, knowing that their tags won't be immediately painted over by the state.

A campaign was begun in 2003 to renew all the freeway murals and shield them from taggers with a protective coating. But Fauve's mural, Year 2026, so far has not benefited from that project.

And so it languishes. And so it vanishes.

Ramiro Fauve has provided a reply to this editorial. See below.

This month's anagram:
Based on LOS ANGELES MARATHON MURAL

Gather! All mourn a loss! Amen.

Ramiro Fauve replies —

(Photo copyright by Ramiro Fauve)

THE RACE CARRIES ON!

I do appreciate in some ways the before and after aspect of your article. Only problem is that it seems very negative- contrary to even the mural's essence. I wish the title was "The Race Carries On" instead of "Losing the Race" and that the whole tone was less depressing. Your bit about "This Month's Anagram..." could better read "Gather! Make more Art. Amen!" I simply disagree with the focus of the article.

Truth is, when art is designed, created, when people view it and interact, the energy of that process expands like a wave, a ripple, that can't be undone by any amount of graffiti, weather, or time. Everything eventually fades. This is an existence made of change.

I prefer to focus on the positive. Fix it if it can be fixed and let it go if it can't. No problem. I think the whole graffiti issue is based on people's need to have a voice. I think there should be more funded graffiti murals and programs that show kids/teens that they can express themselves in more meaningful, powerful ways. Give them self-esteem, confidence and self-respect...may then they'll respect the work and hard-earned expressions of others. Sometimes I simply hear the cry of the tagger's lonely voice. "If I could just be heard, noticed, validated." What that must be like- the need to scribble your name in the cover of night! Let's encourage the courage it takes to make art...and reward it.

The fact that one of my works might go by way of the spray can...well, I've had the pleasure of creating thousands of pieces of art- 95% of which get erased, changed, reused, or trashed. It is part of the creative process.

The question "Does it bother you when one of your murals gets covered over?" gets put to me constantly. My answer is always no. I'll paint again, another artist will bloom and pick up the brush I lay down.

Hope all's well with you. Let's keep light shining and let darkness go where it may.

Feel free to use the photo as it is now shown on your Palms-Village Sun site. I would appreciate, and do request, any changes you can make toward a more positive take on the graffiti issue facing all public artists in Los Angeles at this time.

Artfully,
Ramiro Fauve

Not only is Ramiro Fauve a muralist, but he is also a musician, a lyricist and a writer. Here are some links to Fauve and his creative vision.

Anagram suggested by Ramiro Fauve

Gather! Make more art! Amen.