Thursday, January 19, 2006

Shot on July 24, 2005



Shot dead January 14, 2006


People ask me why I do this. Just the other day as I was shooting shooting a mural a patron came out of the restaurant and asked me what I was doing.

"Oh, I go around taking photos of murals."

"Why?" he said.

"Why? I go around taking photos of murals. For fun."

Man looking at me all puzzled..."For who?"

"For me. I go around, take photos of murals for myself,.....for fun."

Frustrated, the man walked away shaking his head as such a preposterous notion.

Then, I see what I posted today.

The death of a mural.

It happens all the time and a lot of people don't care or never really looked at one to appreciate it for what it was. A work of art, sometimes great, sometimes not. You don't have to drive to a museum or gallery to see art, its all around us. You just have to look and notice it which, of course, is really hard nowadays. Driving on the road, listening to the radio, the ipods, the cel phones, etc...

The next time your on the road, pay attention to your surroundings... I mean REALLY pay attention. Even though I have a motive to be on the look out for another mural to add to the blog, you'd be surprised at what you find.

So, in loving memory of the mural on Tacos Lagos...this ones for you old buddy.

Gone, but not forgotten.

Any tips to murals around the greater Los Angeles area is greatly appreciated, if your a regular, you know what I'm looking for.

Oh yeah! Happy anniversary Mandy. Love you.

7 comments:

SeƱor Chips said...

The same jerks that removed the mural also must have removed the bilboard! Is there no end???

Tony C said...

Damn, well at least at the bottom line, someone won. Im not sure who, we get to choose our sides. But someone won.

Anonymous said...

too bad it didn't die and you just took a picture of the other side of the building. Did you think nobody would notice?

Anonymous said...

:D it's all around us.. ...

Xtine said...

Taking photos of murals? That's about the most Mexican thing I can think of! Have you ever gone to see the Farmer John murals in Vernon?

Glad to find your blog! I hope you don't mind adding you to my "list".

Derrick would probably say hi if he were here.

-Christine

Tony Mora said...

Why yes, yes I have. I grew up in Bell Gardens and we used to drive by that place all the time on our way to the old Sears building in Los Angeles. That's the mural that sparked my interest. Its the motherlode. If anyone hasn't seen it in person, you have to. It is unbelievable. We've taken two trips to take photos of the place and its still not enough. There are more murals on the inside of that place. Like I said, its amazing and I'd like to do an homage to it soon.

http://www.laokay.com/FarmerJohn.htm

Anonymous said...

True dat. On Sunland & Penrose in Sun Valley there was an auto body shop that used to have a guy in a big chicken suit stand on the corner, holding a sign pointing to the shop. After a while, the place was known for the Chicken Man. Eventually the owners created a huge bas-relief of Chicken Man on the side of the shop out of (appropriately enough) chicken wire and stucco. It was garish, yellow, crude...and beautiful. The shop changed hands and the new owners took down Chicken Man (and gave the real Chicken Man the pink slip). I always regretted never having taken a picture of that sculpture. Keep up the good work, Tony.