The Curse of ALZA, part II
Mercado Los Paisanos de Highland Parke on 13/8/08
This morning I opened the California section of the Los Angeles Times (yes, that endangered species known as the printed newspaper.) and there is a picture of the local mercado: Los Paisanos on Aldama & Milwaukee, and it has been “ALZA-ized!” [Well, technically it was "EZRA-ALZA-ized" ALZA ("Playboy Eddie") and EZRA (Israel Cervantez) collaborated on this $3000 "Artistic" paint job.]
The Points West article is part of LA Times columnist Steve Lopez’s crusade against what he sees as overzealous municipalities, and their varied odnances that “keep the little guy down.” (e.g., San Marino’s Lacy Park Fee, and Glendale’s tree, and yard ordnances.) In this case he paints a picture [pun intended] of the little guy, that being the owners of Mercardo Los Paisanos, the Antonio Family, verses the Evil Hand of Big Government, in the form of the City of Los Angeles, and the Building & Safety Department with their order to comply, and remove the unpermitted excessive signage. He goes on to tell the sorrowful tale of how a mom & pop, were just trying to keep the gangsters, and taggers from writing on their market walls, and the city forces them to paint it over or be taken to court.
No. What really happened was the ever-persuasive ALZA, and EZRA convinced the Antonios that they could do for them what they have done for buildings through out Northeast Los Angeles: paint graffiti-style signage all over the building, and the taggers would leave it alone. Admittedly, for as untalented as these graffiti artists are, the taggers do seem to leave their AZLA-ized buildings alone. But then we have these wonderful aerosol eyesores to look at. As if this is the only solution for business owners.
Media Invades Highland Park
Also this morning, KABC-TV’s Eyewitness News picked up the story, and went with the same angle: “Big government picks on business man, and taggers win.” Eyewitness News’ Lisa Hernandez, also claims that it was a “Religious-Themed Mural,” which it was not. There was a Guadalupe spray painted there in the corner where previously an attractive brush-painted Guadalupe stood. But other than that, it was just signage for the market, and big phat bombs of “EZRA/ALZA” (and some other words yet-to-be-deciphered by the graffiti writing specialists) spray painted on to the side of the market. [This reminds me why I stopped watching television news –facts are always optional.]
Beyond the abandoned couch, you can see how the market looked before the extreme paint job. Taken on April 9, 2007.
Something Steve Lopez, and the other reporters fail to mention, is that this market isn’t in the middle of a typical business district, instead, it is a stand alone market situated on a corner, surrounded by houses and apartments that have to see this everyday. Perhaps Mr. Lopez would like to invite ALZA, and EZRA to come over and artistically enhance his hilltop home in tawny Echo Park Silverlake, then see how his neighbors feel about that? [Honestly, that would be quite entertaining, and I surely do hope he takes my suggestion on this. Cuz ALZA is 4 all, right?]
As it stands, our 1st district council member Ed Reyes, says he is going to work with the Antonio family, and the neighborhood to replace the mural. I hope that EZRA & ALZA have nothing to do with this, though they have offered to do again for only $500. Please Don’t.
The Antonio family think they should be compensated with our tax dollars for their foolishness, and lack of foresight. Being businesspeople you’d think they would have known better than to go overboard with all the signage. Or that the Office of Community Beautification would see the EZRA Wildstyle pieces on the side of their market, and it would just get buffed over with utilitarian beige without a second thought.
Another thing that bothers me, is the viewpoint that the ALZA/EZRA aerosol jobs were the only way to thwart the taggers. Just two blocks down Aldama stands a great example of what can be accomplished by vigilant businesses owners living among the same conditions.
Down at Juanita’s Restaurant, (formerly Highland Perk, formerly La Casa Blue) the guys that restored that one-time tavern, installed cameras and planted a moat of climbing vines around their building. In the beginning, there were tags on the wall from time to time, and the owners would break out the bucket of paint and cover it as soon as possible. (I remember hearing how the neighboring businesses were annoyed with their diligence, and their efforts to get others to do the same.) Well today the walls are covered in vines and the corner they are on is graffiti-free
So what is the solution? More aerosol to fight the illegitimate aerosol. More murals. –Oh that would be great, but how about restoring the ones that we already have! Cover anything and everything in beige latex, or grow plants over every wall. God forbid we expect any sort of, errr, Idono, law enforcement????
Thank you for the article. I find that big, ugly blank walls wherever they are in the city, attract graffiti – ivy, not so much. Cheers to Scott & Miguel at Juanita’s for finding a better way to deal with it.
WELL SAID! Now if we could just get Steve Lopez to read this……… I guess this angle might be a bit too nuanced for the evening news though, but one would hope not too much for the LA Times
I think the “La Casa Blue” Building with its Curves Gym and Juanita’s Restaurant is an example of the high quaility we can expect if we encourage more owner-occupant type projects, be them either commercial or residential. Ownership behavior breeds curb appeal and lower crime. The Police call it the “Broken Window” theory. meaning that Crime follows neglect and quality of life follows vigelence and regular maintenance.
By the way: What ever happened to the “Woodzy Owl” ecology program in K-12? I see so many kids just drop trash on the side walk while there walking. Is it cool to be a cochon? In my day, we were tought to put it in your pocket till you reach a trash can.
I’ve even seen some 20 year olds key-scratch tag a restaurant table while waiting for their job interviews in that same restaurant. Talk about your generation gaps!
Steve Lopez lives in rich part of Silver Lake by the reservoir, in the “Ivanhoe school district”. I can guess how his neighbors would react to any store being painted with such an ugly mural.
That blue building with the lousy coffee is an eyesore, graffiti or not. Someone ought to cite them for uglifing the neighborhood.
Thanks for the correction Dorit. I was thinking Silverlake, but wrote Echo Park.
And
Highland Parker, can you give some specificity as to the aesthetically offensive nature of building at 5930 York? Though its not memorable looking in any way, I wouldn’t go as far to say it was an eyesore.
Though I agree that the “Los Paisanos” market was unsightly…I definitely don’t think Highland Perk or whatever it’s called these days is any better. The vines are a great idea but really that color???!!!!…was it on sale at home depot?
It’s called “Juanitas” now and the food is good. Business will probably pick up now that Villa Sombrero is shuttered for the time being.
I wouldn’t personally choose that blue color, but I dont really see what the problem is with it.
The blue color of La Casa Blue is Beautiful, a blue hue that would be found in Coyoacan, an all too beautiful colonial town within Mexico City, the blue of Frida Kahlo’s Home”La Casa Azul”. Miguel and Scott, former owners “Casa Blue” ,were highly sensitive to the overwhelming presence of working class, spanish speaking Latinos in the community who live between their building and Los Paisanos. Storefronts for Los Paisanos. La Fruteria Guerrero, Pan De Vida, and La Casa/Juanita’s ican be looke at as “re-enactments” of colors that generate a feeling of home, welcome, and celebration of culture for the high Latino population in Highland Park. Beautifying Highland Park will require and obligate us to understand the cultural psychology of the majority, that is Latinos. In the meantime, if it’s a unified aesthetic we want to achieve, why not suggest the Highland Park Chamber of Commerce proactively create a sub-committee of humanitarian businessmen to reach out to and create workshops for owners of Latin/ethnic businesses where they can come up with uniform,acceptable, and culturally meaningful/sensitive ways to express culture visually on their buildings and keep their clientele.
Hopefully, like the rest of the modern world, we all know at least 3 languages which allow for dialogue and planning for a more beautiful Highland Park. I believe the languages needed for this are spanish, chinese, and of course english.
Separatist attitudes and “we’re better than you” attitudes gain nothing. It’s best to undue these. And even better to be Solution- focused with our neighbors in culturally sensitive ways
I really like the idea that local markets pay local artists to paint a building with a huge mural or murals.
Putting the politics of graffiti and tagging aside, it makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
I went to school in LAUSD just as they were shutting down all the arts, music, shop, and homemaking classes. I spent more time in “tardy lockout” in a huge shop room with rusting equipment than I did learning anything useful in junior high.
To me, graffiti-style art is part of our civilization here in L.A. Wanting it to go away, and expecting law enforcement to make it do so, sounds awfully naive.
Really, who loses as long as the walls aren’t showing anything too obscene?
Ok,
there is the question of do we like or not like his work, but ultimately my questions is: WHY WASN’T THE MURAL PERMITED BEFORE COMPLETION???
I have seen some really ugly murals go up; however, if the city approves and gives a permit, it would take allot more then one neighbor complaining for it to come down. It’s actually not that hard to get a city permit. And costs pennies. I recently spoke to a guy who is doing a similar style mural on a business, the mural is fantastic! But, I asked him if he pulled a permit to avoid it being taken down, and his rationalization for not getting a permit was that this style of art is meant to be recyclable, it’s fast and easy to do, and if it gets taken down, you just do a different one. I guess I sort of see his point, however, does the shop owner who is paying 3000$ know this?!!! I can’t speak for all graffiti artist, but maybe choosing to un-permit their work, may also be an incentive for media attention. This has drawn quite a bit of interest just because it was covered up. Maybe if he had gone through the legal system it would have been just another graffiti stylized mural. It’s a though.