MELROSEandFAIRFAX: the BEST Street Art Blog Ever -- Now, We Will Be Taking Some Time Off

When MELROSEandFAIRFAX started, our only goal was to shine some limelight on all the incredible art blanketing the streets of LA.  That was it. Just one modest goal.
Without a doubt, M&F has more than surpassed the initial landmark.

Over the years, M&F has built itself from a local neighborhood blog, into the lead street art blog for Los Angeles, and from there, M&F has maintained a 2-year stranglehold in online rankings as the #1 Street Art Blog in the USA, and, currently, ranked #2 in the entire world. Pretty damn impressive for a blog that is mainly focusing on illegal work from local talent in the neighborhood~

The resolve of this blog cannot be questioned. Hard work is what led to M&F's success. No one spent more time on the streets than this blog. And no single source (online, print or what-have-you) has put more effort trying to capture and document the actual action on the streets.

Just in terms of sheer numbers alone, here are some stats. M&F has been around for 4 years. Over that time, we have averaged 10+ posts per day, and not missed a single day of posting in over 3+ years straight. M&F has made 14,581 total posts and has thousands of visitors from all over the world visiting the site each and every day.

M&F believes it is the best street art blog ever not because of the stats, but because we stayed true to the streets. That's what street art is about, right? Street art. Not public art. Not gallery art. That stuff is boring. Street art is the stuff that doesn't need a permission slip. That's what makes it exciting. And for 4 years, M&F has constantly captured the action on the streets, broadcast it to the world, and in doing so, explained and detailed the nuances of the streets. There is no other site who has taken on this type of task, and no one who has remained so completely dedicated to the mission. M&F didn't get to the top of the street art world by grabbing the biggest names and trying to capitalize on that. No, we worked from the streets up, trying to gather nickels and pennies to make a buck. M&F didn't just post pictures. We told the story. M&F was the main source to find out the backstory of what street art is -- how every little tag has an origin, how every artist climbs from humble beginnings towards the top, how every little beef has a story, and how every little mark has a meaning.

Sometimes it was difficult. Especially how M&F represented the general street art community but M&F did not always feel supported by the community. We understand that this genre is composed of people who by their very definition are rule-breakers, ego-maniacs and outlaws. It takes big balls to get up in LA, and even bigger balls, and a thick skin, to remain in this community for any time--especially in the position of a public figure. M&F was proud to be tougher than the haters, and the nay-sayers never stopped M&F from doing or saying whatever was needed to be said or done. And all the hate never stopped M&F, not even for a single day. But it is sad, because its hard to hold any community together when the hate is stronger than the shared bond. This situation might be similar to the way that Banksy is reviled in some graffiti circles. In the graffiti and street art worlds, currently, disdain is kind of like a badge of success. M&F believes that the street art and graffiti community, as a whole, have some growing up to do. If there is going to be a productive community, its got to be supportive of each other. Battle the ideas that keep people down. Battle the authorities. Battle the buffman. But don't waste time and energy battling each other. The street art community will finally come into its own when people stop bickering within the community, and come together, as a whole, to fight the good fight. Remember people, its us against them--not us against us.

Our favorite pieces of street artist are not necessarily painted by the most skilled artists. M&F's favorite street pieces are the ones that pack a message. Street art is not just decoration. Street art is a public forum, and the best art is a catalyst for change. Street art should aim make the world better a better place, both through ideas, and imagery.

M&F encourages artists getting up to remember that the streets are the highest prize. Like Banksy says, art was brought inside at the will of the church and institutions. That was a blip and a mistake. Art is for the people and the streets are for the masses. To be explicitly clear, fuck the galleries and museums. There should be no greater pinnacle for any street artist other than getting up with an awesome new piece on the streets.

Street art is the biggest art movement the world has ever known, not because of online blogs, or Instagram, or Facebook. Street art is massive because you can travel to any corner of this globe and it is there. M&F has personally been to 46 states and a few continents ourselves, and seen it everywhere from the backwoods of Kentucky to the S. Dakota Badlands. In every city, in every small town, on every little abandoned shack and in every overgrown corner, folks are getting up. Its not about where you live. Its about the human need to express one's self in their environment. What graffiti has done is re-connect modern humans with our inherent, innate and primal need to mark territory. Tagging is the modern version of piss and cave writing. Street art is the biggest art movement the world has ever known because it gives a public voice to each and every person. Even as net neutrality is dying on the internet, the streets remain the one free place to speak your voice--at least until you get caught. And, once again, that's what makes street art so fuckin' exciting, right? These are not merely artists, these are outlaws risking life and liberty to share their message. And the street art movement will just keep growing. Wherever someone feels like they don't have a voice, the strong begin to speak up. Street art is just going to keep getting bigger and bigger. Indeed, a voice on the streets is the best weapon the people have. Stay up~

M&F has been telling this story for the past 4 years. And we have been so involved that this was not just a blog, this has been a lifestyle. Which is what makes it so necessary to take a break, and also so hard. The story on the streets is never-ending, which is makes it difficult to step away. Even now, we feel there are stories that need to be told and posts that ought to be made. But not by M&F, and not now.  This is not a closed door and M&F is not gone forever. The return door is still cracked open. M&F might be back and pick up where we left off. We plan still be writing, and still be invested in the street art scene--and we even plan to post again on MELROSEandFAIRFAX at some point. However, we are aware that with something like a blog, it doesn't pick up where it was left off. If we ever wanted to regain the status the blog now has, that it would take much hard work to build it back up.  Half of M&F's heart is still on the streets, but to try an live a balanced life, M&F will be taking some time off the blog so that we can focus on some of our other passions.

Thank you to all the artists who make the streets a better place. Thank you to all the photographers and contributors who made things happen. Thank you to all the fans who drove the success of M&F. Thank you to the beautiful City of Los Angeles -- it is the best place we have found in 46 states.

That's it. For now.~

Stay up!

There She Is & You Killed Me First -- Magic Amusement

These hand painted pieces from There She Is and You Killed Me First are some of the brightest shining stars along the streets of Los Angeles.

Its these little moments that are so special, when you are going down a street in LA, and all of a sudden you become confronted by a colorful hand painted work of art. Boom. That's what street art is all about. Its kind of like magic~

Here are two giant hand painted pieces from There She Is and You Killed Me First. Click through for a tremendous glimpse at these awesome pieces.  Go ahead, and take a trip to YKMF's street level amusement park.

Stay up!

Burn One x Bankrupt Slut -- In Korea!

Fuck yeah.  Burn One is taking LA's street art to Asia and the world~

Two of LA's stalwart street artists, Burn One and Bankrupt Slut, just got their collab pasted on the other side of the globe--in Korea!  Posted up by Burn One.

Interesting to note how the graffiti tagging in Korea is still done in English.

Dig it.  Stay up!

Wheat Paste Wars

Shie 47 is taking his big time sticker game even bigger. Amping things up with a brand new campaign themed 'Wheat Paste Wars'.

Shie 47 is joined by El Nino.  Together, they are not in war against other artists, but against police, hero's, and anyone against fighting the good fight as a street artist.

Keep fighting the good war and stay up!

The Crazy Ones

Dig this paster featuring a cartoon image of Obama with a lifted head and cow udders.

From Fault(?).  Pasted up on the back side of an ebox on Fairfax.

Click the jump for more!

Doomsayers

Doomsayers get pasted up on the exterior walls of the freeway in Hollywood.

Click the jump for a closer look

No Matter What It Is

A tiny paster from Nomatter Whatness.

Not sure what the image is?

JR - Angry Old Man

A giant, larger-than-life paster from JR featuring an angry looking old man.

But this old man looks like quiet a character.  Guess that is one measure of successful art, something that changes the way people think about old people.  These are not old men.  Each is an old man with a lifetime of personal stories.

This piece has been riding since 2011 in Glendale.  Click the link for more pics

Dig it.  Stay up!

Occupy Joe Strummer

These Occupy Joe Strummer pasters, saying 'Greed, It ain't Goin' Anywhere' have been getting pasted around LA and beyond for the past several months.

But no one seems to know what these are about?

What is Occupy Joe Strummer?

Go Big, Going Postal!

We have heard of many artists talk about doing giant oversized postal labels for the streets, but this is one of the first time we have actually seen it happen.

Betoe from TKO, which is typically a hard core graffiti crew, gets pasted on Melrose with these giant Priority Postal pasters with graffiti letters printed on in full color.

Also joined by a cool animation joint from #Playpix.

Dig the art, but unfortunately it also capped some cool pieces underneath.  As M&F has said before, when folks get up with respect, you will probably be treated with respect in return.

Anyhoo, stay up keep going big, and keep going postal!

JR's Inside Out Project in Los Angeles This Weekend!

JR's Inside Out project will be re-visiting Los Angeles again this weekend.  The giant roving photo booth will be in Los Angeles all weekend, but as a special treat for the followers of M&F, the Inside Out project will be spending all day Sunday in the Melrose and Fairfax backyard at Pan Pacific Park on Beverly.

If you missed out the first time, this is an awesome chance to personally participate in one of the biggest street art projects ever.  And as a bonus, you get get to walk away with a giant 'Inside Out' portrait.

JR's Inside Out will be at Pan Pacific Park from 11-7 on Sunday.  Full details of the rest of the stops include:

•  August 09 - August 12
  Saturday:
  Marlachi Plaza
  Pleasant St and 1st St.
  10-2pm
  
  4-7PM: Group Photo at
  Winward Circle, Venice Beach
  
  Sunday:
  Pan Pacific Park
  7600 Beverly Blvd
  11-7pm
  
  Monday:
  Community Coalition of South LA
  8101 S. Vermont
  10-2pm
  
  Asian Pacific American Legal Center
  1145 Wilshire Blvd.
  4-7pm
  
  

Self Buffed

After seeing how folks got their underpants all up in a bunch over his naked trans-gender pasters, Thrashbird puts some commentary back on the streets which what look to be like self-censored, or, since its the streets, self-buffed versions of chicks with dicks.

Midas Lives

Hand painted wheat paste off Melrose saying 'Midas Lives'.

Bankrupt Slut - Street Art Left the Streets

Another paster from Bankrupt Slut in the Used to Like Street Art series.

This one is well placed on a wall that followers of M&F will recognize.  This spot off Melrose is usually blasted with art, but art this time, only Bankrupt Slut is up in an empty doorway with a paster saying 'I used to like street art until street art left the streets'.

Paint or Die

A series of paneled pasters with a skull bursting out at the top with painting supplies.

From Area in downtown LA.  Dig the ones with the paint drips.

Mug Shots are Earned

"Mug shots are earned".  That's what friend of M&F's said recently after getting arrested for street art.

And here is a giant mugshot paster from Bamp getting up on Beverly.

Also riding with a high up tag from Bozoe, who has been smashing all over Los Angeles recently.

Get Up, Stay Up! (Dig This Street Art~)

A very cool piece of street art spotted on Sunset Blvd.

This one piece appears to be composed of many separate layers of paper, some of which were overlapped and others torn, giving it great texture.

Most of the poster is done in gradient black and white, except for the red jacket that the girl is wearing and her eyeballs, which are eerily realistic.

This piece is greatly aged, it seems that some of it was done in advance and some has occurred on the streets.

Finally, the entire piece is placed in an engaging spot on the street where it interacts well with the environment and surroundings.

Dig it.  Not sure who this piece is from?  But look forward to more work like this on the streets.

Stay up!

***UPDATE: This piece is from Ben Slow.  Big thanks to Bill for the detective work!***

Have YOU Seen the Headless Sighting?

As a follow up to the first round of headless pasters in Los Angeles, this one asks 'Have YOU Seen the Headless Sighting?' in LA?

Crazy scene with a lot going on.  Anyone know what these are about?

Drive By Los Angeles

Shots from all over Los Angeles.  From the Malibu coast to Melrose.  Parking lots and hot spots.

Couches, stickers, wheat pastes and throwies.  Click the jump for another huge feature of assorted pics from all of LA!

^Above, the Great Wall of Topanga

Inverted

Inverted colors on this form cut paster from Sickid.