Bankrupt Slut - Until Your Mom Started Doing It!

Another new paster from Bankrupt Slut.  This one says 'I used to like street art until your Mom started doing it!'.

This dude flipping the bird and posing in later pictures now lives in the Melrose alley way where this piece is riding along with a fresh graffiti bomb from Poer WLA.

The Paint or Die Area

Here is a mural painted by Area, featuring the same skull imagery that has been pasted around downtown LA saying 'Paint or Die'.

SYB Graffiti

The SYB Graffiti Crew gets up big all over Los Angeles.

Like here.  The crew letters going big down the middle with shout outs to Klean Yo Chakras, Movie, Hanos, Newt and DeeJ.

Riding under a giant Love Me roller on Fairfax.

Funky Souls

A Baby King from Nomatter Whatness holds its fist up high on Sunset Blvd.

Next to a sticker from Funky Sole.

Vyal, Crae & Jesus

Vyal paints a sick portrait and Crae K4P compliments with some graffiti letters down below.

Then, Jesus came along and spot jacked a name tag to the right.  Jesus is such a spot jocker~

Get Up, Stay Up!

Thrashbird and TBD do a complete take over a phone box on Crescent Heights.

Make sure to check out Thrashbird's solo art show opening this week!

Reaching Out of the Ground

Dig the piece.  Simple, yet profound with a hand reaching up out of the ground from under the earth of an ebox.

Great attention to detail, like bringing the arm all the way to the ground.

Riding on Fairfax with tags from Sonek and Drop.

Everybody Needs Some Love

The old lady walking her wheelchair in the background just got released out of the hospital, 3 days before this.  She was released after having surgery to treat her colon cancer.  Since she is homeless, now she has nowhere to go.  She was walking the streets trying to gather enough money to pay for a shelter to stay the night.  Yes, most homeless shelters cost money these days . . .

The lady looked rough, as one might imagine for one in her condition.  But she was well spoken while she explained how there are many more male homeless shelters than female ones, and she was having a hard time finding a place to stay.

It is shameful how America's social safety net has so many holes that there really isn't even a net anymore.  Where are our priorities? What good is it spending billions of dollars to fight foreign wars if we can't even take care of our own citizens stateside?

American needs to get its priorities straight.  It should not be a nuisance to take care of the homeless, but a badge of pride that our country can take care of all its citizens.

All of this drama playing out in front of a polka dotted 3d heart affixed to the ground in downtown Los Angeles.  Everybody needs some love . . .

Stay up, America~

Fuck You, Pay the Architect

A circular hanging hung up in downtown LA by the Architect.

Then, it looks like after the fact a sticker was slapped on saying 'Fuck You, Pay Me'.

Bombed in Blue

The TOS Crew bombed Fairfax in Dodger blue graffiti paint.

With shout outs to Palmer, Tosk and Mgot.

The Angel of Death Comes Riding a Bike

The angel of death is always creepy, but wouldn't it be even creepier if the angel of death arrived riding a bike?

Well, here is a mural in downtown LA showing something like that.  A gaint collaborative wall with pieces from Uglarworks, Ser LA and more.

Click the jump for 10+ close up pictures

Would You Trade Your Hands for Wings?

'Birds can fly and birds can sing
But would you trade your hands for wings?'

Beautiful graffiti street portrait.  Featuring a baller in a ball cap chillin next to a bird.  Painted by Espy DPT ZNC in Korea town.

Dig it.  Stay up!

Thrashbird - A Solo Exhibition

Thrashbird gets up all over Los Angeles.  Literally.  Anyone who lives in LA or follows M&F will be familiar with Thrashbird's street art.  Indeed, Thrashbird arguably gets up more than any other street artist in Los Angeles.

And now, Thrashbird is hosting his first solo art show simply titled A Solo Exhibition.  The show opens Friday August 2nd and runs through August 4th at the Park Studios Hollywood.  Full details can be found on the flyer.

Stay up!

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'.

Two Bit Graffiti - Los Angeles Edition

M&F first covered some cool graffiti characters from Two Bit on the other side of America around the Wynwood Art Walls of Miami.

And now there is a sick graffiti wall here in Los Angeles riding proud in Silverlake.  Not sure where Two Bit is based, but dig the Los Angeles edition!

The First Angelinos

Bandit is introducing a new series tributing Native American culture.  This new piece is dedicated to the Kizh-Gabrieleno band of Indians.  Their tribe dates back to before Columbus landed on the Americas.  Indeed, these are the first Angelinos.

Bandit's piece is in the Kizh language it means 'my journey, joined together'.  This piece is located on Winston Street in downtown Los Angeles, just up the street from Indian Alley.

Stay up, to the 1st Angelinos!

God Pills

A sticker advertising 'God Pills' up on Fairfax.

M&F pops a couple God Pills every morning.  And a couple more before bed (cause its all in our head!).  Just kidding.  Haven't tried God Pills but if they were around, sounds appealing.

Riding with tags on both sides from Bozoe, who continues getting up all over Los Angeles.  Also with Rekto.

Street Art is NOT Boring

Teacher took offense to the 'Boring' pasters going up on eboxes around Los Angeles.

And so, to illustrate that street art is not boring, Teacher painted over the boring in white and added a fresh new stencil of an adult cradling a child.

Dig it.  Stay not boring!

Click the jump for before/after pictures

A Reminder of the Difference Between Public Murals and Graffiti

This is an awesome mural from How & Nosm and Dabs Myla.  And it just got bombed to the side with a graffiti fill in from HOFK.

Some folks might not like the placement, and some might even call this spot jocking.  But the new graffiti piece does go up on the side of the mural, not covering anything.

Beyond that, the illegal graffiti bomb, risking life, limb and imprisonment just to paint that spot, well, it serves as a reminder about the difference between public murals and graffiti.  Both share public art space, but the spirit is different.

Stay up~

Un Solo Ilegal Paga Mas Taxes Que - General Electric

Sticker saying 'Un Solo Ilegal Paga Mas Taxes Que'.  Believe it translates to mean 'I am illegal and I pay more taxes than you' with the General Electric logo underneath.

Its true.  With tax holes and tax havens, major corporations are paying less percentage in taxes than the American people.  Even the 'illegal' immigrants are paying more than the 'legal' loophole jumping corporations.

Living wages above corporate vacations, and people over profits.

Stay up~

This Sticker is Not a Bite - I Swear!

Big sticker combo sign in downtown Los Angeles.

Slaps from Obey, Phylo, Third, TSF, Cryptik, Fuxus, Trek, Shie 47, 455er, Bats, Herse REMC, Abcnt, Vyal One, Icy and Sot and more.  Including one hand tagged one that says 'This Sticker is Not a Bite - I Swear!'

Banksy = $$$$

A stencil saying Banksy = $$$$ going up on Melrose.

Its kind of true.  Banksy is money these days.  In fact, his pieces of art are so money that he has single handedly changed the way that the governmental councils in Britain evaluate street art.  Because of Banksy, now someone has to evaluate a piece of street art before buffing what could be a valuable piece of history.

Its true.  Banksy is money.  But like Banksy has said, you don't eat to shit, and people shouldn't create art to get famous, or rich.  If you are good at what you are doing, those things will come naturally.

Smog City and Euth - Smashed!

Smog City and Euth absolutely smash the marquee below the Regency Fairfax Cinemas on Beverly.

Each one of these pieces has been screen printed by hand.

Dig it.  Grilled like a grilled cheese sandwich.  (Hold the mayonnaise~)

Stay up!

Bankrupt Slut Used to Like Street Art

Apparently, Bankrupt Slut used to like street art.

With a pair of pasters going up at the intersection of Melrose and Fairfax.  One says 'I Used to Like Street Art Until I Met Other Street Artists', and the other one says 'I Used to Like Street Art Until Street Art Left the Streets'.

Also riding with a paster from Phobik saying 'Let's agree to just break our hearts. Yes, a 1000 times yes'.

Go With What You Love

Blind and Back from the UAO crew get up literally all over Los Angeles.

But the tags left on the streets haven't given many insights into the artists themeselves.  But this UAO sticker clearly shows some of the things they dig.  Like the Indianapolis Colts, the Angels, and that cool little floating wizard dude from He-Man--what's his name?

Albert Rea - A Pigeon Perched on Top

Here is the 2nd part of Albert Rea's hand painted wood crafted 3d art pieces in downtown Los Angeles.

This one also features a mixture of imagery, with a pigeon perched on top.

Albert Rea at the Traction Wall

Albert Rea composed and painted a 3d wooden panel which he then installed on both sides of the Traction Art Wall in downtown Los Angeles.

Click the jump to check out pics of the first panel featuring imagery with tattoo, nature, and a SW American art themes.

Ralph Ziman Mural in Venice Beach

M&F first posted this new mural in Venice a few weeks ago with a feature entitled 'Yarned and Dangerous'.  It turns out that our guess was close to the theme, and we just got sent over this information explaining the motivations that went into the piece, the amount of work it took to create the final product, and how the locals themselves got involved in the project.

Dig it.  Impressive piece with a message.  Check out the information below, and click the jump to scope more pics of this new mural from Ralph Ziman in Venice Beach:

Part of an extensive series of works, this mural deals with

the international arms trade and Africa: a trade that for the

most part only goes in one direction.  Into Africa.

I had six Zimbabwean artists use traditional African beads and wire to  manufacture several hundred replica bead/guns like AK-47s, as well as

several replica bead/general purpose machine guns (GPMGs), along with the ammunition. 

In response to the guns sent into that culture, the mural represents an aesthetic, anti-lethal cultural response, a visual export out of Africa.   And the bead/guns themselves, manufactured in Africa, are currently being shipped to the USA and Europe.     

This bead/arms project provided six months full time work for half a dozen craftsman who got well deserved break from making wire animals for tourists.

The completed bead/guns were the subject of a photo-shoot in crime ridden downtown Johannesburg.  The subjects were the artists who made the guns, several construction workers who happened to witness the shoot, and a member of the South African Police Services who just wanted his picture taken.

The mural is mixed media, wheat paste, dye, acrylic spray-paint and ink on wood.  This mural is the first in a series to be put up in LA. 

If Wearing a Hoody is a Crime, Then We Are ALL Targets

Glad to see the streets step up in support of Trayvon Martin.

Here is another tribute piece.  This one is a nameless, unsigned paster, featuring the image of a hoody wearing human with a target over the body.

Like the title says, 'If Wearing a Hoody is a Crime, Then We Are ALL Targets'.

Trayvon Martin has the Streets On Lock

Another piece of street art aimed as a street tribute to Trayvon Martin, the 14 year old who was gunned down on the streets of Florida.

Even though the verdict was released over a week ago, the America's temper and sense of outraged injustice has not diminished.  And here is a piece from Streets On Lock showing that Trayvon Martin still has the streets on lock.

Riding at a hot spot on Melrose with Snyder, Bleep Bloop, Homo Riot, Bankrupt Slut, Fonce, Endless, TBD, Thrashbird, Dillon, and a couple of street buffed pieces up top in pink paint.

Stay up!

Verve's the Word

Verve VHR catches a 2nd story graffiti outline on Melrose.

Teacher Up in Indian Alley

Teacher painted a brand new huge stencil to honor Native American Robert Sundance, founder of the Robert Sundance Wellness Center.

This piece was specially selected to be placed in Indian Alley in downtown Los Angeles.

Stay up and stay well!

Plastic Jesus Teaching the Perils of the Credit Trap

Plastic Jesus and Teacher collaborated on a new piece entitled 'Credit Trap'.

Featuring a giant, human sized mouse trap and oversized credit cards placed on Melrose.

Haven't we all got trapped in this trap at one point or another?

Checkin' My Shit Out!

Vyal One paints some dripping graffiti letters in between a pair of green eyed characters.

The characters look as if they are checking the letters out, and the work is so sick that if the letters had eyes, they would probably be looking right back!

Stay up!~

Luchador Street Art

A pair of Luchador masks get painted in downtown Los Angeles.

With a bird perched up top.  Think the bird is from Espy?

Not sure who painted the masks?

Ramiro Fauve Paints Los Angeles

Ramiro Fauve is a talented artist whose day job is hand painting massive public super graphic billboards--the ones that go on buildings.  If you've been in LA, you've probably seen Ramiro's work even if you didn't realize it.  Ramiro and a team of 5 other painters paints in such an uber-realistic manner, that it looks like a wrap or a print out, even though the entire thing is hand painted.

Here, Ramiro is enjoying some down time, literally and figuratively, painting a beautiful portrait of his dog, a husky, on the sidewalk in LA's downtown Arts District.

Shasta liked the dog picture and kept walking over it.  Oops!

Dig the way that Ramiro Fauve paints LA.  From the sidewalk to the building tops.  Stay up!

CAUTION - Watch Your Soul

Even the trash bins become art LA's downtown Arts District.

This bin has been decorated with a sign saying 'CAUTION - Watch Your Soul'.

Indeed.  And stay up~

Shiny Happy Faces

Here are some 3d masks of shiny happy faces.

Posted up on either side of this heart high up on the Traction Wall in downtown Los Angeles.

Stay up and stay happy~

Your Regularly Scheduled Jesus Programming Has Been Interrupted

Stickers getting dumped in downtown Los Angeles.  Slaps from Abcnt, Greedy Bastards, Slay LA, Motel, Soze, Lynk, Skate, Flik One, Gone MOCA, Hie and more.

Including a fun one from Eight Bit showing Jesus on a cross with a television in place of his head, with those color lines like when TV's used to do testing.  Its as if to say 'Your Regularly Scheduled Jesus Programming Has Been Interrupted'.

Optical Illusion

This sticker has a gradient effect, and that, combined with image, give this sticker a crazy optical illusion effect which changes depending on where you are looking at it from.

Keep blazing~

HOF

HOF graffiti in downtown LA with shout outs to Alto and Gaint.

Also notice the mean looking graffiti dog in blue.

Passionate Kisses

This mural comes bearing some characters wrapped up passionate kisses.  Sometimes so engaged that the bodies become abstract.

Painted in downtown Los Angeles.  Next to a graffiti bombed dumpster from NBR.

Postal Pussy

Some postal sticker stuck up in downtown Los Angeles.

Featuring doubled up slaps of a dude, posted up above a crotch shot of a girl's pussy.

Obey Gets Doubled Up

Obey had a sticker riding here, but after it got partially torn and buffed, Obey maintained the spot by doubling up another sticker on the same pole.

With Asmar looking on in the background.

Dums K4p

Dums K4P drops a bomb in a trashed out downtown LA alleyway.

Ratso, an LA graffiti legend passed away this week.  Here is a moving tribute towards Ratso, written by an artist fan and friend:

Ratso, the “King of Characters.”  A Los Angeles graffiti legend, the artist that painted the rat.  Max will be remembered by his outgoing personality and boisterous laugh.  Talented and skilled in all mediums, he preferred the stock spray can.  Graffiti’s foundation originates with people like Max.  He defined the graffiti culture and reinforced its meaning and purpose through his constant and perpetual barrage of urban art.  Without people like Ratso the graffiti culture and street art would be nothing.  He made his impression and will forever be remembered.  In honor and memory of Max, The Ratso.  


Stay up~

Shower & Brain Wash

A mini paster in downtown Los Angeles reminding you to brain wash with your shower.

Not to be confused with Mr. Brainwash.

Tag It Up!

Graffiti tags in downtown Los Angeles from Fishe KOG, Fiver, Back UAO RK, Derse and ? OTR.

The Greedy Bastards

The Greedy Bastards sticker stuck up in downtown Los Angeles.

Get Up, Stay Up!

Graffiti from FDS in downtown LA.