Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles

HEAVY WAVE OF GRAFFITI HITTING MOST FREEWAY MURALS

by Bill Lasarow

Graffiti, it is well known, ebbs and flows with the constant coming and going of new generations of adolescents. The impact on public murals in the L.A. area is significant because tagging in general is far more widespread here than almost anywhere, and whenever it becomes a favored sport it spreads rapidly. But the sudden and nearly complete tagging of nearly every one of the more than forty freeway murals in Los Angeles is without precedent.

Until late last year the freeway murals have actually enjoyed a period of relative calm for about eight years. Not that local taggers were entirely inactive, but the problem had grown steadily throughout the 1980s to become the focal point of considerable concern to area residents.

Earlier generation tags from 1992 on Kent
Twitchell’s “Seventh Street Altarpiece.” Current
wave of tags are much larger, with graphic color fills.
Photo: Robin Dunitz.

The emergence of a new generation of vandalism, however, has focused on freeway murals in a new and chilling way. No mural appears to be considered out of bounds, and the sheer size of these tags aggressively pushes the mural into the background.

MCLA has to date protected a group of eight of these murals with sacrificial coating, leaving over thirty others either protected under another aegis or unprotected altogether. No formal assessment has been made, but it is presumed that some of these murals may be damaged beyond repair.

Unfortunately a handful of the murals have been further damaged by the state’s road maintenance agency Caltrans’ crews, who have painted out the offending graffiti irrespective of the artwork underneath. It has been reported that in two cases, Kent Twitchell’s “Seventh Street Altarpiece” and Alonzo Davis’ “Eye on ‘84,” murals that receive sacrificial coating protection from MCLA were painted over. While MCLA has had this paint removed by the contractor, the fact remains that Caltrans rushed to paint over the murals in spite of the fact that the agency has records showing that MCLA protects them.

MCLA has sought to formulate a way to coordinate with state agencies in order to assure that these murals are protected (see accompanying article for this discussion). As a California Arts Council staffer pointed out, “The State has no policies nor procedures to account for the maintenance of public art owned by California.” The reference was not merely to public murals, but any public art.

In certain of these cases a sponsor has stepped forward to foot the cost of restoring the affected mural, as was the case when the L.A. Amateur Athlectic Foundation provided funding for Frank Romero to recreate his “Going to the Olympics” mural, located downtown on the 101 Freeway. But the investing of relatively expensive commissions of this sort is the exception not the rule, and unless effective solutions are put in place soon Los Angeles as a host to significant murals in high visibility public locations could become a thing of the past.

The State’s art agency may be sympathetic, but until helpful policies are in place the occasional Caltrans misadventure remains a real concern. L.A. City’s Cultural Affairs Department has been far more active in its efforts to develop assessment procedures that benefit public art that the City owns and has had commissioned. Last year a panel provided a ranking survey of about one hundred of these murals according to their merits. There is also a maintenance budget for conserving selected murals. Indeed, during the last year about ten City-owned murals received professional care.

Unfortunately there are limits to this positive trend even within city government. At least two murals were recently destroyed, or theatened with destruction, by the city (see accompanying stories, page 7).
The threat of graffiti is not only the most pervasive among these problems, it is a constant sword of Damocles poised against the vitality of the local mural movement. It not only draws resources that might otherwise go towards better enhancing the urban environment, it contributes to a psychological climate that stunts the creation of top quality public art.

But it cannot be ignored that government has, on the whole, not only failed to be very helpful, but has served to make matters worse. It may well be that the simple understanding that public art is a very real and valuable asset may at last be translated into an appropriate set of policies. If it is not, at least in Los Angeles, those assets could well be lost.

MCLA’s FREEWAY MURAL PROTECTION PROPOSALS

The current crisis of freeway mural art falls within the jurisdiction of the State of California. When a public mural is painted on a freeway location it becomes the property of the people of California, and it is the State that holds sole authority regarding any and all procedures used to maintain them. That means however much local City officials may wish to protect the murals located on freeways, they can only issue encouragement, not directives, to California officials.

The Mural Conservancy has concluded that the State of California must be petitioned to provide direct assistance in order to best ensure the long term preservation of the murals. First, a regular annual budget directed to the protective maintenance of public murals must come directly from the State of California. Probably via the California Arts Council as opposed to, say, Caltrans, since the CAC’s organizational culture would be in sympathy to the appropriate use of this money. We believe it is time that money budgeted for public art projects must include a component that pays the cost of ongoing protective maintenance. Rather than a hit-or-miss handful among our public murals, all that warrant protection should receive it.

Second, public agencies must be held liable for the damage or destruction of public art. When a mural is painted over, inadvertently or intentionally, the perpetrating agency must be responsible to assume the cost of paint removal and repair insofar as it is consistent with the Visual Artist Rights Act.

MCLA also looks to the local business community to recognize that its own economic self interest is affected by the existence of these murals. A Los Angeles that boasts itself to be the mural capital of the world, but which is unable to generate the support of local businesses that benefit from cultural tourism, is unlikely to maintain that position.

Would these proposals serve the goal of providing long-term protection of our public murals on the freeway? Let us know your opinion.

PONCE MURAL THREATENED BY BUILDING AND SAFETY

by Robin Dunitz

Los Angeles’ Building and Safety Department has threatened to paint out a mural at 6th and Westlake that features Zapata and Chiapas hero Sub-commandante Marcos. It's by Hector Ponce and it's his second one. His first was painted out a few years ago. At this writing we are attempting to register the mural with the Cultural Affairs Deptartment, but the building inspector seems to be in a hurry. The story on Hector Ponce's mural may be concluded in a matter of days. If it hasn't been hurriedly destroyed shortly after presstime by Building and Safety, MCLA will have helped Ponce to obtain the protection of the permit. The owner of the building is happy to help protect the mural.

Hector Ponce, “Chiapas Hero
Sub-commandante Marcos,” 6th St.
at Westlake, Los Angeles.
Photo: Robin Dunitz

The complaint leading to the possible paintout came from a hotel down the street that objects to the gun in the hands of Marcos. Without the CAD’s permit a mural is regarded as a sign, and so isn't protected by the 90-day law. In essense such murals are treated like graffiti: they are subject to being painted out. Cultural Affairs claims they can't do anything to protect a mural if there isn't a permit. However, the city is also full of important murals that were created prior to the permit requirement that don't have permits filed. Their status, and potential vulnerability, remains unclear.

DE LA LOZA MURAL SUDDENLY PAINTED OVER,
SETTLEMENT WITH CITY FINALIZED

by Robert Rootenberg

Inadvertently or intentionally set-up by the City of Los Angeles, the owner of Peerless Hardware, located on the corner of Sunset and Alvardo, painted over Ernesto de la Loza’s mural “El Nuevo Mundo: Homage to the Worker.” Painted in 1995 and funded by the Echo Park Pride Committee, the mural depicted the contributions of the immigrant population and workers to society, and in particular, Echo Park.

After researching the property site and conducting an investigation, we discovered that the City of Los Angeles had recently purchased the hardware store site with plans to build a library. Escrow instructions indicated that the City would require the building to be delivered “clean.” Without knowledge of the Visual Artists Rights Act, and apparently without consultation of legal counsel, the owner of Peerless did just that, painted over de la Loza’s mural, along with a mural by Nathan Kayser, so that the building could be delivered “clean.”

Ernesto de la Loza, “El Nuevo Mundo
(Homage to the Worker),” 2011 West
Sunset Blvd. (at Park Ave.), Echo Park.
Photo: Rich Puchalsky

Initially, we decided to file a lawsuit for violation of VARA against Peerless. They were the party that committed the illegal act, and we would allow them to “point the finger” at the City, if they were so inclined. Further proving the “conspiracy” theory would be difficult, as no documentation existed other than the escrow instructions, which indicated that the City in fact made requirements of Peerless that were in violation of the law. Proving fraud and conspiracy against a municipality is very difficult and costly, so a “wait and see” position was adopted. Approximately three days after filing suit, attorneys for Peerless contacted me. Over the next couple of days, a settlement was negotiated out of court.

Although no amount of money is sufficient to compensate a muralist for the loss of a mural, de la Loza decided to accept the settlement, not pursue the City, and to move forward. The mural was gone, and any attempt to resurrect it or to pursue further compensation was not worth the financial, emotional and physical commitment required of him. With the damage done, some cash in his pocket, and his paintbrush in hand, de la Loza is ready to paint the next wall. We can only hope to have educated another group of people--building owners, insurance companies, and lawyers--that public art is indeed protected by federal law, that it is an extremely important cultural asset that should remain in place, now and for generations to come.

Robert Rootenberg is an attorney located in Los Angeles, specializing in litigating Visual Artists Rights Act claims. He can be reached at 323-664-0202.

The Mural Doctor: Nathan Zakheim

SILICATE PAINT AND SUBSTRATA

Have your own question? Mail it to the Mural Doctor at MCLA, PO Box 5483, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413, or by by e-mail to mcla@ lamurals.org. Note: we omit names of those questions selected for the Newsletter in favor of the questioner’s initials only; it’s their substance, not who posed them, that’s important.--Ed.

Nathan Zakheim,
the Mural Doctor.
[no screen size image]

Question--I notice that acrylic paint is generally used for murals in this area. My question is this: is there a reason artists do not use silicate paint, such as the Keim products from Germany? Having painted in both acrylics and silicates, I know the silicate paint has a much longer outdoor life and requires less maintenance, yet is no more difficult to use. I have examined silicate murals in Switzerland and Germany that are more than a century old and still in good condition. I am trying to figure out why silicate paint has not made more inroads among muralists in the U.S.--WC

Response--Acrylic murals when painted on a properly prepared wall can last a century too--if good quality, light fast paints are used. In adition, acrylic murals that are "faded," or where the acrylic material is beginning to crystalize, can be revived by spraying them with a 5% to 10% saturation coat of Acryloid B-72 in Xylene or Diethyl Benzine.

This however, is not the most important factor in using acrylic paints for outdoor murals.

Acrylic paints create a stable, and when varnished with Soluvar, a non-porous surface that can be subsequently be coated with sacrificial wax as a preventative for graffiti. In Los Angeles, murals are subject to being "hit" with markers and spray cans that strongly attack an unprotected mural surface, and this sacrificial wax has proven in most cases to be a satisfactory means facilitating the easy removal of graffiti from the mural surface. If a mural has been applied on a well prepared wall, the hot water blast that is used for melting the sacrificial wax on which the graffiti has been applied will not damage the mural at all.

Without doubt, silicate murals provide a superior longevity on a prepared wall, and a unique aesthetic that is more subtle and and in some cases can be more pleasing than the strong, bright colors of acrylic.

The drawback in using silicate paints such as Keim in areas of public art lies in the prevalence of graffiti. There presently is no coating that will adequately protect a silicate mural from graffiti. There is a material in Enland that can be used to coat Keim murals, but it is not endorsed by the manufacturer at this date.

I have not tested this graffiti barrier, but I do not believe that it uses the satisfactory method of sacrificial wax. In any event, to recommed a graffiti barrier or coating, it would be necessary for the manufacturer's "stamp of approval" to be in place. What's more, a mere barrier (such as urethane) entails an enormous amount of hand work with solvents to remove spray paint from any surface, not to speak of Keim silicates.

In addition, the Keim silicate murals that you saw in Europe do not use the same formula as that marketed in the USA. Keim, anticipating that American artists would not take the trouble to learn the intricate process of painting in silicate paints, created a MODIFIED SILICATE paint that is far less stable than it's European counterpart.

Basically, the American version of Keim paints are not chemically stable on the basis of their silicate content.

Local muralist Terry Shoenhoven painted a truly excellent mural in Keim pigments on the 110 Feeway’s Wilshire Boulevard freeway exit ramp downtown. As a consultant conservator, my firm was called upon to prepare a series of tests to determine the feasibility of removing the heavy spray can graffiti from the Keim mural.

Our tests revealed that the Keim paint readily dissolved in plain water when the surface was scrubbed. It also dissolved readily in any of the solvents that would be strong enough to remove the graffiti spray can paint. Since we were under the impression that the Keim paint was held together by a mineral bonding, we could not understand why it would dissolve in Xylene or Toluol. After months of pressuring the USA distributor and European manufacturer for answers, it was finally disclosed to us that the American Keim is a "modified Silicate" which turns out to have been modified with an acrylic resin such as a form of Rhoplex!

This means that the "so called" molecular mineral binding simply does not take place at all. Instead, the modified Keim paint turns out to be a very weak and unstable acrylic paint itself. The hyper-expensive (and very diluted) medium sold to extend the colors is apparently not much more than a very dilute acrylic medium.

To conclude, Keim mineral paints have a surface that is too sensitive and open to enable the removal of graffiti. Because the American product is modified with a weak acrylic emulsion it readily dissolves in aromatic hydrocarbons, and as such are much less stable than regular acrylic murals.

Of course, if you paint murals in a part of the world where there is no trace of graffiti or tagging, then the silicate paints manufactured by Keim may be quite safe and long lasting.

Question--Since all of my previous work has been either indoors or murals painted directly on the exterior building surfaces I am looking for technical information about substrates for exterior use in a Northeastern climate and a compatible exterior paint. Are you familiar with Alucobond and Di Bond? It has a resin core with an aluminum skin on both sides. The manufacturer says it doesn't warp and it can be drilled and cut with hand saws, jig saws. It is available with a variety of primed surfaces.

Any referrals or suggestions that you may have will be gratefully appreciated! Thank you.--RH

Response--The material sounds like the sort that is used to make large billboards. Such material also comes with a foam core and a plastic skin on each side. That particular material is very light and easy to handle, as well as dimensionally stable.

The trick is having the correct primed surface so that your paints will remain attached to it for a long period of time.

Primers can be layered in a succession of compatibility so that a surface only suitable for automotive enamels or bulletin paints can be coated with a series of primers that will leave you free to paint with (say) acrylic emulsion paints or Keim. Surface preparation is EVERYTHING! We have seen the best constructed murals using top quality thick mural paint "fall off" an ill prepared wall after only two years.

A well prepared mural properly varnished, should remain in excellent condition for 100 years or more.
Additional suggestions:

Read the Materials Data Sheet for the panels, and be sure that they are engineered for as long as you want the murals to last (The manufacturer will fax or mail you the MDS).

Study the primers that are on the pre-primed sheets for compatibility with other paint systems. If you are painting with acrylic paints, you will definitely not want a hard, smooth, primer on the sheet as the acrylic gesso, which has low adhesion properties anyway, will not form a strong bond on the sheet. If they offer a surface that is MEANT for acrylic emulsion, then that will be ideal. . .otherwise, you may need to use a succession of primers to prevent peeling in the future.

JOHN VALADEZ’ LAYERS OF URBAN LIFE

by Margarita Nieto

John Valadez, “The Broadway Mural,” 240 S. Broadway, Victor
Clothing building, downtown Los Angeles, o/c, 8 x 60’, 1981.
Photo: Adam Avila

Muralist-painter John Valadez’s photo-realistic language is rooted in his inventive and insightful utilization of the camera as a means of capturing the image. This body of images in turn, find their counterpart in the space of the mural or painting. And it is there, through those images that Valadez creates an aesthetic of dichotomies: a new social reality, a conflictive juxtaposition of those images, re-arranged for the viewer, through his painterly eye. The result is a narrative that reveals the ironic dimensions and layers of urban life in Los Angeles through images of its inhabitants.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, John Valadez earned his Bachelors Degree from CSU Long Beach, where he also worked at the La Raza Center, producing murals and prints. It was during this time that he began creating a book, a 1956 Encyclopedia Britannica which he began to “update” by filling in and editing the entries with current events and phenomena, spray painting pages white, burning them and transferring current images on top of the old photos and text. Two significant decades: the fifties and the seventies. A commentary on social change seen through two views, the institutional, authoritative and established historical record of the Britannica and the critical, rebellious, fresh eye of the young artist.

His first exhibition, held at Otis Art Institute in 1979, was a three person show (Carlos Almaraz and John Woods were the other two artists) entitled “LA Parks and Wrecks.” Even then, the ironic dichotomy of his vision was already established in his “heroic” portraits of street people, of “barrio” types, rucas, cholos and homies. A large drawing of a “mom and pop” grocery store also give an indication of Valadez’s understanding of visual counterpoint. The juxtaposition of advertising labels for Knudsen Milk or Coors Beer are superimposed with graffiti, a confabulation of two worlds coming together in one space.

That imagery continued to be developed during the four-year period between 1978 and 1981, when Valadez produced murals alone. In 1978 Valadez, Carlos Almaraz and Barbara Carrasco painted the “Zootsuit” mural above the Aquarius Theatre on Sunset Boulevard (now destroyed).

Another mural “The Beauty of Our People,” at the corner of Brooklyn Ave and Soto, served as testimony to the ephemeral life of murals, for Valadez’s mural covered a Frank Romero mural, and in turn Valadez’s mural disappeared under the extant mural by East Los Streetscapers. In 1978 Valadez and Almaraz also collaborated on a City Arts Summer Youth Project mural, “The Return of the Mayas” in Highland Park.

In 1981 Valadez completed “The Broadway Mural” located in the interior of the Victor Clothing Company at 240 S. Broadway (see accompanying news item in the box, this page). This street scene is based on images produced over a five year period, photographing life on Broadway while working for the Community Redevelopment Agency. By now his imagery of people walking, selling, buying and living along Broadway was fully mature. This mural mirrors a world of contradictions: simultaneously a homage and a critique, it reveals the richness of cultural diversity as well as the harsh economic reality of L.A. urban life.

In the eighties, Valadez traveled to Europe on a fellowship and as part of the exhibition organized in France, Sweden and Spain, “Le Démon des Anges.” In the nineties he received commissions to produce murals in El Paso, Texas at the border crossing (1993), and at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and the U.S. Courthouse in Santa Ana, California (1998). He is currently working on the design for a public commission, an installation, his first, for the MTA Blue Line Memorial Park Station in Pasadena.

Throughout his career, John Valadez has never wavered from his early commitment of seeing and utilizing art, particularly public art, as a means of social criticism and change, and of creating an awareness in the viewer, of the social, political and cultural dichotomies of contemporary society. His murals bear testimony to that commitment.

VICTOR CLOTHING BUILDING SOLD

After having announced its availability some months ago (see the Newsletter, v. 10, n. 3) longtime property owner Ramiro Salcedo has ceded ownership to Clinton Financial Corp. According to an item in the L.A. Times’ March 31st edition, “More than a dozen artists who live in the building’s lofts have been given a 30-day eviction notice. . . .The developer intends to restore the facade to its oritinal 1920 status, turn the building into loft living/work spaces [for artists], and add some restaurants on the bottom floor.” We are also told that the new owner regards preservation of the important collection of murals on the exterior and interior of the building as a given. We’ll look at the sale and what it means for this landmark building in the next Newsletter.

CITY REQUIRES CAD APPROVAL
ON ALL L.A. AREA MURALS

All murals located within the City of Los Angeles, whether on public or private property, and whether City-sponsored or painted by independent artists or organizations, must obtain final approval from the Cultural Affairs Commission before they are executed.

The procedure for approval of murals is as follows: (1) Obtain an application from the Murals Coordinator at the City of Los Angeles, Cultural Affairs Department. Applications may be mailed or faxed by calling (213) 485-9570 to request a Mural Application. (2) Schedule an appointment to submit Mural Application and all necessary support documents to the Cultural Affairs Deptartment. (3) Once submitted murals are placed on the next Public Art Committee meeting agenda, attend Public Art Committee meeting and answer any questions about the project. (4) Attend Cultural Affairs Commission meeting and answer any questions about the project. Obtain conceptual and final approval from the Commission.

Joe Smoke
Public Art Coordinator, L.A. Cultural Affairs Department

The Mural Doctor: Nathan Zakheim

THE MURAL DOCTOR RETURNS!

It’s been over a year since we last ran conservator Nathan Zakheim’s helpful insights to the technical process of mural-making. Artists have been sending in questions relating to their mural projects for a long time, and these often served as the basis for treating a particular issue in article form. With this issue we are going with a question-response format, and have selected several recent queries that we think will be of general interest.

Have your own question? Mail it to the Mural Doctor at MCLA, PO Box 5483, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413, or by by e-mail to mcla@ lamurals.org. Note: we omit names of those questions selected for the Newsletter in favor of the questioner’s initials only; it’s their substance, not who posed them, that’s important.--Ed.

Nathan Zakheim,
the Mural Doctor.
[no screen size image]

Question--First, I am glad an organization like yours exists and is keeping the mural tradition alive. I primarily paint murals in the San Fernando Valley. I will be starting a new community mural and have been given a healthy budget. I want to experiment with new materials on this project, especially with the primers. I would like to know the best primer on the market for a smooth concrete wall that is located on an underpass. I will be using Nova Colors, and the mural will be protected with an anti-graffiti wax coating. I was reading one of the articles about primers, and it mentions an epoxy system followed by an opaque primer or I am assuming a gesso. I would like some more information about this and would like a brand name for the epoxy system. I am concerned about this mural because it is very smooth and not as porous as other walls I have painted on.
--M.O., Los Angeles

Response--The best preparation for your wall is to wash it with muriatic acid (be careful! it burns!). This will remove silicone used as a mold release that will also release your mural paints! After the muriatic acid has been applied and the wall stops "fizzing" then rinse it off, and apply Nova Gloss Medium and Varnish to the raw concrete diluted 10% with de-ionized water and mixed with 1/4 tsp of Basic H (Shaklee) per gallon. This should be thoroughly mixed with an electric mixing tool on your drill motor.

The mixture can be applied using sprayers or rollers, AND MUST BE APPLIED OVER AND OVER (20 APPLICATIONS) UNTIL THE WALL WILL HOLD NO MORE! You will be AMAZED at how much of this material the wall will absorb! It is VITAL that the Nova mixture NOT BE ALLOWED TO DRY BETWEEN APPLICATIONS. It is "WET ON WET" all the way! When the wall CAN TAKE NO MORE then allow it to dry for a week or so. After that time, use Nova Gesso with Gloss Medium and Varnish mixed in to give it more GRIP! (Add about 1/8 volume Nova Varnish).

When you paint your picture, it will stay for about 100 years (read my lips!) unless you use fugitive colors. For longevity, don't use any colors with a lightfastness co-efficient of over three (one to three should be your range).

When you paint, USE GLOSS MEDIUM AND VARNISH TO CREATE GLAZES, NOT WATER! If you use water, there will not be enough medium in the paint to keep it on the wall for very long!

Try not to use Gloss Medium and Varnish as a final varnish, as it will ABSORB SMOG, GRIME AND OTHER YUCK AND THEN TURN BROWN! Use Soluvar (Permanent Pigments Inc.) or an equivalent. You will be happy with the result!

Q--I am an artist based in London-England. I have been approached to work with a community group to produce a mural. Despite having past experience of this nature I have not attempted an outdoor piece. The wall is red brick, and I am unsure as to the best paint/primer to use. I have met the American artist that produced the "community bridge" mural, which I believe was in San Francisco, and I remember him mentioning the use of a very hardy German paint. I hope you can assist me in this matter.
--E.R., London, England

R--If the red brick is old, covered with grime, mold, lichen, etc, it should be sand-blasted or at least pressure washed before attempting to seal it. If there are deep mortar lines will this make it difficult to use as a painting surface?

After the wall has been water blasted or sandblasted, dilute a Rhoplex-based acrylic emulsion with about 10% water and a few drops of some sort of wetting agent such as Shaklee Basic H.

You can source the Rhoplex medium and varnish by contacting the conservation departments of any large art museum in England, and they will direct you to a local source. I hesitate to recommend further, as I am aware that materials that are available in England are often much different that those to be had in the United States.

Apply the diluted emulsion in as many coats as possible without drying in between. When the surface will accept no more, then let it dry for a few days if you have warm weather, and a week or more in cold/wet weather.

When the Rhoplex is dry, then you can gesso as you like, and then prepare to paint.

I am almost certain that the German paint system to which you refer is called KEIM and there is a distributor somewhere in England. If you have internet access, then you can search out their web site, or try to call the company in Germany. It is a system of mineral-based paint, and there are examples of certain masonry buildings painted with KEIM that are as bright as the day they were painted even after 100 years!

Q--I have recently completed my first mural in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada and I have been searching for anti-graffiti strategies. From my research it seems that Soluvar varnish is the best option for my situation. I have read Art Mortimer's article on making one's own Soluvar-type varnish and found it very useful, although I am unsure if I will be able to find the resins needed. More to the point, is there a recipe for making smaller, ready-to-use, quantities of soluvar-type varnish? I need to cover an area of approximately 660 square feet, and I do not require any more.
--A.W., Ontario, Canada

R--Soluvar can be purchased from a number of art supply stores nationwide. It is made by "Permanent Pigments", which also manufactures Liquitex.

In Los Angeles, World Supply on Caheuenga Blvd. sells it in quart size which can be reduced by up to 50% in VM&P Naptha. Conservation Support Systems in Santa Barbara also sells Acrylloid B-67 in liquid as well as crystal form (this with the addition of 10% Acrylloid F-10 equals Soluvar). Phone: 805.682.9843 (Ask for Scott).

To cover 660 square feet, you will need about three to four quarts of Soluvar, and you can dilute it by up to 50%. It is best applied by spray (airless sprayer) and about three thinned coats would be indicated. It is much harder to apply with a roller, and you cannot overlap or go over the surface twice. . . .better use a spray outfit! You can get a small HVLP one quart sprayer from Home Depot for less than $200.00, and that will do a SUPERB job! You may have to fill the cup eight times, but it is an inexpensive solution, and you will find a million uses for the sprayer including varnishing your other paintings with Soluvar or Beva Varnish for spectacular results!

Q--I have a question for you regarding mural protection. After searching on the web, your site was refrerred to and after scanning through, its seems appropriate that I contact you, as you are obviously experts in this field.

I work for Rolls-Royce & Bentley Motor Cars in England and have recently painted a mural (Wizard of Oz) for a local charity organisation. The mural needs a protective layer and I do not know what to use. The paint used is a water based emulsion, and I have used a permanent marker pen to highlight the main figures. I initially applied an undercoat to the freshly plastered internal wall. Apparantly a varnish would crack the paint and so another form of protection is needed; one that will protect the mural from dirt and wear and that will allow the mural to be easily cleaned.
--D.R., England

R--Thank you for your inquiry! That is what MCLA is all about. We are entirely operated by voluntees who are largely art professionals, conservators and muralists.

TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION:

If your mural is indoors, it can be first coated with a clear emulsion (Rhoplex-based). You can use a Liquitex Emulsion Varnish, or an equivalent (Lascaux?, Golden?). When the gloss varnish has been applied by spray or sponge and allowed to dry for a week, then you can spray on a coat of Paraloid B-67 modified with10% of Paraloid F-10.

If you have Soluvar from Permanent Pigments or any solvent based Golden Varnish, it will be simpler. You can get the Paraloid products from a conservation supply center which you can track down through the conservation department of your larger museums.

CITY REQUIRES CAD APPROVAL
ON ALL L.A. AREA MURALS

All murals located within the City of Los Angeles, whether on public or private property, and whether City-sponsored or painted by independent artists or organizations, must obtain final approval from the Cultural Affairs Commission before they are executed.

The procedure for approval of murals is as follows: (1) Obtain an application from the Murals Coordinator at the City of Los Angeles, Cultural Affairs Department. Applications may be mailed or faxed by calling (213) 485-9570 to request a Mural Application. (2) Schedule an appointment to submit Mural Application and all necessary support documents to the Cultural Affairs Deptartment. (3) Once submitted murals are placed on the next Public Art Committee meeting agenda, attend Public Art Committee meeting and answer any questions about the project. (4) Attend Cultural Affairs Commission meeting and answer any questions about the project. Obtain conceptual and final approval from the Commission.

Joe Smoke
Public Art Coordinator, L.A. Cultural Affairs Department

L.A.'s NEWEST MURALS COLUMN

compiled by Robin Dunitz

Hearing about murals under attack is no big surprise for us mural lovers. Two current situations of murals under siege illustrate both their vulnerability and the support that can sometimes save (or resurrect) them.

In mid-June a federal judge in Los Angeles ordered two Ventura businessmen who had painted over a mural called "It's Not Cool to Target Kids" to pay artist MB Hanrahan $48,488 [see accompanying article, this page--Ed]. The ruling was based on the Visual Artists' Rights Act of 1990, the same law used in the precedent-setting decision that awarded Kent Twitchell $175,000 in 1992 after the destruction of his "Old Woman of the Freeway."

The Ventura mural, which featured an anti-tobacco and alcohol message and measured 12' x 72', was painted in 1994 by Hanrahan with local youth and community members in downtown Ventura at 580 North Ventura Avenue. The theme and content were developed in drawing sessions with local continuation high school students. In 1996 it was chosen as one of 50 winners in a national contest for youth-inspired anti-alcohol and anti-drug projects in 1996. Enlarged photographs of the mural were displayed at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. that same year.

According to Hanrahan, "The mural was painted in my neighborhood on an avenue disproportionately exposed to liquor stores, as well as alcohol and tobacco advertising. The images depict youth "taking back" public space with messages of their own--stopping the violence, reaching out to the homeless, reconnecting to cultural and historical roots, encouraging positive, enriching activities."

MB Hanrahan, "It's Not Cool to
Target Kids," 12 x 72', Ventura, 1994.

Beall Art Studio, Untitled, one of
17 tile and mosaic murals at
SeaCliff Village, Huntington
Beach, ca. 1970s.

Hanrahan is now preparing to restore the mural. She is thinking of adding a visual statement against censoring art--especially the expressions of young people, and some commentary regarding the fatal and damaging hate crimes taking place in Ventura County and around the country.

At SeaCliff Village in Huntington Beach, another mural drama is underway. Shea Properties, a private developer, recently received approval from the city to demolish the 25-year-old shopping center in late August or early September as part of a major renovation of the 20-acre site.

Around the rustic outdoor center are 17 mosaic and tile murals, as well as metal sculptures and other art works and educational displays, all based on the theme of birds. There are portraits of individual sea birds, an image based on "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," and scenes of birds in flight. A large floor tile map mural depicts "Three Major Systems of Migration in the World." Most of the panels are accompanied by lengthy explanatory captions, often credited to the Los Angeles Natural History Museum. The museum also donated display cases with stuffed birds. The art works were done in the mid-1970s by the Beall Art Studio, then located in Torrance. Barbara Beall and her associates also created murals and other decorations for Encino Town and Country Shopping Center in the San Fernando Valley, the Autry Museum, Panda Inn Restaurants, Epcot Center in Florida, Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and many others. In 1994, Barbara Beall moved her business to Santa Barbara.

The city of Huntington Beach Cultural Affairs Dept. initiated a "SeaCliff Public Art Committee" to raise funds to save at least some of the murals. How much of the art is saved depends on how much money is raised. The developer has pledged $250,000. Local fundraising events are being held. There is talk of asking residents to accept an assessment on their water bill. What will be done with the rescued murals is still up in the air. The developer has not agreed to integrate them into his planned new and expanded mixed-use mall.

Robert Rootenberg, a member of MCLA's Board of Directors and an attorney, recently represented muralist MB Hanrahan's community mural, "It's Not Cool to Target Kids" in the latest test of California's Art Preservation law and the Federal Visual Artists Rights Act. This is his account of the events and importance of the case--Ed.

 U.S. District Court Judge Richard A. Paez ordered two Ventura, CA liquor store owners, who painted over a community mural, to pay the mural's creator nearly $50,000 in damages. He further ordered an injunction to permit the artist, MB Hanrahan, to repaint the mural at the same location.

Painted in 1994 [please see accompanying article, "Murals Under Attack" on this page--Ed.], in July 1997 Hanrahan received word that the new owners of the liquor store were planning to paint the mural over. She requested that they refrain from taking any action until she could determine her legal rights. The storeowners allegedly agreed to this, but in August they whitewashed approximately one-third of the mural. The area was replaced by a painting of an American flag with fifty-seven stars and the message, "Fourth of July Independence Day, Welcome to Avenue Liquor." Their actions prompted numerous news articles and radio coverage locally. Ventura residents held a rally to express support for the mural.

I brought the lawsuit in October, 1997 under the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 (VARA), an amendment to the Copyright Act that gives an artist protection from damage or destruction. In March, 1998 a bench trial was held, and the Court ruled on June 3 that the mural should have never been touched. Ralph E. Lerner and Judith Bresler wrote, "The term 'moral rights' has its origins in the civil law and is a translation of the French le droit moral, which is meant to capture those rights of a spiritual, non-economic and personal nature. The rights spring from a belief that an artist in the process of creation injects his spirit into the work and that the artist's personality, as well as the integrity of the work, should therefore be protected and preserved" in Art Law 417 (1989) as part of their commentary on the case Carter v. Helmsley-Spear.

VARA's statutory scheme authorizes an artist to seek recovery for the destruction of artwork if the destruction affected their honor or reputation. An award can be sought to compensate for actual damages or statutory damages of at least $500 up to $20,000. If the infringement or destruction of the art is committed willfully in the judgement of the court, the statutory damage award can go up to a maximum of $100,000.

The Court, in the Hanrahan case, found the mural to be a work of "recognized stature," and also that the artist had suffered damage to her reputation, given her prominent activity in the Ventura community. The total settlement thus consists of $15,000 for the harm done to the artist, $15,000 to restore the mural, and about $18,000 in costs and attorney's fees. Finally the defendents were enjoined from committing further damage to the mural or from interfering with Hanrahan's right to restore the work.

There is an important balance between the property rights of building owners and the moral rights of an artist. More works of art are incorporated into shopping centers, malls, and entertainment complexes than ever before. Muralists should take great care to understand the nature and extent of the rights held under VARA, which exists independently from ownership of the work of art itself or its copyright. As an artist, you can conceivably control the development or use of a building by virtue of the art you incorporate into that building. . . .so, get to work!

The following new murals were completed through June. If you want your public to know about your newest mural, please send the information, along with a picture if possible, to Robin Dunitz, PO Box 64668, Los Angeles 90064. Or you can call (310) 470-8864.

Judith Baca, Patrick Blasa, and the SPARC Digital Mural Lab, "Our Victories, Our Future," Hotel and Restaurant Employees International Union Local 11, exterior, 321 South Bixel St. (near 3rd St.), Downtown L.A., digital collage on vinyl, 39' x 20'. Portraits of a chef and a bellhop in combination with historical photographs from labor marches.

Art students under the supervision of artist Tim Fields, "Life's an Open Book," Los Angeles High School, exterior above football bleachers, 4650 West Olympic Blvd., Mid-City L.A., acrylic, 200 feet long.

Elizabeth Eve and the children of the Esperanza Community Housing community, "Picture Me!: Kids' Self Portraits in Hollywood," Hollywood Galaxy Complex, Hollywood Blvd. at Sycamore Ave., Hollywood, acrylic, 6' x 30'. Life-sized portraits in a land of trees and imagination. Sponsored by Esperanza, the Museum, and Dunn-Edwards Paints.

UTI, Asylum, Vyal with COI, Untitled, Brooklyn House, exterior, Spaulding Ave. at Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, aerosol, approximately 15' x 75'. Awesome piece with snowboarding and skateboarding theme.

Bill Madrid assisted by art students, "Mike Haynes," John Marshall High School, interior boys' gym, 3939 Tracy St. (near Griffith Park Blvd.), Los Feliz, acrylic, 10' x 12'. Portrait of recent Football Hall of Fame inductee, Oakland Raiders' defensive back Mike Haynes. Both he and artist Bill Madrid are alumni of the school.

UTI/Asylum/Vyal/COI, Untitled, Spaulding Ave. at Melrose Ave., Brooklyn House, West Hollywood, 1998.

Louis Cameron and David Burke, with 4th and 5th graders, Untitled, Glassell Park Elementary School, exterior front, 2211 West Ave. 30 (at Cazador St.), Glassell Park, acrylic, approximately 4' x 150'. Space scene with cartoon characters. Inspired by the school-sponsored 1997 trip to Space Camp in San Jose by the school's 115 5th graders.

Terry Schoonhoven, "Police and Fire Opera," Burbank Police and Fire Facility, interior lobby, 200 North 3rd St. (between Orange Grove and Palm Aves.), Burbank, acrylic on applied canvas, several walls with varied dimensions. Historical and contemporary images of police and firefighters in action.

Gary Palmer, Untitled, Bloomoon Graphics, interior ceiling, 3595 Wonder View Dr. (near Cahuenga Blvd. East), Universal City,acrylic, 10' x 22'. Trompe l'oeil designed to appear as if the ceiling were removed and we can see into an imaginary world beyond. There's a man riding a horse to the moon, an impish character floating among the stars while another peers over a mushroom, and a dreamy couple lives contendly between blades of grass. Dr. Seuss once lived in this building.

Alfredo Diaz Flores, "Indy 500 (Carrea
Grande)," Golden Brothers Auto Repair,
exterior, 7125 Remmet Ave., Canoga
Park, 1998.

Alfredo Diaz Flores,"Indy 500 (Carrea Grande)," Golden Brothers Auto Repair, exterior, 7125 Remmet Ave. (between Gault St. and Sherman Way), Canoga Park, acrylic, 12' x 65'. Four race cars whiz past a blur of fans.

East Los Streetscapers, "Mission Statement in Action" (interior lobby) and "Training for Tradition" (hallway), L.A.P.D. Recruit Training Center, 5651 Manchester Ave. (at Aviation Blvd.), Westchester, acrylic. Part of a larger project that also includes a sculpture court with a bronze sculpture, 14 medal of valor columns, benches and lighting. The mural imagery is of the past and present goals of the L.A.P.D.

Elizabeth Eve supervising children from Budlong Apartments and Villa Esperanza, "No Killing," Budlong Apts., Budlong Ave. near 27th St., South L.A., acrylic, 20' x 16'. Bucolic scene in which animals frolic and the earth is happy.

Tim Fields with students, "Get Into Those Books, the Cheese Stands Alone," John Adams Middle School, exterior, 151 West 30th St., South L.A., acrylic.

Theresa Powers, "Planting Seeds," Blazer's House, 1517 West 48th St. (between Denker and Halldale Aves.), South L.A., acrylic, 30' x 6'. Blazer's House is a community safe-haven and an after-school program

Alma Lopez and Noni Olabisi, "Education is a Basic Human Right," Angeles Mesa Library, West 54th Street at Harcourt Ave., South Los Angeles, acrylic, 11' x 25'. Showcases two important desegregation cases featuring African American and Latino families.

Paul Tzanetopoulos, Untitled, Manhattan Beach Pier, shower area and seawall, Manhattan Beach, mosaic tile and cement tile, 2 panels (cement one is 600 feet long). Decorative, abstract design.

Roy Herweck, "Sixty Years of Coast Cadillac," Coast Cadillac, interior lobby, 3399 East Willow St. (between Temple and Redondo Aves.), Long Beach, acrylic, 2 panels (28' x 7' each). Over a dozen classic Cadillacs from the past 60 years cruise on Ocean Blvd. along the coast route in an imaginary Long Beach landscape.

Peter Quezada, assisted by Memphis P., "Year of the Tiger," North Broadway near Elysian Park Dr., Elysian Park, acrylic, approximately 8' x 20'.

Designed and painted by 18 students under the direction of lead artist, Eliseo Art Silva, project coordinator Luis Amador, and instructor Jaiming Liu, "Journey into the Heart of America: the Asian Pacific American Experience," API Student Center, interior, California State Polytechnic University, 3801 West Temple Ave., Pomona, acrylic, 8' x 20'. This project was done in conjunction with an Ethnic and Women's Studies class entitled "Ethnicity and the Arts: Mural Art in Asia America."

Terry Schoonhoven, "Poets' Table," Huntington Beach Pier Plaza, Huntington Beach (Orange County), ceramic tile, 9' x 38.