Seven members of the MTA crew were arrested 2 days ago in Los Angeles. I’ve posted the LA Times article below. What is interesting is that there is a fair amount of focus on the blight caused by the three story high half mile long piece on the LA “river” and how this was an eyesore for those peering down from their downtown offices (although the angle of this makes me wonder how it bothered them). However no mention is made of the fact that the LA “river” itself is an ugly blight on the city of Los Angeles. Not a river but a trickle surrounded by large walls of blank concrete. The MTA piece is actually quite a feat – and quite a piece of topography – a wonderful mural. No mention of the potential aesthetics are discussed in this article – only one side mentioning what an eyesore it is. That sounds like judgement and criticism to me – not journalism (although do we really have objective journalism anymore – did we ever have it). When much larger urban issues are at stake – and community leaders decry the wasted youth – crime and vandalism. Shouldn’t we embrace a group of young people takling a large scale artistic project – instead of the myriad of other activities these guys could be up to. Here is the LA Times article:
L.A.’s largest tag: the giant, half-mile-long “MTA” scrawl that appeared last year along the concrete banks of the Los Angeles River near downtown. Authorities say the Metro Transit Assassins created the city’s largest tag — a three-story-high, half-mile-long scrawl of its moniker along the concrete banks of the Los Angeles River. By Richard Winton January 29, 2009 In the macho, braggart, narcissistic world of Los Angeles tagging, no one can match the Metro Transit Assassins crew. Authorities said the group is responsible for some of the city’s most notorious acts of vandalism, most notably L.A.’s largest tag: the giant, half-mile-long “MTA” scrawl that appeared last year along the concrete banks of the Los Angeles River near downtown. Continue reading
