Malibu morning picture of the day - iT'S STreeT arT THurSDay!, Thursday, March 12, 2015

Dear Family, Friends, and Gentle Readers,

Today we are looking at a more rare form of street art--slogans, sayings, words, and such typographical elements that are there not so much as things to be turned into art objects, but things to be read for themselves.

Writer-artist: unattributed, Streaksaute!, paint on brick.
Hollywood Boulevard west of Western Avenue

This was taken at daybreak in early winter. I like the indie-movie quality this scene seems to have. Bathe a rundown wall in dawn's first light and suddenly it has character! These words are nonsense of course--at least I can't find anything in my slang references; holding meaning probably only for their creators. RETRDE TIZIK RE STREAKSAUTE! All hail, indeed!

We don't see literary street art very much in East Holly. I don't know why that is. I suppose those who are clever with words and social commentary tend not to want to go out onto streets at night and put their theories on the wall. They probably tweet and post snarky remarks in comment sections on websites. I suspect it reflects sadly on the educational level of my hometown street bombers.

Writer-graffitist: Shock, Birth, Earth, paint on wall
South of  Santa Monica Red Line Station, on Vermont Avenue

 This writer takes on a minimalist poetic tone: "Birth, Earth - One Love Fuck the World." I feel pretty confident that this author meant "fuck" as the act of love and procreation, and not the verb to curse one into degradation.

Writer-artist: OCP/HVD?, No Justice, paint on wall
Western Avenue and 4th Street

 This writer in K-Town echoes now common sentiments against police brutality. This slogan is the length of an apartment complex lot plus. It's pretty big. Directly to the left are the possible marks of the artists, OCP and HVD, although I'm not sure. They seem to be by a different hand.

Possible artists' marks for above mural

 Here are a couple of additional markings which appear to the left of "Brown." "EB" looks uncharacteristically corporate and slick don't you think? It has the quality of a logo on a food condiment to me.

Possible additional members of the same painters crew

And when I was in Tampa, I looked hard for street art, but did not find much. There was one mural I saw, but the driver of the car I was in was not interested in a quick stop. Ah, my loss. However, on one of my walks, I did find a green utility box on the street across the street from a high school which did sport some expression of a kind...

These all look like the kind of thing a teacher or sports coach says, rattling off platitudes to hopefully inspire his/her charges. Do they do it for you? Let me add, "There is no 'I' in team!" (And they say the U.S. soul lacks a sense of the collective ... you can find expression of it here and there).

This is a utility box on Dale Mabry Drive. There is also some monochromatic art, but not really worth showing you. 

Sorry, I can't really call it self-expression. These are likely young minds absorbing thoughts, deciding yet which ones they believe and which ones they don't. Wish them well in assessing such decisions. You give your influence by acting out your life in front of them. What have you modeled for the young people in front of you today? Did you make a young person more cynical or more hopeful today?

Context for size of No Justice

AND NOW FOR THE MALIBU MORNING PICTURE OF THE DAY:

Ye winds are a blowin' amighty today! Santa Anas  be fierce. Like predicted, it's to to a summer high-80s day in Southern California. Sorry, snow people...

That's it for this morning. Have a great Thursday ... or in the words of the Birth-Earth poet above, "Fuck the world, and fuck you all!" (he said smiling).

Love,
Pops