For those of you who grew up in LA in the early 90's
Sahl was the hidden moniker you spotted at the bus stop,
on street poles, in alley ways, and almost every other
conceivable landmark that could be written on if you looked
closely. His talent for catching the right spot that would
never get buffed was remarkable.
Nowadays he's put away the meanstreak and pulled out the
camera. Still relying on his eye for getting up, he is
flicking the City of Angels as he walks it and as he sees it.
He's been capturing some amazing shots that only a true
writer can discover and sharing them with us all.
As many of you know, the Meeting of Styles event was a beautiful thing. Hundreds of artists working side by side in unity, creating some wonderful master pieces of self-expression as a gift to the people of L.A..
We've received nothing but congratulations from artists, community leaders, local activists, businesses, community groups, and citizens alike for putting on this event.
Unfortunately, a small minority of people don't believe in unity and public self expression, even when done legally and with permission. Some people still prefer to hold a negative viewpoint on anything created by young people of color, especially if the preferred art tool is a spray can.
There is a controversy brewing in the Arroyo Confluence where the murals were painted. Someone has decided to go down there and vandalize the mural by buffing out about 300 feet of the artwork. No one has claimed responsibility or admitted to giving the order to buff.
It's obvious that it was done "professionally" and not by a couple of guys with rollers. Whoever did this had to have driven down to the river fully equipped with spray guns, a compressor, and several 5 gallon buckets full of dull grey paint. Although they didn't finish the job, they were able to destroy enough of it to make you sick to your stomach.
Who would do such a thing? Although there are many speculations, we don't know for certain who committed this act of censorship. The only thing certain is that it was someone who doesn't believe in art or fears it greatly.
Public radio stations have gotten wind of this story and contacted us and FoLAR about it. This week, Man One and Lewis MacAdams were on the air of KPFK's popular morning show, "Uprising" to discuss the matter.
Here's the LINK to their blog and you can hear the interview STREAMED HERE as well...
