Everyone knows you can get a good look at some of L.A.’s graffiti artist by cruising Melrose between and around Fairfax and La Brea Ave., but if you’re interested in digging a bit deeper, just off the beaten path in Hollywood some real treasures exist.
For instance not less than a half mile from the well-known shopping area on North Gower Street tucked behind Paramount Studios sits a plethora of industrial spaces transformed from the dull white or gray into something out of the 80’s.
It looks like most of the wall space along Gower in the area has been taken for all you fledgling street bombers out there, at least all the wall space that hasn’t been painted over or buffed. Of course you can always buff and paint over, but then you risk the wrath of angering some of the most notorious street graffiti crews in Los Angeles: AWR, MSK, and who knows who else …
Curious L.A. the Blog sent an e-mail to Paramount to find out if any of the work was commissioned by the studio or of any of it found its way into the movies. We will keep you updated as we plague the studio with phone calls. Anyway check out the picks below (you win a prize if you spot Filter Magazines office in the pics):
The next hidden street gallery, though only consisting of two real walls that have been exploited is much closer to the Melrose shopping district, on the corner of Melrose and Highland Ave.
Most notably you can find Buff Monster’s 10-year anniversary piece. You know Buff Monster, the cute bubbly guy:
Last in this piece (ha, get it piece!) is another new location that is still under work and put up in 2010. It is at the corner of Edgewood and La Brea Ave rivaling the Paramount spot in breadth and variety.
The spot is further than the other two location, but definitely worth the drive. If you go be sure to travel a little further down on La Brea and you can catch MBW’s send off to the Academy Awards (and most likely Exit Through the Gift Shop), Storm Troopers and all. Before it was a tribute to Charlie Chaplin.
L.A. the Blog is trying to figure out if MBW licensed the storm troopers from Lucas Films LTD. We will keep you updated.
Please look at a complete set of pictures in the gallery below. While there are numerous spots in Hollywood to look at great graffiti, we will try to bring them all as we come across them. Best!
Los Angeles the Blog 