[dropcap size=big]L[/dropcap]ocal Jewish activists are calling for a gallery and event space in downtown L.A. to remove a seven-year-old mural on a brick wall for depicting a Death figure draped with the Star of David, sparking complaints of anti-Semitism.
Since popping up on social media on Feb. 25, the mural by local artist Vyal One has been defaced with paint and a spraypainted message reading: "No place for hate."
The L.A. chapter of the Anti-Defamation League tweeted about the mural on Feb. 26, calling on The Vortex event space to remove the piece that went up as part of a September 2011 group show “LA vs War.” The art exhibit dealt with anti-war and peace themes in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks, and the mural had since remained on the facility's brick exterior.
Jeff Norman, manager at Vortex, told L.A. Taco this morning that there are no current plans to repaint the mural, or to remove it. He also said he has not been in contact with the artist. "No one said anything ever about the mural. I hadn't even noticed it myself," Norman said.
In the mural, a skeletal figure holds what appears to be an infant and a missile. The figure wears a blue cloak that suggests a merging of the American national flag with Stars of David. The "stripes" of the American flag transform into snakeheads.