The LA Freewalls project began a year ago with a single work-- Shepard Fairy's peace goddess at the corner of 3rd and Traction. Since then, the project has exploded into one of the most vital displays of art in one place that the City of Los Angeles has ever seen. The artist roster continues to expand and includes both up-and-coming artists and some of the biggest names in the game. The size, scale, and breadth of the project would lead you to believe that a large non-profit, city agency, or museum is behind the Free Walls but in fact the entire thing is managed by one person-- Daniel Lahoda of Jet Set Graffiti. A fine art printer and gallery curator, Daniel has been involved with the Graffiti scene for years and has quietly been building the Free Walls project from his apartment in the Arts District. By working with landlords, the city, and individual artists, Daniel has been able to create a living landmark that everyone from locals to tourists to museum visitors can enjoy. We hope the following tour will allow you to learn more about the art and artists, and provide you with some inspiration to come see these amazing works of art in person. Interspersed with the pictures are audio of Daniel discussing the art and the artists, just click the play button to hear the sound-- it will give you new insight into the works by SABER, Swoon, Kid Zoom, ROA, How & NOSM, Dabs & Myla, Kofie, D*Face, CR, RIPO, INSA, Becca, Thank You X, Lady Aiko, Nomadé, JR, and Shepard Fairey.
We start our tour with one of the newest works, ROA's three animals, a decaying Sea Lion, a California Brown Bear, and a Bird...
Now let's move South to a building that serves as a panel-like gallery at the corner of 7th and Mateo that houses some of the world's best known street artists...
Dabs & Myla
CR (Carl Rauschenbach)
Thank You, X
SABER "Pepper's World"
SABER Pepper's World Inspiration
KOFIE
Lady Aiko
Nomadé
D*Face
Moving just across 7th on Mateo street we find Kid Zoom
On the other side of the street, in the parking lot of French restaurant French Garden are complimentary images from RIPO and INSA.
Moving along 7th we come to a new work by Swoon.
Next we move all the way to the other side of the Freewalls project, to the North End. Starting at Angel City Brewing, home to the recent "Street Brewed" Show and home to the largest JR images in Los Angeles.
Just below the JR is another Kid Zoom.
On the wall of Angel City, on the Traction Avenue side is another new Swoon.
Nearby is the largest of all the Freewalls, the amazing collaboration between HOW & NOSM and Dabs & Myla (more pictures of this from the air later)
Walking East on 4th Place, the Art Share building is home to a brand new Becca work.
Around the corner is a third new Swoon, with a gift from Stickman placed right next to it in the lower right corner.
In the middle section of the Freewalls we find two new works by Shepard Fairey, where he has debuted a new Reagan motif.
Finally, in order to get the best view of two of the Freewall's most iconic images, the massive wall by HOW & NOSM and DABS & MYLA, and the original Shepard Fairey Peace Goddess, we climbed a strategic rooftop to get some aerial coverage. Basking in the sun and spotting the new art landmarks of the Freewalls was an experience TACO will cherish. We hope you've enjoyed the tour, and massive thanks to Daniel Lahoda for bringing us, and you, along for the ride.
Photos by Scott Locklear
