Mural graces downtown L.A. freeway -- with graffiti protection [Updated]

Caltrans on Tuesday unveiled a new mural along the 101 Freeway in the L.A. Civic Center area. It's sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank. [Updated at 3:26 p.m.: The mural is not exactly new. But a new graffiti-resistant coating was placed on it.]

Photo credit: Caltrans

Comments

[Allen]

I saw them hanging this today! It's actually not a mural in that it's not painted on. It's more like a poster/canvas.

[Ron]

I think the taggers messed up the original mural. It used to take up the whole wall. It looks like they repainted it on a smaller scale which would make it technically new.

[Kevin]

I wonder how long it will take before the taggers destroy this like they do all of the other murals downtown.

[RobertG]

Its kinda new. The mural is a smaller, slimmer version of one that was at the same location. Hopefully since this one is higher off the ground, it wont be defaced as much as the previous one.

[Zaba]

I also recall that mural.
A year in jail for painting on a wall while Lindsay Lohan, who just violated parole, gets 14 days?

[its new to transplants and children.]

welcome back "mural". yes this is an old mural, but its new to some...

[Lemonic]

first of all, this mural isn't new.

second of all, tagging is an expression of urban art and should be nurtured. The youth are crying out because you failed them as society. yeah, I think that's how the line goes.

[Working Stiff]

Based on what Caltrans says, its a replica of the previous Galileo, Jupiter, and Apollo mural that was painted in 1983 for the '84 Olympics. The material is made of plastic and vinyl. It was painted by John Werhle, a muralist from the Bay Area, CA.

[rob mo]

Doesn't the LA times got anything better to report than wax coatings being smothered in a 20 year old mural.
No Story behind that and no context.

[Joe]

For gods sake, its a freeway. Paint the walls gray and move on. Oh...shoot all grafitti vandals on sight!

[Jose Gonzalez]

Nothing more than a Graffiti-Canvas-Sanctuary disguised as an art mural. Also, it's a nice year-round haunting and terrorizing black-eye reminder to all of LA's tourist not to bother going to downtown LA.

Give me a paint brush, a bucket of paint and I'll and make it look better!!!

[Ruby Jackson]

@WorkingStiff, thanks for that info. What would the LA Times do without commentors who provide the facts for their news articles?

[Working Stiff]

Correction: It's John Wehrle, not Werhle. I believe he is a Vietnam Veteran.

[yt]

I miss seeing the old murals that were on the fwy walls from the early 80's The "Cop" one encouraging you to buckle up.. The "Kids" one where they were playing and doing cartwheels. And the "Basketball" one as well as this one.. Too bad ignorant people had to destroy them all.

[fill]

IN took 7+ workers to coat a mural thats has been there for 10 years. What a waste of money tax payere money.

[Working Stiff]

No tax dollars were used. The mural was funded by Wells Fargo, who worked in conjunction with Caltrans. Repeat no tax dollars were used. Wells also paid the LA Conservation Corps, a non-profit, to provide most the labor and costs for materials and time. Please call Caltrans at 213-897-3656 if you have questions.

[Working Stiff]

@Fill read the information offered in the comments as well as the attached document. The mural has been up since 1983, that's 26 years. Read, please read before commenting.

[Tony]

this was my favortie piece along the 101. but why so small? they should have kept its original size and THEN done the protective coat.