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Oscar Grant 2
By Dr. Shoeshine | January 15, 2009
From our Oakland correspondent:
More following as I find out, but on a walk down 14th this morning I saw these two incredible murals. All the businesses put up plywood sheets over their windows yesterday afternoon, and in the mostly youth-led demonstration, some of the plywood got turned into canvases.
Outside a Chinese trinket shop:
The owner came out to talk anytime people stopped outside. He seemed a little proud to have been the recipient of this piece. Notice the bleeding bullet holes in the “O”s and the “A” made out of bullets. This is a crappy cell phone picture, but it’s breathtaking in person. It’s huge, and the white highlights on the lettering make it look almost translucent, as if light is shining from behind.
All Power to the People/Rest in Power Oscar Grant
This one was across the street. I think these covered the architect’s office windows. If it is, there was a photo on SFGate.com yesterday of the architect putting up flyers (very carefully, ha) on the plywood: one was the standard Justice for Oscar Grant (Don’t hit my business please) one, and another one of MLK along the lines of “Be good children and obey the laws.” The artist here clearly took those posters down to put up a much bigger one. I’m really stunned by the evenness of the skin tones, and I’m realizing there’s a whole lot more to art like this than I know. For one, I have no idea where you find brown spray paint, let alone multiple shades, so I’m thinking these artists must be mixing their own and using their own airbrush-like equipment, but I don’t know. Definitely going to do some research today.
There may have been others, but most of the businesses had already taken down their plywood, or were in the middle of doing so. I saw one guy with a movie camera documenting the process. It excites me to see so much art coming out of this, and there’s a whole different vibe in the neighborhood this morning than there was a week ago. It’s more than just individual people’s relief that their shit didn’t get busted up. Maybe it’s that Johannes Mesherle was arrested, finally, or maybe it’s what I’m feeling: hope in the conversation that’s happening on plywood and concrete, and that pride, not just despondency, is fueling this conversation. The plywood will be taken down, but probably hundreds of pictures have been taken, and they’re finding their way to the internet right now.
I’ll post links to whatever else I find.
June 15th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
very good information you write it very clean. I’m very lucky to get
this info from you.
July 10th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
Super-Duper site! I am loving it!! Will come back again – taking you feeds also, Thanks.
July 11th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Beautiful words! Inspiring for everyone
July 12th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
You have done it once more. Great read!
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