Graffiti Artists Transforming Downtown Los Angeles

A group of graffiti artists from Los Angeles have taken their art to new heights by exploring abandoned and unfinished floors and walking across balcony ledges with backpacks filled with cans of alkyd and acrylic paint. Their focus has shifted from urban aesthetics to addressing community issues.

Their canvas of choice is Oceanwide Plaza in Downtown LA, a massive mixed-use building project that spans an entire city block. The plaza was designed to offer city residents luxurious living options with over 500 condominiums, a five-star hotel, retail spaces, restaurants, and a private 2-acre park.

Construction on the $1 billion project started in 2015 but was halted in 2019 when the Chinese-backed contractor Oceanwide Holdings ran out of funding. Since then, the project has remained unfinished.

Recently, word has been spreading within the graffiti community about the plaza's potential as a striking venue for their work. Security at the site has been reported as being weak, making it easier for individuals to trespass into the plaza's towers and buildings. The Los Angeles City Attorney has confirmed that as of April 3, criminal charges have been filed against 23 people for offenses such as trespassing and possession of vandalism tools.

The spiral shaped tower dubbed “The Star” in Hollywood.

The spiral shaped tower dubbed “The Star” in Hollywood.

Foster + Partners

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"It was like a gift from the graffiti gods... A giant canvas in the middle of downtown," tagger ENDEM shared with CNN on behalf of himself and his graffiti crew, NCT. "We were like, 'Let's do it right. Let's do it as if the whole world is going to see this.'"

Graffiti has a long history of being used as protest art. It has been practiced for thousands of years, but it is most commonly seen in a modern context from the 1960s and 70s. During this time, graffiti has been used as a creative way to challenge societal norms and injustices. This can be seen on famous landmarks like the Berlin Wall in Germany or on subway cars in New York City. Some artists choose to remain anonymous, while others like Keith Haring and Banksy have gained recognition, even though Banksy himself remains technically anonymous.

ENDEM's tag, pictured here adorning the walls of the 3rd Street tunnel in Downtown Los Angeles.

ENDEM's tag, pictured here adorning the walls of the 3rd Street tunnel in Downtown Los Angeles.

Endem

Still, neither ENDEM nor any of the other artists involved realized how famous their work on the Oceanside towers would become.

Sharing his artwork on Instagram on January 31, a video from ENDEM quickly racked up tens of thousands of views. Vibrant images of bright block lettering splayed across the building’s exterior paired with footage from the inside — the artist posing with shots of his spray paint cans, poised above the cityscape. The viral footage, among other visuals shared on social media, quickly opened the floodgates. Hitting Oceanside became a mark of credibility in the graffiti world. By mid-February, the number of tags and other graffiti pieces there were multiplying overnight.

Oceanwide was transformed into an art installation, providing a platform for graffiti artists to convey a message to the city below. It also served as a call-out to policy makers who neglect buildings, allowing them to decay. ENDEM described the experience as being in an open house with people coming and going, a beautiful sight resembling a graffiti paradise. The atmosphere felt like the streets, but more concentrated.

"Graffiti reveals the pain points of the city," said Roger Gastman, the owner and creator of Beyond the Streets, an arts organization based in LA. Beyond the Streets is well-known for its extensive exhibitions, interactive educational initiatives, pop-up activities, and collaborations. The organization aims to enlighten and honor the various aspects of graffiti as an art form.

Beyond the Streets, an organization founded by Roger Gastman (pictured above), aims to uplift graffiti art as a cultural and educational medium. Its commitment extends to recognizing and supporting artists who transition from the streets to galleries, museums, installations and public art projects.

Beyond the Streets is an organization founded by Roger Gastman, with a mission to promote graffiti art as a cultural and educational form. The organization is dedicated to acknowledging and assisting artists who move from creating art on the streets to showcasing their work in galleries, museums, installations, and public art projects.

Image: Roger Gastman

Graffiti has a clear mission for him: to challenge, educate, and redefine public perception of the medium.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson, the president of The Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, a nonpartisan public policy forum for civic participation and education, views the abandoned towers as highlighting the social issues of the community they are located in. He connects the graffiti-covered structures to the urban blight in LA's Skid Row.

Courtesy the artist/Xavier Hufkens

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Skid Row, located in downtown LA, is a 50-block area where approximately 8,000 to 11,000 people without homes reside, facing difficult living conditions.

CNN spoke with Hutchinson, who pointed out that many individuals are displaced due to excessive urban development, leading them to end up on the streets. The homeless population in Los Angeles is on the rise, as reported by The Los Angeles Housing Services Authority with a 9% increase in homelessness in LA county in 2023 and a 10% increase in the city from 2022. Amidst this situation, there is a development in progress that may never be finished.

Hutchinson pointed out that the city is facing a classic urban nightmare due to poor policies, including fiscal, financial, budgetary, and political issues. He mentioned that the city has experienced over-development and a lack of affordability, which has caused problems.

Despite his criticism of the city's issues, Hutchinson also expressed his disapproval of the graffiti in the plaza. He, along with many other LA residents, finds the vandalism to be a negative aspect of the area and a sore sight for the eyes.

Multi-floor graffiti tags and slogans are easily seen on one of the three tall buildings at Oceanwide Plaza. The artwork is so noticeable that locals have started calling the Plaza "Graffiti Towers."

Multi-floor graffiti tags and slogans are visible on one of the three high-rise buildings at Oceanwide Plaza on March 20. Such is the prominence of the artwork that the Plaza has become known as "Graffiti Towers" to many city residents.

Hutchinson expressed his concern about the violation of public space without permission. He emphasized that the public has not given approval for such actions. Additionally, he noted that the general public would have to bear the cost of the removal.

Currently, taxpayers are covering the costs at the Oceanwide Plaza site for security provided by the LAPD and graffiti cleanup highlighted by Hutchinson. LAPD Chief Michel Moore mentioned in a February meeting with the Los Angeles City Council that this situation has put a strain on their resources. They have had to call in officers on overtime to provide extra patrols or station them at the site to prevent vandalism and unauthorized access.

Clean teams in the neighborhoods around Oceanwide are busy removing approximately 2,000 square feet of graffiti every week. This number has been increasing in recent months.

Blair Besten, the executive director of the Historic Core of Downtown Los Angeles, emphasized the importance of respecting the people who live and work in these areas. The organization focuses on enhancing the quality of life in downtown neighborhoods by prioritizing tasks such as street sweeping, trash collection, and graffiti removal.

Besten disagreed with calling the Oceanwide taggers' work art. He described it as sloppy and rushed, with the taggers quickly completing their work before leaving.

Phillip Pyle II, Forgotten Struggle #32, 2023. Archival inkjet print, 8.5 x 11 inches. From the series Forgotten Struggle, 2011–.

Phillip Pyle II, Forgotten Struggle #32, 2023. Archival inkjet print, 8.5 x 11 inches. From the series Forgotten Struggle, 2011-.

Phillip Pyle II

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Graffiti is more than just vandalism to Gastman. He sees it as a powerful way for people facing struggles at home, in gangs, or in society to express themselves and take action. According to Gastman, graffiti culture can be a supportive community for those who feel abandoned by the city, giving them a platform to speak out.

In the words of ENDEM, a graffiti artist, the culture is a tight-knit community where everyone knows each other and shares a common goal of getting their work seen and recognized.

In the midst of an addiction that led to his rock bottom, graffiti became his lifeline, he explained.

In the years since its developer abandoned the project, Oceanwide Plaza has remained an unfinished, unsafe construction site. There are no current plans for the plaza's repurpose or demolition, despite what many city residents see as its potential.

Oceanwide Plaza has been left unfinished and unsafe ever since the developer abandoned the project. Despite the potential that many city residents see, there are currently no plans for repurposing or demolishing the plaza.

He shared with CNN that during his tough times while striving to remain sober, he sought a form of release. He found solace in graffiti, a form of expression that transcends individuality and belongs to the entire community.

ENDEM believes that the true beauty of Oceanwide cannot be touched or seen. Instead, it resides in the emergence of a fresh wave of graffiti artists.

"He mentioned that even though they can remove the graffiti from buildings, the lasting impact on Los Angeles and the world cannot be erased.

Gastman emphasized that graffiti is more than just vandalism; it is also considered art and everything in between. He highlighted that graffiti is a significant part of a real culture that will continue to exist."

Editor's P/S:

The article delves into the captivating story of graffiti artists transforming the unfinished Oceanwide Plaza in Los Angeles into a vibrant canvas for their art. This act of creative expression has sparked a debate about the role of graffiti in urban landscapes and its potential to address social issues.

The graffiti at Oceanwide Plaza has become a symbol of both protest and artistic ingenuity. The artists have used their work to highlight the plight of the homeless population in Skid Row and the consequences of unchecked urban development. The unfinished towers serve as a stark reminder of the city's social and economic inequalities. While some residents find the graffiti unsightly, others see it as a powerful form of public art that challenges the status quo and raises awareness about important issues.