The first panel closest to 15th Street/Market of the Castro's newest Mural
As we
posted Oct. 1, 2012, Leticia's Mexican Restaurant, on the hybrid corner of Market, Sanchez & 15th Street was demolished to make room for new Castro condos. Construction projects like these are nearly always surrounded by temporary walls to help deter theft, construction debris/dirt from hitting pedestrians or traffic and they help keep the unsightly sore that digging around in the ground can cause the neighborhood.
These walls are magnets for vandalism. Mindless graffiti without purpose or form. A sketch pad if you will for the frustrated artists of the City who practice their Street Art craft often leaving a blighted doodle in their wake.
The new construction sites walls had been hit repeatedly. Clean up crews provided by Castro/Upper Market CBD repainted the walls several times to remove it as is mandated by the City's graffiti abatement codes.
Seeking a solution local San Francisco aerosol artists were contacted and invited to create a massive mural on the besieged wall stretching from Beck's Motor Lodge to the corner.
The result; the largest piece of Street Art the Castro has ever seen.
There are nine panels of work in a variety of motifs all emphasizing, the classic, 'Name Tag' style, that first became known to the American public in the late 70's and early 80's through images published of New York City subway cars.
These colorful and inventive pieces stand 10 feet tall and embrace the unique eye and stylization of the San Francisco Street Art culture to the fullest.
Street artists, even base taggers, have a respect for large works and rarely tag over them. It is considered a great disservice to the work to do so. A code of honor keeps most artists eyes peeled for blank walls rather than paint over established work.
Check them out yourself if you have a chance. They really are fantastic and add much-needed urban infused art that's prevalent all over San Francisco to the Castro's neighborhood vibe.
All photos: Waiyde Palmer © 2013
