The Death of the Belmont Tunnels

Tractors tearing down the walls of a vital cultural monument in LA, the Belmont Tunnels, a home to many graffiti artists on the Eastside..a vital form/ language sprung amidst the devastation of crack and guns in our neighborhoods which wiped out many of our brothers and sisters from the mid 90's on. Let us not forget how that wuz funneled in by US backed Contras (check out http://www.albionmonitor.com/9811a/copyright/webbcrackup.html for more info.). I strongly believe that graff needs to be talked about in relation to the political, economic and cultural shifts going on in L.A. at the time. The importance of the pink, blue, toxic green jagged, swilrly visual words and letters that transformed our landscape takes on new meanings.

Meanwhile on the other side of downtown, in the parking lot of the American Hotel (next door to another LA landmark, Al's Bar, the crew, UTI has just covered ta yard they've been occupying for 15 years and busting new ...brighter, louder, more vibrant than ever.