One of the most beautiful parts about this city is it’s streets. The on ramps,  highways, intersections, overpasses and roads stretch all over Southern California. Through the 10, 110, 5, 2, 101, 405 and beyond, you have to recognize the architecture and design that makes up the environment that is Los Angeles.

It’s probably not a good idea to take photos while your driving.

During WWII  these roads built  advantages for military to travel from one region to the next, serving as supply routes, and tactical advantages in case the battle came home, connecting one small city to the next. And still today, those same advantages exist.

They might seem simple from this view, but if you ever fly over these highways through LAX, you’ll notice their design is complex and never ending. Thousands of years from now, we may-or may not exist, but these things will, and whoever’s looking will wonder how the hell we did it–Design.

A glance at Pasadena.

Ryan  began his inner lower left sleeve.

You see this famous bust used everywhere today, but few know it’s roots. The narrative of the  Medusa that is a few thousands of years old gave influence to the sleeves’ overall concept that embodies each of the qualities of the seven deadly sins. Her origins from ancient Greece, and her neutral influence in Christian ideology sets the tone for the future pieces to add to Ryan’s collection.

Many old masters have done their interpretations of Medusa, some favorites like Carravagio, and Ruben but no one comes close to Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Bernini is the last of the old renaissance masters that the Catholic Church utilized to silence early Protestant Reformation. When the religious power was questioned, the Cardinals hired the most skilled of men like Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and Raphael to overwhelm culture and regain control over the people’s attention. Bernini was the last to answer their call.

They wanted to achieve silence…….I think they did.

 Meet the big homey Perto who you see here with his fam who has made this trip possible. Not only is he the best host, but a solid family man.

The best part of the East Coast has to be these kids. I asked the homey if I could purchase one but he said I should try renting them first because I might want to return them.

Especially Jo Jo here. After the daily sessions Perto invited us to his home where he made my boy Albert start scratching and shaking…..

I don’t know, mabye I’m too young to really know the experience of the sneaker collecting era to care, or mabye I was deprived in childhood–probably both…… but the brother Albert wasn’t.

Perto’s collection holds treasures from back in his day, some limited classics worth thousands. Take a peek.

This past Tuesday, the neighborhood of Santa Monica  lost Richard Juarez, age 20 years old. The neighborhood I grew in mourns. When the big homey Lucks told me about “Gizmo” getting shot at the park I had no idea who he was talking about, until I saw the photo. I knew Richard as “Richard”. Since the days of middle school, and throughout high school he adopted the lifestyle. And then it hits again, the empty air sucking out of your chest and the thought of her.

It wasn’t Richard who was a homey,  and a good soul lost that bothered me. It wasn’t the fact that gang violence is overlooked in the bright white light of Santa Monica or even the fact that the shooting happened literally–directly in FRONT of the Police Station that was built to prevent those same shootings that hit the spot…. It ’s the fact that the woman who gave birth to Richard is going to to have to bury her child, and  has to endure the dark place she’s experiencing at this very moment. Alot of people who ask about these paintings, illustrations and  subject matter, always want to understand the motive for all these mothers and kids,  this is one answer.

No parent should have to bury their child. The look in the eyes, scream and sound of a woman looking at the corpse of her child is the deepest pain on this planet and is indescribable. The loss and devastation is the foundation to this inspiration, and gives conviction to let viewer’s who are outside looking in to understand that this is not a game. LA mothers have suffered the streets to these kids in a specific way that’s always overlooked. It’s time you hear their screams, and you feel the conviction to change.

Only when these boys begin to really act like men and learn to sacrifice and put in work for their mothers and family, and not a street block, will streets change. We have to thank men like Lalo Marquez, Big Lucky, Arturo Arce, Cartoon, Oscar Delatorre, Alex Aldana, and youth centers nationwide who continue to outreach, and contribute to change these lives. Until then we bless and salute all the mothers out there who continue on like soldiers and may Richard ride in peace.

To my fellow 20 year old’s, how many more signs do you need? WAKE UP.

Lo came through to begin his left upper sleeve. Lo, like his brothers, has been dedicated to the collection of work over the past year. This piece reflects upon the specific good and evil elements that his westcoast life consists of.

The transition to clip to gun was the most enjoyable part of this piece, representing our moments in the game of life where there’s emptiness. All we need  is to reach within for real fulfillment, and be reloaded to face the challenges…..I think this is appropriate….

Running with the classic clown theme, which is revolutionized by Cartoon, and reinvented by Jose. Again, I can’t say how grateful I am for those men who’ve broke their backs laying down the pavement and perfecting black n grey that defines Los Angeles. Still more sessions to come on this piece….