I absolutely love graffiti, the cultural undertones, the counter-cultural proverbial "screw you," the creativity, the use of space and color, incorporating what's already in the environment into the vision, and so on. So, when I hear of a place that is part of folk lore and houses graffiti, I make it a point to go out of my way to explore. The Abandoned Los Angeles Zoo did no disappoint. It is within the parameters of Griffith Park.
It was neat to walk around the zoo's premises that caged various types of animals and have the opportunity to be in each exhibit. Most of the bars were no longer attached to any of the exhibits, which made entrance easy, obviously. This canvas presents the artists with textured walls and provides depths as well as a frame of stone and darkness when walking into each mini-cave.
I was here late in the afternoon, so the lighting added some drama and mystique. A lot of the graffiti was typical of American graffiti, lackluster, devoid of meaning, and names just marking territory. However, there were some beauts in the mix that although did not make a steadfast statement, did take effort and were more carefully crafted. In some areas the mere volume of works and overlapping works created a tapestry so vibrant it was easy to see in some of the dimly lit areas.
This is another Los Angeles site that I highly recommend. Get out there and explore!