PHOTOS: Pico-Union’s Graff Lab gives ex-graffiti painters a new canvas
Brandon Reyes, 21, left, paints a wall at the Graff Lab, a program offering space for artistic expression at the Pico Union Housing Corp. It aims to transform street taggers into skilled artists.
See full story (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Victor Alfaro, 37, sits in front of a painted wall at the Graff Lab. It has grown into a group of a few dozen regulars ranging in age from teenagers to thirtysomethings.
See full story (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Graffiti is painted on walls at the Graff Lab, which has brought in accountants to teach lab regulars how to handle finances and professional artists to help them transition into different media.
See full story (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
A graffiti artist at work at the Graff Lab. Weekends at the lab are laid-back. There’s only one rule: No gangsters.
See full story (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
Ricardo Guerrero, the Graff Lab’s founder, walks next to a mural of the late pop singer Michael Jackson. Residents of the Pico-Union neighborhood say the facility has improved the appearance of a community that is weary of gangs and the tags they leave behind.
See full story (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)