The public art mural scene in Los Angeles contains great historical and cultural significance. Being an Angeleno, I never took the opportunity to research and enjoy the murals. As for most Angelenos, these murals are merely something to look at while driving through the Eastside, Silverlake, and parts of Downtown. Therefore, I took this opportunity to fully examine three murals that I came across initially as possibly containing Chicano and gothic elements.

The first mural, Resurrection of the Green Planet by Ernesto de la Loza, had interesting similarities with one of the course readings, Bless Me, Ultima. Images such as a curandera ties to the character of Ultima and how they both pass knowledge down generations. The way the curandera in the mural can be viewed as La Virgen incorporates Catholicism, which is a large part of daily life for many Chicanos. The mural has its dark imagery, as well, as seen in the far left hand side and top right corner.

The second mural, Y Maria Va by Leonardo Giacomuzzo and Christian Anson is located in Silverlake on the side of a Mexican restaurant. This mural has imagery that reminded me greatly of the landscape in Bless Me, Ultima. The main panel, now completely covered in graffiti, presents a scene similar to what Antonio would have looked like running to his home late at night after experiencing one of his many fatalities. The choice of red and black added to the gothic feeling of the mural along with the barren, dry, and isolated land.

The third mural, The Greatest Love by Paul Botello is located in Boyle Heights on the corner of Cesar Chavez and Soto. The street location is important to the mural, as Botello incorporated Cesar Chavez and co-founder Dolores Huerta in the left panel. This mural had similarities to Their Dogs Came With Them in regards to the specific area of Los Angeles. The surrounding neighborhood of the mural is very similar to that in the novel. The left panel has significant gothic figures that seemingly try to steer off course the ambition/mission of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.

All in all, each of the murals conveyed important and valuable messages that seem to go unnoticed in Los Angeles, as little emphasis is focused on their preservation. Graffiti has largely altered two of the murals I had examined. It is an unneeded gothic additive that represents an aspect of Los Angeles life that was not intended in the original message. The examination of these murals and subsequent analysis has been such a fulfilling experience that being an Angeleno, I was wrong in not having done so earlier.