When you go to Angel City, you notice a few things. You notice the giant iron slide greeting you as you walk in. You notice the bright, stainless steel fermenters sitting under tall, looming ceilings. But most importantly, you notice the art.
The Arts District wouldn’t be what it is without the rich swathes of color that line the streets, and our humble brewery housed in the John A Roebling’s Building is no exception. Take a tour with us as we highlight some of the pieces around and within this 103 year old cornerstone of the neighborhood.
Danger/Explosion/Action/Fire by MDMN – 2016
MDMN’s art is defined by his 90’s upbringing of villains, robots, and bright action figures. Using iconic imagery from comic books, he takes Roy Liechtenstein and adds a healthy dose of caffeine to use the natural architecture of our rail loading docks to build a suspenseful four panel larger than life cartoon.
Legislative Influence for Sale by Shepard Fairey – 2011
This piece, one of several in the Arts District by Shepard Fairey, was commissioned by MOCA as part of the “Arts in the Streets” exhibit in 2011. Fairey, who is perhaps best known for his “Andre the Giant has a Posse” pasteups and “Hope and Change” Obama posters of 2008, frequently utilizes sharp satire to drive home his political message. You can also see another one of his pieces by looking south towards 3rd street from the brewery, entitled “Peace Goddess.”
Hopscotch Opera Murals by Dytch66, Ankore One, and Erica Weitz – 2015
These three murals, all defined by the same capsule-esque enclosure, were painted through a partnership with the Hopscotch Opera, an immersive theatre experience held last fall where audiences of two were transported from site to site with the performers driving the cars. Dytch66 utilizes 3D techniques that can often by optically stunning. Ankore One uses incredibly intricate detail and vivid color to bring life to his pieces. And Erica Weitz’s work is inspired by her travels around the world, infusing a stark documentary style into her paintings.
Untitled – Shrine – 2015
Shrine’s geometric art incorporates the inherent architecture of the JA Roebling’s building to highlight its scale, while maintaining a space for some of the spontaneous street art that inevitably pops up on the Traction Side of the street.
Wrinkles in the City – JR – 2011
One of three pieces JR made for the “Art in the Streets” exhibit, shortly before being awarded the Ted Prize for his work in bringing communities together by adorning their streets with their faces. One of those pieces adorned the Geffen Contemporary at the MOCA (which coincidentally, was the original site of the JA Roebling’s company in LA), shortly before being taken down by the city. The other can be found on 3rd street a couple of blocks away from the brewery.
Fuselage – Dustin Otterbach and Christina Angelina
Christina Angelina’s photorealistic largescale pieces have been featured all over the world, but downtown has been the hub of many of her murals. This piece, a collaboration with sculptor Dustin Otterbach, came about when Otterbach was given an old Jetstream 31 to play around with. He turned the wings into a bartop we’re jealous of, the rest of the plane into a badass mobile DJ booth, and used the main fuselage as the canvas for this piece.
Global Angel Wings Project – Colette Miller
Like Angel City, this project was started in the Arts District in 2012. Colette Miller began painting these wings to inspire everyone to be an angel, and quickly, her designs took over the world. Now, you can find her wings everywhere from Harlem, to Juarez, to Kogelo, Kenya.
Check Yourself – Lucy McLaughlin – 2014
Commissioned for Valentine’s Day, 2014, as part of an art exhibition benefiting Keep A Breast, this piece reminds viewers that early detection is the key to fighting breast cancer.
Heart – Jennifer Korsen – 2015
Jennifer Korsen started her career by focusing on anatomical elements, but once she started painting hearts, she couldn’t stop. Her “What’s in Your Heart Project” has everyone from at-risk youth to corporate executives fill in one of her signature hearts as a way of bringing people together. This piece, along with Nuke One’s, were painted at our 3rd annual Heritage Fest in May of 2015.
Beers and Gears – Phil Santos – 2016
Our beer hall centerpiece’s steampunk vibe was inspired by Thomas Hart Benton and Diego Rivera’s depression-era mural for the Ford Motor Company, tying together the industrial history of the Arts District with the brewhouse that currently occupies it. The focal point of the piece is the 3-point perspective of downtown, which further emphasizes the industry of the area.
Ron English –X-Ray Division – 2011
Ron English is known for his pop culture satire that is both stinging and colorful. But the artist has also been entranced by Picasso’s famous painting of the Battle of Guernica. English has painted over fifty iterations of the painting, including ones with children, chickens, football players, and sexy cows. This version, which includes newspaper headlines of famous 20th century events (including the death of Picasso), was first used as a vodka advertisement in Rome before it made its way to Angel City.
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