Shelley LeopoldRead more about JR in “TED Award-Winning Street Artist JR Brings 'The Wrinkles of the City' to Los Angeles.” For locations of “The Wrinkles of the City” pieces, see our Google map.
JR simultaneously tackles his biggest walls yet for his LA “Wrinkles” project. We're at two spots on Alameda, with Little Tokyo bustling about around us. Looking like an official city works team outfitted in yellow rain gear, a small faction of JR's crew from France has flown in to help. The first, on scaffolding at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, is outfitting six garage doors in sets of peering eyes. At the second site is JR himself on a lift at the Angel City Brewing building facing Traction.
JR's “The Wrinkles of the City” at MOCA; Credit: Shannon Cottrell
On Friday, Jim Budman, who's recognizable brow is now larger than life at 1305 Abbot Kinney Blvd., stops by to encourage the team and get a photo for himself. As with all his projects, JR invites his subjects to come and see themselves be pasted up for posterity, but he says, the older the model, the less interested they are.
“The younger people come early [to the site] and bring their whole family,” JR explains. “Many times, after the photo is over, the elderly could care less.”
Jim Budman visits “The Wrinkles of the City” at MOCA; Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Saturday sees the project delayed in the late afternoon. It now will take the weekend to complete the MOCA spaces. As the last xerox is applied to the brewery facade, the neighborhood empties and the wind picks up. The young man in the fedora is barely noticed as he awkwardly pilots the 30-ft, bright blue cherry picker back to its rental lot.
JR's “The Wrinkles of the City” at Angel City Brewing
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
JR's “The Wrinkles of the City” at MOCA
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Credit: Shannon Cottrell
JR's piece on the MOCA garages is located on the Alameda Street side of the building, near 1st Street. Angel City Brewing is at 216 S. Alameda.
Stay up to date on JR's work in LA by checking our section JR in L.A.
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