Being that Jefferson Boulevard is often the east/west route that I take biking to/from work/home, I’ve had ample opportunity to discovery the eclectic array of street art lining it. One of the most haunting installations is this severely defaced, west-facing mural just south of Jefferson on 6th Avenue that I first snapped on my way home in April:

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Pedaling past it I always find something very haunting about the eyes looking out somewhat resigned over the various layers of tags that have buried the mural’s meaning but also somehow made it all the more profound.

Then coming home from work Friday, I was surprised to find a work-in-progress — a face lift, if you will — returning the art to its previously unmarred state and snapped it (after the jump):

Where was this taken? It was taken here.

Previously:
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook
Inter Here
Stunflower
Dueling Coyotes

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The look in the eyes still shows resignation to me, but what I thought was an old man is a young boy — and are those nuclear reactors behind the lad? Sure are. With a little googling I was also able to uncover information about the mural, painted in 1990 by artist Ian White and titled “Genocidal Tendencies.” More on it and a full-frame image from back in its pre-tagged days can be found here on the publicartinla.com website.

Related posts:

1. Ballona Creek Mural Restoration Nearing Completion
2. Ballona Creek Mural Restoration Underway
3. It Caught My Retina: New Retna/Mac Mural Up
4. Ballona Creek Bikeway Closure: Or How 7 Months Becomes 39
5. Today’s Snapshot (Plus Video): Dueling Coyotes