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Post by L.A. In a Minute

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The Great Wall of Los Angeles is one of the truly amazing public artworks of our great city￼. #LA #lainaminute #LAhistory #losangeles #greatwall #Art #mural #publicart #streetart

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@evanlovett
The Great Wall of Los Angeles is one of the truly amazing public artworks of our great city￼. #LA #lainaminute #LAhistory #losangeles #greatwall #Art #mural #publicart #streetart
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The Great Wall of LA challenges traditional notions of monuments; revolutionizing how they are conceived and interact with public spaces.

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A detail from the 1940s section of the Great Wall of Los Angeles depicting "442nd Infantry Division (Japanese Americans)," painted in 1981 by Judy Baca. (Judith F. Baca, 1976/SPARC Archives/SPARCinLA.org)
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LOS ANGELES - When Judy Baca and a team of 80 kids began painting "The History of California" in 1976, almost no one considered the 1,000-foot-long mural project a monument. Since then, the painting has grown to more than 2,750 feet, and is known as the Great Wall of Los Angeles. It is monumentally scaled, running about a half mile along the west face of a San Fernando Valley flood control channel, but it breaks almost all the old rules about how monuments are made and function in public space.

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Perspective | Judy Baca's nearly 50-year-old Great Wall has never been more relevant to the monument wars

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Judy Baca's Great Wall of Los Angeles is one of the first projects to receive a grant from the Mellon Foundation's Monuments Project.

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"Parts of The Great Wall of Los Angeles, L.A. and California history in a flood control channel."

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Parts of The Great Wall of Los Angeles, L.A. and California history in a flood control channel.

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Parts of The Great Wall of Los Angeles, L.A. and California history in a flood control channel. https://t.co/077RaHR2q0

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Parts of The Great Wall of Los Angeles, L.A. and California history in a flood control channel. pic.twitter.com/077RaHR2q0
— Saul (@SaulGonzalezCA) November 11, 2022

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Parts of The Great Wall of Los Angeles, L.A. and California history in a flood control channel. https://t.co/077RaHR2q0

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Parts of The Great Wall of Los Angeles, L.A. and California history in a flood control channel. https://t.co/077RaHR2q0

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Parts of The Great Wall of Los Angeles, L.A. and California history in a flood control channel.

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The Great Wall of Los Angeles, initiated in 1974 by Judith F. Baca, is a renowned cultural landmark representing the histories of ethnic and marginalized communities in California. Spanning half a mile and employing over 400 youth and their families, it was declared a National Historic Site in 2017. Through the Great Wall Institute, it continues to grow, depicting marginalized community histories from the 1960s to 2019.

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SPARC's first public art project, the Great Wall, revitalized the Tujunga Wash channel in the San Fernando Valley, becoming a symbol of acknowledgment for the silenced histories of California's ethnic communities. This monument not only recreated the space but also added depth to US history by highlighting previously overlooked stories.

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In 1974, muralist Judith F. Baca collaborated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to transform the Tujunga Flood Control Channel. Seeing potential beyond beautification, Baca envisioned the Great Wall as a means to address both environmental devastation and provide healing for youth. Spanning from 1974 to 1983, the project engaged over 400 individuals from varied backgrounds, including youth, artists, historians, and community members, culminating in a half-mile-long mural measuring 2,754 feet.

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The initial segment of the mural, starting from 20,000 B.C., showcases prehistoric California with depictions of native plants. Giant sloths, eagles, saber-toothed cats, and woolly mammoths roam the landscape, reflecting their historical presence and connection to the La Brea Tar Pits where their remains have been discovered.

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This section portrays an indigenous figure trapped within the grasp of an oversized white hand, symbolizing the oppression and struggles faced during colonization. Emerging from a globe centered on the Americas, the hand serves as a metaphor for the devastation inflicted by colonization on indigenous communities.

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The mural depicts the impact of Spanish, Mexican, and U.S. colonialism on Indigenous communities in California. Gaspar de Portolá's 1769 expedition marked the beginning of Spanish dominance in Los Angeles. Visions of gold and the mythical Black warrior queen, Califa, lure Spanish explorers, while the perspective shifts to Indigenous people witnessing Portolá's arrival on California's coast.

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Section 3: Immigrant & Indigenous People Build California

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Section 3: Immigrant & Indigenous People Build California

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The construction of the transcontinental railroad in California attracted thousands of new workers, further displacing Native Americans. Chinese laborers were ruthlessly exploited by railroad companies, enduring poorly compensated work conditions.

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Station 4: Thomas Edison Lights Up the World

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Station 4: Thomas Edison Lights Up the World

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U.S. participation in World War I (1917-1918) spurred significant changes across the nation. Dubbed "doughboys," young soldiers serving abroad left vacancies in the workforce, providing newfound opportunities for women to enter the workforce.

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Prohibition, the constitutional ban on alcohol production and sales from 1920 to 1933, empowered gangsters like Al Capone, who gained wealth and influence through illegal operations. The mural portrays this era with an axe striking a barrel, unleashing a river of illegal whiskey capturing the spirit of the time.

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In this image, the segregated Japanese American 442nd Combat Team soars above a landscape with the discarded belongings of their relatives. Recruited from internment camps, this unit became the most decorated in U.S. military history, symbolizing resilience and sacrifice amidst adversity.

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In a portrayal of the post-World War II era, Rosie the Riveter stands on the far left, symbolizing the gains made by women during the war. However, the mural conveys the reality of these gains being rolled back, as Rosie clings to her identity as a working woman amidst the re-imposition of traditional gender roles.