Form and Power: Black Murals in Los Angeles

Peace and Love

Elliot Pinkney’s Peace and Love is a statement on the freedom and empowering strength of education for African Americans. An exterior mural on the outside of a building along a common street within a neighborhood, it’s message and placement allow the residents to see in public. The mural offers an insight into freeing the African American mind from perhaps oppression, racism, and discrimination with education. The experimental, bright colors of the mural provide this uplifting aura around the central black man’s head. The overextending rainbows hold the key to the lock of the man’s head which is an actual lock upon the door the mural was created on. The open book from which the arcing rainbow emerges shows the power of education itself in unlocking the African American man’s mind and leading the way to happiness, freedom, and understanding as signified by the words “peace” and “love” above him. The white dove a symbol and display of freedom and flight from oppression.

Elliot Pinkney was a proud advocate of education for African Americans especially within his many posters, murals, and artworks during his main time in Compton. Some of his murals were created in Los Angeles that often themed around African American education and pride. He often worked with bright experimental colors such as seen in this mural with the “saturated” aesthetic yet brilliant display. This mural was created within the Watts Tower Arts Center in which memorializes Simon Rodia and his construction of towers from steel rebar embedded with everyday found objects, glass, and porcelain.

Written by Jeffrey You, c/o 24

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