Gabriel Villa (born in El Paso, Texas), is a Chicago-based artist and muralist. Villa arrived in Chicago in the late 1990s. Observations of his neighborhood had a profound visual and conceptual impact on the evolution of his work. Subjects such as public housing, surveillance, the marginalized, gang culture, family, religion and most recently gentrification/displacement all begin to morph and weave into broader ideas.

2009 mural censorship controversy

In May 2009, he was commissioned to paint a mural on private property in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood depicting three Chicago Police Department public surveillance cameras that carried the CPD logo along with other images, like a crucified Christ, a deer head and a skull.[1] The mural was painted over completely by the Graffiti Blasters[2][3] at the behest of 11th ward Alderman James Balcer, who said about the mural, "My main concern is the safety and well-being for the people in this community. We have gang violence and children getting shot, and I believed that the mural sent the wrong message."[4] The incident sparked a local controversy over censorship, surveillance and private property.[5][6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "(((antena))) - June 2009". 2011-09-04. Archived from the original on 2011-09-04. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  2. ↑ Rogers, Phil. "Graffiti Blasters Paint Over Artist's Commissioned Mural". NBC Chicago. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  3. ↑ Taliaferro, Tim (2009-06-16). "Alderman Orders Mural With Police Imagery Painted Over (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  4. ↑ "Balcer orders City to paint over mural on private property". July 3, 2009. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  5. ↑ Gabriel Villa’s Mural Destroyed, 05.15.2009, By Shannon Benine, mediating the medium
  6. ↑ BLUECANVAS Magazine, No. 5 page 92 'Artist Vs. System' by Margarita Korol
Notes
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