Kent Twitchell: Studies for Mural Projects

Studies for Mural Projects, provides an insight into the creative process behind the completed and future projects of legendary LA muralist, Kent Twitchell. While studying at Cal State LA in 1971, Twitchell painted his first mural on the side of a friend’s home– a portrait of Steve McQueen. Over the course of the next 50 years, Twitchell would go on to paint many murals around Southern California. His iconic murals include the Bride and Groom on Broadway, the downtown Ed Ruscha Monument and the opposing portraits of Lita Albuquerque and Jim Morphesis at the 7th street freeway underpass downtown.

Perhaps Twitchell’s most unforgettable mural, the Freeway Lady (1974-1986), depicts an elderly woman with piercing blue eyes and a colorful afghan that trails into space behind her. Often referred to as “LA’s Grandmother,” this mural served as an anchoring and collective memory for many Angelenos. In 1986, the mural was illegally painted over with an advertisement to sell future advertisements, but was resurrected at LA Valley College nearly 30 years later.

All murals are inherently site specific, their context and legacy are entwined. Due to the rise of street art, graffiti and commercial disregard, many murals across the city have been covered up and lost over time. The elimination of the Freeway Lady inspired the founding of the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles, which was established to protect, preserve, and restore LA’s murals.

Twitchell’s painted “giants” live outside the traditional gallery space, on our commutes, in our neighborhoods, and serve as part of our daily lives. The drawings in this exhibition include cartoons and meticulous working diagrams of his completed works, as well as ideas for future projects, which he described as “planting seeds for future giants.”