Over the past two weeks, three street artist kings have been busy fancying-up the West Hollywood Library in L.A. The site isn’t set to open until October, but it looks like the outdoor decorative work is nearly completed. Last week, we showed you Retna‘s completed mural and Shepard Fairey‘s work-in-progress. Since then, Kenny Scharf has started and completed his work, and Fairey is done as well.

Together, the works cover a range of themes. Retna’s piece, painted on one side of the parking garage built for the library, is a myriad of symbols. Once decoded, they spell out a Salman Rushdie quote about the importance of literacy.

Shepard Fairey’s work, shown above, features some heavy stenciling. The mural took about a week to complete, which is ages is street art terms. “We finished Saturday after six days working between 12 and 16 hours. It is 70 feet by 106 feet. It is the largest mural I’ve ever done wheat-pasted or painted,” Fairey wrote on his website. “It was quite an undertaking and I have to thank my assistants Nic Bowers, Dan Flores, Jason Filipow, Kyle Oldoerp, and the several interns who worked very hard on the project.” The mural’s design seems to have very exotic influences, and the depictions themselves convey a strong message. Fairey fittingly dubbed the work his “West Hollywood Peace Elephant,” and the dove is also a known symbol of peace and harmony.

Last but not least, we have Kenny Scharf‘s well-known and easily-recognized characters, on the third side of the parking structure. Compared to the other two pieces, Scharf’s mural is a bit more laid back, but it still manages to convey quite a bit of emotion in the many, colorful faces. The stark contrast also brings a fun-loving element to the entire project.

The three murals were brought together by MOCA Director Jeffrey Deitch, who suggested the project after touring the library when it was under construction. The three artists were all featured in the MOCA “Art in the Streets” exhibition, and they must have been thrilled to be featured here because they funded everything themselves. The city of West Hollywood will pay for anti-UV and anti-graffiti coating, but as Fairey said online, “Calm down taxpayers… I was not paid to do the mural and paid for my own supplies and labor.” Furthermore, West Hollywood officials approved all artwork before anything was painted.

What’s next? Well, for Fairey, it’ll be the inside of the library. The artist has already been commissioned to do some indoor work with David Wiseman.

As for the murals, they’ll be on display for at least a year, through July 2012.

Photos Via L.A. Times.

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Over the summer, RESPECT. has been following Kenny Scharf all over the east coast, from New York to Philadelphia, but this time it looks like he’s headed over to California. Scharf will complete The West Hollywood Library‘s transformation, following RETNA and Shepard Fairey who both worked on it this week.

All three artists are curated by MOCA and decided to contribute to this makeover.

RETNA started off one-third of the wall with his trademark calligraphy-style– a blue-and-white assortment of code symbols. The inscription, once translated, is a quote from novelist and essayist Salman Rushdie. It says, ““Literature is where I go to explore the highest and lowest places in human society and in the human spirit, where I hope to find not absolute truth but the truth of the tale, of the imagination, and of the heart.” Fitting.

Right now, Shepard Fairey is taking the stage over at the West Hollywood Library. His work is still in progress, but this is what we have so far: A bright yellow canvas with some black stenciling. Stenciling is a long process, so looks like it’ll be a while before Fairey completes his work, but so far it certainly looks impressive.

Scharf should be set to start sometime next week.

Via Hypebeast.

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Kenny Scharf is working on a new project on the corner of 13th and Samsom in Philadelphia. The muralist started his work on Tuesday, and the completion of day 1 saw two of Scharf’s signature creatures laid down with more to come as the week goes on.

Check out the pics below to see what was completed yesterday, and keep your eyes on Living Proof Mag as they document the piece’s progress.

Photos Via Living Proof Mag

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Last week, Chinese camouflauge artist Liu Bolin flew to New York to be painted into Kenny Scharf‘s mural on Houston and Bowery. Now, he’s making the piece into a “Hiding in the City” series. Photographs of his camouflage pieces will be on display at the Eli Klein Fine Art gallery in NYC, starting tonight. The picture above is a prime example. Titled “The Invisible Man,” it was taken at a supermarket in the city.

Yesterday, Bolin had his assistants paint him into the “Tiles for America” site on Greenwich street and Seventh Ave. The site is a memorial to commemorate 9/11. Check out pictures of the work in progress.

For other pictures from the “Hiding in the City” exhibit, click here.

Photos Via Arrested Motion.

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Check out Kenny Scharf’s new mural on Bowery and Houston in Manhattan. It adds a bit more color to a street where Shepard Fairey‘s work once ruled.

The post A New Mural in NYC appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.