Graffiti is back in Los Angeles, and in San Fernando Valley artistes like Levi Fonz Ponce are making murals of iconic figures that are meaningful to the community. And to think they used to be seen as eyesores, as the defacement of public property, spray painted by unruly youngsters out to Stick It to The Man. Vandalism, it was called, named after the Vandals, barbarians who invaded Rome and broke all their stuff. But now graffiti’s become accepted in the arts scene, seen as a free expression of the human spirit heedless of property boundaries, now displayed as striking murals in public spaces across big cities like Los Angeles, wall art for upscale establishments, even as office decoration for more laid back workplaces. It’s an intriguing shift, but how did it happen?

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