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The New Contemporary Art Magazine
In the late 1970s, celebrated muralist Kent Twitchell began his famous artists series, featured in Hi-Fructose Vol. 37, starting with notable Los Angeles artist Ed Ruscha. Measuring 70 feet tall on the side of a downtown building, Twitchell's full-length portrait of the artist in a red silk shirt and pleated slacks took almost 9 years to complete because it was self-funded and there were other projects that came to him during that time. Why did he choose Ruscha as his first artist? "It was a gut decision," he says. "He was and is unique and seemed to characterize the American Individualist to me as McQueen did in the film world."
12 years after artist Kent Twitchell painted Los Angeles' favorite "Freeway Lady" overlooking the 101 freeway, it was erased by a billboard company. Originally painted in 1974, the mural is a tribute to the artist's grandmother who lived in Hollywood. She is depicted holding a colorful, handmade afghan blanket that she gifted to Twitchell. In Hi-Fructose Vol. 37, we caught up with Twitchell during the piece's restoration, which was recently completed on October 10th.