Leo Limon's "LA River Cats"

I can clearly remember my first encounter with LA graffiti that really had an impact on me. At the tender young age of 4, I remember driving in our 1981 Volvo down the 5 freeway near Atwater Villiage\Los Feliz area and my Father pointing out the cat paintings on all the storm drain covers.

From then on I was amazed at the world of art work along the freeways. Whenever I would ask questions about it I would get hushed off about it by my mom who would just say "It's just stupid things that Cholos do". Which would then leave me with a unanswered question that I would go on to figure out on my own some years later, even at one point doing it myself.

However thinking back about it when the topic of LA River art came up recently in a conversation with a friend. I wanted to know who was the person behind these Cats from my youth that I remember so vividly. So I did a quick search and found out his name is Leo Limon.

Leo Limon has a place in the history of modern Chicano Art in the Los Angles area and still lives in East LA. . His work was heavly influenced by Los Four and his presence in the commnity spans 30 years. Still active in the art community, Limon has helped establish the Aztlan Cultural Arts Foundation.

Click here for more on Leo Limon.

Interview with Leo Limon

Click here for more on the LA River.