Pavement Picasso
The $700 million USC Village sits in pristine condition on the corner of Hoover and Jefferson. The red-brick buildings stand tall boasting the Trojan pride and academic excellence the university is so well-known for. This South L.A. kingdom appears untouched by the cultures and traditions of the city, representing a perfectly unequal balance between polished perfection and urban life.
Across the street sits another establishment—the impromptu art gallery of painter Tony B. Conscious, also known as the “Ghetto Van-Gogh.” Conscious’s paintings are laid out across the area, portraying freedom fighters and leaders in different sizes and colors. The singing and painting activist blasts music from the curb while doing what he does best: create.
“Art to me is A-R-T: Always Resonating Truth,” Conscious said. “Art was all about giving people something that meant something that they could apply.”
Conscious is more than a street artist. He is a singer, rapper, spoken-word poet, author, actor and motivational speaker. He said (in rhyme) his motive to work involves creating awareness.
“Everybody wanna always ask me why I’m at USC, well that’s where the young minds be. I’m trying to shift their paradigms and change their destiny,” Conscious said. “[I’m trying to] open [students] up to a little bit of knowledge that they don’t get in college.”
Aero-SOUL: Conscious creates his own cardboard stencils to make his unique spray-paint art.
Sophomore Zaynab Zia passes by Conscious’s artwork everyday on her way to the Village. She said his work not only puts students in a cheery mood, but also reminds them of the power of art.
“We are living in the age of STEM and it is easy to forget about the importance of art,” Zia said. “[Conscious] is able to share his perspectives through his artwork and spread culture to college students.”
Conscious’s longtime friend, Ahmses Maat said the artist manages to blend his passion for art with activism, but his work is not always appreciated.
“The life of a starving artist is well documented,” Maat said. “Although I believe [his art is] priceless, many take advantage of that and may not want to pay what the value is.”
Originally a Washington state native, Conscious grew up as the oldest of three children. He said he traveled from Seattle to New York to Atlanta, and finally found a home in Los Angeles where his spray-painting art style really took off.
“I went down to Venice Beach, became the number one artist,” Conscious said. “I’ve been all over the world, I tell ya. I’ve won awards for my art in Australia. I got awards in Senegal for what I do with the aerosol.”
Passion Project: Conscious sets up his gallery and workshop across from the new USC Village.
The beloved graffiti artist focuses his pieces primarily on themes encompassing peace, love and acceptance. He said his drive to create meaningful art derives from his own experiences as a black man in America.
“My inspiration are the adequacies in this nation, the mere fact that ever since this nation’s formation, there has been racial prejudice and discrimination,” Conscious rapped. “I’m trying to show them through what I do that [people] are a reflection of me and I’m a reflection of them too. That’s why I do the art that I do, just to give people who don’t have one, a clue.”
Maat said despite Conscious’ hardships, he is a unique artist who uses his talents to preach equality between all races and religions.
“[Conscious] may not be Leonardo da Vinci, but he is a Tupac of art,” he said.
Studio Singing: Conscious blends his love for art with advocacy to teach students.
