One of the first things I noticed while driving through South Phoenix is its residents' love of wall-art and color.  Vibrantly colored buildings and businesses contrast against the dry desert background.  Murals can be found throughout South Phoenix.  They vary greatly in message, size, color and visual content.  Rojas, in his article Urban Latino Cultures, states that murals and other graphics offer residents an inexpensive, quick way to personalize space and liven up otherwise forgotten areas (1999).

Some of these murals display community messages.  The message of the sprawling mural on South Central Avenue, Abstinence Until Marriage is pretty straight forward.  But even more to the point are the follow-up messages, stating that the outcome of sexual adventures can be "He'll get an STD" and "I'll Get Pregnant" with the remedy being to avoid sex, confirmed by the final mural stating "I Don't Think So!"

Other South Phoenix murals are a bit lighter hearted as they advertise businesses, affirm religious themes, avow political preference and portray culture, while others are just fun, artistic expressions.  Similar to East Los Angeles, South Phoenix property owners may utilize murals because they realize that these "spaces are usually targets for graffiti.  The murals may not stop it, but they prevent the graffiti from dominating the space."  (Rojas, 1999).

Much of the time these murals are painted by talented young locals, benefiting the immediate community.  (Rojas, 1999)  The murals liven up and personalize South Phoenix, making it unique compared to the rest of Phoenix and its surrounding suburbs.

Rojas believes that when murals and other graphics are present, the aesthetics created by the murals are actually more important than the buildings they are painted on because the murals give the community visual background that creates identity.  He also states that some the East L.A. murals are the cultural expression of gangs and political groups.  This may also be true in South Phoenix but is lost on me.  A couple of my favorite South Phoenix murals are the Chicano Cowboy and the Purple Low Rider.