The Mural So Controversial Nixon Tried to Remove It

75 Years Later, ‘War and Peace’ Survives, But Its Ideals Have Not

As multiple crises pile atop one another in the young 21st century, a tripartite mural at a former San Francisco post office lobby rebukes us with its dated optimism.

“War and Peace,” by the artist Anton Refregier, is a reminder of what might have been had the U.S.—and the world—learned enough from two catastrophic wars and the rise of fascism between them to have chosen a different path. When Refregier painted it 75 years ago at one end of the Rincon Annex post office building in downtown San Francisco, the mural …

by Gray Brechin | October 4, 2021

The Shiny Sacramento Statue That Reflects California’s Failures

As the State Continues to Expand Its Authority, Local and Regional Communities—Including the Capital Itself—Suffer

by Joe Mathews | June 23, 2020

There may be no better symbol of Sacramento’s failure as California’s capital than the 18-foot-tall stainless-steel sculpture outside the city’s downtown sports arena. The work, by famed contemporary artist Jeff …

I Draw L.A.’s Air Conditioners From Above So People Will Stop and Stare

Looking at the Minutia Is the Best Way to Get a Handle On—and See the Beauty In—a Metropolis This Complicated

by Susan Logoreci | May 1, 2014

In early 1999, when I was trying to establish myself in Los Angeles as an artist, I supported myself by working at a temp agency that placed me at The …

Why the Heck Are People Thumping Their Chests on the Bus?

Don’t Just Laugh. Put Down Your Phone, Check Out My Videos, and Use Your Commuting Time Wisely.

by Ann Kaneko | April 8, 2014

Whenever I am swinging my arms—a simple warm-up exercise as part of the practice of qigong, which cultivates energy by aligning mind, breath, and body—I imagine that I look like …

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