"ORALE! LET'S CRUISE ON OVER TO PROGRESSION, AYE!"
by Sergio Robleto
Born out of the rich heritage of LA's Chicano Mural Movement, mural greats Wayne Healy and David Botello founded Los Dos Streetscapers in 1975—eventually becoming the East Los Streetscapers collective as other artists joined their ranks. Fast forward more than four decades and First Street Pool & Billiards in Boyle Heights reached out to graffiti artist @LoveGalo to curate a mural project. Rich in symbolism important to the neighborhood Galo and artist Sergio Robleto painted this tribute to Healy and Botello—sitting in the same car they painted in one of their iconic Boyle Heights works. Watched over by the Aztec God of progression, and accompanied by Quetzalcoatl—the “serpent of precious feathers” sometimes also interpreted as referring to "wisest of men"—Robleto's art attracted crowds of onlookers when painted in 2018. Explaining the mural to @LATaco Robleto added that while some consider gentrification to be progress, the Chicano culture has always believed progression was an intrinsic part of their culture and nothing to do with business, investors, or development. @sergileto/
