418 Molino
An Interactive Art Tour
This is a full-blown audiovisual tour of the mural. You’ll want to turn your sound on. Better yet, put on your headphones. This is 2017, so the tour will work on your phone, but you’ll have a better time if you look at it on a bigger screen.
Navigation
Click the yellow buttons to learn more about the artwork. Use the arrows at the bottom of the page to move around the building.
You’re listening to:
Gustavo Dao Mural Illustrator
Dave Mann, The Man
Dave Mann, the “Norman Rockwell of the biker world,” illustrated the centerfold of Easyriders magazine from 1972 to 2003.
Dave Mann, The Man
Dave Mann, the “Norman Rockwell of the biker world,” illustrated the centerfold of Easyriders magazine from 1972 to 2003.
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Micah Cohen Mural Collage Artist
Kale Yourself
Big surprise: a vegetarian made us paint kale. Look at it advancing on that grill like a superfood storm cloud. We see you, health craze. Let us know if you can get a walldog to swap his whiskey for green juice.
Kale Yourself
Big surprise: a vegetarian made us paint kale. Look at it advancing on that grill like a superfood storm cloud. We see you, health craze. Let us know if you can get a walldog to swap his whiskey for green juice.
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Gustavo Dao Mural Illustrator
Girls, girls, girls
With “Girls, Girls, Girls,” Mötley Crüe immortalized the Sunset Strip and its stacks of women drenched in neon. This is our attempt to follow in their footsteps and give a nod to ‘80s stripper culture. Our New York crew went to pay tribute to that culture while they were painting this mural, and they’re happy to report that it’s still kicking.
Girls, girls, girls
With “Girls, Girls, Girls,” Mötley Crüe immortalized the Sunset Strip and its stacks of women drenched in neon. This is our attempt to follow in their footsteps and give a nod to ‘80s stripper culture. Our New York crew went to pay tribute to that culture while they were painting this mural, and they’re happy to report that it’s still kicking.
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Paul Lindahl Colossal co-founder
The Church of Skyhighentology
Colossal is a cult. If you’re crazy enough to join us, you’ll get beat up during your training; you’ll lose touch with your family, friends, and girlfriends; and you’ll catch people whispering, “I hear he’s a Colossal painter” behind your back. But in return, we offer self-knowledge, spiritual fulfillment, and, if you breathe in enough paint fumes, communion with a higher power.
The Church of Skyhighentology
Colossal is a cult. If you’re crazy enough to join us, you’ll get beat up during your training; you’ll lose touch with your family, friends, and girlfriends; and you’ll catch people whispering, “I hear he’s a Colossal painter” behind your back. But in return, we offer self-knowledge, spiritual fulfillment, and, if you breathe in enough paint fumes, communion with a higher power.
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Paul Lindahl Colossal co-founder
Angelyne, the Billboard Queen
Angelyne is an LA legend and an OOH maverick. She became the first celebrity to be “famous for being famous” when she plastered her curves across 200 billboards all over Los Angeles. Angelyne sightings are rare these days, but if you’re lucky, you can still catch her rolling through Hollywood in her pink Corvette.
Angelyne, the Billboard Queen
Angelyne is an LA legend and an OOH maverick. She became the first celebrity to be “famous for being famous” when she plastered her curves across 200 billboards all over Los Angeles. Angelyne sightings are rare these days, but if you’re lucky, you can still catch her rolling through Hollywood in her pink Corvette.
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Paul Lindahl Colossal co-founder
There’s No Barbecues in Hell
We looked this up after the interview. It’s illegal to use lighter fluids that have pollutants in them because they’ll make the smog worse, but we’re okay with paper, gas, and propane so we’re gonna keep charring meats and making tacos. Come through for a bite if you’re in the Arts District. If Steve Sanchez is there, go say hey and learn a thing or two.
There’s No Barbecues in Hell
We looked this up after the interview. It’s illegal to use lighter fluids that have pollutants in them because they’ll make the smog worse, but we’re okay with paper, gas, and propane so we’re gonna keep charring meats and making tacos. Come through for a bite if you’re in the Arts District. If Steve Sanchez is there, go say hey and learn a thing or two.
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Paul Lindahl Colossal co-founder
Fed
We’ve painted two portraits of Fed inside the Molino shop and now we’ve added a third. He hates the spotlight, but we’re gonna keep painting his face wherever we damn please, because the guy deserves the attention. Fed finds pieces of our crazy puzzle that look like they’re slipping out of place and uses his superhuman strength to grab them, rein them in, and make them right.
Fed
We’ve painted two portraits of Fed inside the Molino shop and now we’ve added a third. He hates the spotlight, but we’re gonna keep painting his face wherever we damn please, because the guy deserves the attention. Fed finds pieces of our crazy puzzle that look like they’re slipping out of place and uses his superhuman strength to grab them, rein them in, and make them right.
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You’re listening to:
Paul Lindahl Colossal co-founder
Ryan
On paper, Ryan is our VP of Operations. That title doesn’t do him any justice, though. Ryan gets 30-odd painters and all their supplies to 100+ walls between NY and LA, constantly tinkering with schedules and spreadsheets and production times so that murals get done on time, despite rain and snow and heat and shit, and he still has time to tour with his band and spin records with his friends. The dude’s a god.
Ryan
On paper, Ryan is our VP of Operations. That title doesn’t do him any justice, though. Ryan gets 30-odd painters and all their supplies to 100+ walls between NY and LA, constantly tinkering with schedules and spreadsheets and production times so that murals get done on time, despite rain and snow and heat and shit, and he still has time to tour with his band and spin records with his friends. The dude’s a god.
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You’re listening to:
Paul Lindahl Colossal co-founder
VR46
Valentino Rossi is the Michael Jordan of motorcycle racing. He’s got nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name. Champs usually take the No. 1 sticker for the next season, but Rossi kept No. 46 in honor of his father, who won his first Grand Prix with it. This is California, though, so swapped the bike for a tricked-out VW bus.
VR46
Valentino Rossi is the Michael Jordan of motorcycle racing. He’s got nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name. Champs usually take the No. 1 sticker for the next season, but Rossi kept No. 46 in honor of his father, who won his first Grand Prix with it. This is California, though, so swapped the bike for a tricked-out VW bus.
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Micah Cohen Mural Collage Artist
Hell-A
The ground was sagging under a seething mass of Gustavo’s illustrations in a Bosch-like madness. It finally gave way, crumbling down into a fiery hell in which Ryan rules as the dark overlord. Hail Ryan!
Hell-A
The ground was sagging under a seething mass of Gustavo’s illustrations in a Bosch-like madness. It finally gave way, crumbling down into a fiery hell in which Ryan rules as the dark overlord. Hail Ryan!
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Gustavo Dao Mural Illustrator
420
We’d like to thank our brothers and sisters on the west coast for fighting the good fight and legalizing recreational marijuana just in time for our arrival. Got a rec for a shop near our shop? It’d be a lot cooler if you did.
420
We’d like to thank our brothers and sisters on the west coast for fighting the good fight and legalizing recreational marijuana just in time for our arrival. Got a rec for a shop near our shop? It’d be a lot cooler if you did.
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Gustavo Dao Mural Illustrator
Walk This Way
This one started off as a newspaper ad for a human dog walker and, after a few rounds of edits, morphed into the real thing. Why not? LA’s weird.
Walk This Way
This one started off as a newspaper ad for a human dog walker and, after a few rounds of edits, morphed into the real thing. Why not? LA’s weird.
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Paul Lindahl Colossal co-founder
Danny Don’t
On his first day as an apprentice he sliced his hand open with a boxcutter. A few months later, he knocked out his front tooth on the way to a wall. See a pattern? That’s how he got his name. But don’t worry — Danny Don’t is a talented painter and a really hard worker, and he’s growing out of his nickname. If he’s painting your mural, your ad is in good, stitched-up hands.
Danny Don’t
On his first day as an apprentice he sliced his hand open with a boxcutter. A few months later, he knocked out his front tooth on the way to a wall. See a pattern? That’s how he got his name. But don’t worry — Danny Don’t is a talented painter and a really hard worker, and he’s growing out of his nickname. If he’s painting your mural, your ad is in good, stitched-up hands.
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Paul Lindahl Colossal co-founder
Dan
Dan’s a part of the old guard. Instead of going through the structured apprenticeship program we have now, Dan and the other guys from his era shadowed expert painters. They just showed up at job sites and picked up whatever bits of knowledge the painters would throw their way. It was a slower process and it was a lot harder for people to prove themselves, but they made it work. Dan’s been with us for nine years now, and he keeps impressing us with every new job.
Dan
Dan’s a part of the old guard. Instead of going through the structured apprenticeship program we have now, Dan and the other guys from his era shadowed expert painters. They just showed up at job sites and picked up whatever bits of knowledge the painters would throw their way. It was a slower process and it was a lot harder for people to prove themselves, but they made it work. Dan’s been with us for nine years now, and he keeps impressing us with every new job.
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Gustavo Dao Mural Illustrator
This Shit is Bananas
Bananas lurk in every corner of this madness. Gustavo says they’re comical and slippery, just like us. Watch your step.
This Shit is Bananas
Bananas lurk in every corner of this madness. Gustavo says they’re comical and slippery, just like us. Watch your step.
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Micah Cohen Mural Collage Artist
Beauty and Morbidity
LA is beautiful. The people are hot. The weather, the beaches — everything is perfect. This vintage Miss Universe Barbie represents our hunger for that perfection. Damien Hirst’s diamond-encrusted skull carries the metaphor to its morbid end.
Beauty and Morbidity
LA is beautiful. The people are hot. The weather, the beaches — everything is perfect. This vintage Miss Universe Barbie represents our hunger for that perfection. Damien Hirst’s diamond-encrusted skull carries the metaphor to its morbid end.
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Gustavo Dao Mural Illustrator
Spectator Culture
Weird things happen when you operate in a public space. That’s true of both movie sets and job sites. Actually, there are a lot of parallels between the two — both are have crazy amounts of logistics in motion behind the scenes, both draw crowds, and both employ a team of weirdos.
Spectator Culture
Weird things happen when you operate in a public space. That’s true of both movie sets and job sites. Actually, there are a lot of parallels between the two — both are have crazy amounts of logistics in motion behind the scenes, both draw crowds, and both employ a team of weirdos.
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Gustavo Dao Mural Illustrator
The Better To Hear You With
Careful where you spill your guts. You wouldn’t believe the things we overhear when people don’t know we’re on a lift 20 feet above them. This guy’s trying to catch even more gossip by using his paint roller as a boom mic. Don’t know if that’s gonna work, buddy.
The Better To Hear You With
Careful where you spill your guts. You wouldn’t believe the things we overhear when people don’t know we’re on a lift 20 feet above them. This guy’s trying to catch even more gossip by using his paint roller as a boom mic. Don’t know if that’s gonna work, buddy.
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Micah Cohen Mural Collage Artist
Heaven is a 7-Eleven
How is Colossal like a cherub with a cigarette? Maybe because watching someone hang off the side of a building and bring a mural to life is like watching a video of a baby that smokes 2 packs a day — you just can’t tear your eyes away. We’re open to other interpretations, though.
Heaven is a 7-Eleven
How is Colossal like a cherub with a cigarette? Maybe because watching someone hang off the side of a building and bring a mural to life is like watching a video of a baby that smokes 2 packs a day — you just can’t tear your eyes away. We’re open to other interpretations, though.
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Gustavo Dao Mural Illustrator
Creature Feature
These creatures aren’t meant to be male or female. Yes, some have more male or female characteristics, but they’re not there for their gender; they’re there to make a mess and get into trouble and give the illustration some visual texture.
Creature Feature
These creatures aren’t meant to be male or female. Yes, some have more male or female characteristics, but they’re not there for their gender; they’re there to make a mess and get into trouble and give the illustration some visual texture.
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Gustavo Dao Mural Illustrator
Titans of Industry
Alcohol brands were some of the first to let us paint their ads. Over the years, many of those brands have become our biggest and best partners. The bottle to the right of the frame is a small nod to that.
Titans of Industry
Alcohol brands were some of the first to let us paint their ads. Over the years, many of those brands have become our biggest and best partners. The bottle to the right of the frame is a small nod to that.
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Gustavo Dao Mural Illustrator
Nananana Batman
Batman’s order: a double-double, protein style, with animal style fries. He puts the Batmobile on autopilot and feasts all the way back to Calabasas.
Nananana Batman
Batman’s order: a double-double, protein style, with animal style fries. He puts the Batmobile on autopilot and feasts all the way back to Calabasas.
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Paul Lindahl Colossal co-founder
The Wiz
The fountain of youth is a handful of jalapeños. Art eats them every day for lunch and he’s been painting billboards since the ‘70s. Now he’s pushing brushes with us. We couldn’t be luckier.
The Wiz
The fountain of youth is a handful of jalapeños. Art eats them every day for lunch and he’s been painting billboards since the ‘70s. Now he’s pushing brushes with us. We couldn’t be luckier.
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Paul Lindahl Colossal co-founder
Segway Series
Segways: not just for tourists anymore. Use ‘em to play Segway Jousting, beef up your pick-up lines, or groove in the streets. But spare your tailbone — don’t ride them down the stairs.
Segway Series
Segways: not just for tourists anymore. Use ‘em to play Segway Jousting, beef up your pick-up lines, or groove in the streets. But spare your tailbone — don’t ride them down the stairs.
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Paul Lindahl Colossal co-founder
Siri Sucker
Look up, sheeple! Yank your face away from your phone every once in awhile. We put up signs and cones to keep you from getting splattered with paint, but given how many screen-gazing hunchbacks trip through our job sites, it feels like that’s the look you’re going for. Oh, you were getting a photo of me? Well then, make sure you get my good side.
Siri Sucker
Look up, sheeple! Yank your face away from your phone every once in awhile. We put up signs and cones to keep you from getting splattered with paint, but given how many screen-gazing hunchbacks trip through our job sites, it feels like that’s the look you’re going for. Oh, you were getting a photo of me? Well then, make sure you get my good side.
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You’re listening to:
Micah Cohen Mural Collage Artist
It’s Lit
Hand paint isn’t the only player with a long history on the LA sign scene; for years, blazing neon was just as vital. Now, thanks to efforts like the Historic Broadway Sign District ordinance, both mediums are making a comeback. These painted palms nod to that history while also shining light on the bright, beautiful veneer of life in Los Angeles.
It’s Lit
Hand paint isn’t the only player with a long history on the LA sign scene; for years, blazing neon was just as vital. Now, thanks to efforts like the Historic Broadway Sign District ordinance, both mediums are making a comeback. These painted palms nod to that history while also shining light on the bright, beautiful veneer of life in Los Angeles.
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Micah Cohen Mural Collage Artist
Earth to Colossal
Hieronymus Bosch’s work was as wild as his name. This mural is our take on his famous triptych, “The Garden of Earthly Delights,” and the panel you’re looking at now is Earth — raucous, debaucherous, and intoxicating.
Earth to Colossal
Hieronymus Bosch’s work was as wild as his name. This mural is our take on his famous triptych, “The Garden of Earthly Delights,” and the panel you’re looking at now is Earth — raucous, debaucherous, and intoxicating.
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You’re listening to:
Gustavo Dao Mural Illustrator
The Flying Eyeball
Drop the needle on China Cat Sunflower and imagine smelling weed and eucalyptus trees in the San Francisco sun. This eyeball is Gustavo’s nod to Rick Griffin, the artist whose bright work you think of when someone says “psychedelic.”
The Flying Eyeball
Drop the needle on China Cat Sunflower and imagine smelling weed and eucalyptus trees in the San Francisco sun. This eyeball is Gustavo’s nod to Rick Griffin, the artist whose bright work you think of when someone says “psychedelic.”
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Paul Lindahl Colossal co-founder
Wave Goodbye
Brutal winters remind East Coasters of their mortality. Out west, the looming Big One does the same. Loosely inspired by the L.A. Fine Arts Squad’s “Isle of California”, which is staring down its own destruction by the elements after being blasted by sunlight for 35 years, we painted tidal waves and earthquakes to see what our future might look like.
Wave Goodbye
Brutal winters remind East Coasters of their mortality. Out west, the looming Big One does the same. Loosely inspired by the L.A. Fine Arts Squad’s “Isle of California”, which is staring down its own destruction by the elements after being blasted by sunlight for 35 years, we painted tidal waves and earthquakes to see what our future might look like.
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Gustavo Dao Mural Illustrator
Ship of Fools
Earthquake, Airport, The Towering Inferno… those ‘70s disaster movies are epic examples of madness unfolding while the world spins out of control. Not an unfamiliar feeling in 2017. And if those movies took place in the present day, you can be damn sure there’d be kids sending Snaps of the mayhem.
Ship of Fools
Earthquake, Airport, The Towering Inferno… those ‘70s disaster movies are epic examples of madness unfolding while the world spins out of control. Not an unfamiliar feeling in 2017. And if those movies took place in the present day, you can be damn sure there’d be kids sending Snaps of the mayhem.
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You’re listening to:
Paul Lindahl Colossal co-founder
Misfits
We’re black sheep. We’re definitely not your average Hollywood story. Guess that’s why we gravitate towards these freaks and weirdos. That, and the fact that we figured these guys wouldn’t sue us for painting them.
Misfits
We’re black sheep. We’re definitely not your average Hollywood story. Guess that’s why we gravitate towards these freaks and weirdos. That, and the fact that we figured these guys wouldn’t sue us for painting them.
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Gustavo Dao Mural Illustrator
Muscle Beach
Lifts run out of gas and rig motors stop working. Deadlines are deadlines, though. In order to meet them, these painters scrambled up piles of sun-baked and oil-slicked muscles — fixtures of LA’s cultural landscape that date back to the ‘30s.
Muscle Beach
Lifts run out of gas and rig motors stop working. Deadlines are deadlines, though. In order to meet them, these painters scrambled up piles of sun-baked and oil-slicked muscles — fixtures of LA’s cultural landscape that date back to the ‘30s.
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Gustavo Dao Mural Illustrator
Your Fault
The San Andreas Fault is the backbone of Gustavo’s illustrated world. He and Paul originally wanted the cracks in the earth to reveal a trompe l’oeil painting of the shop, but Micah’s collages gave our crew a better way of showing off their photorealism.
Your Fault
The San Andreas Fault is the backbone of Gustavo’s illustrated world. He and Paul originally wanted the cracks in the earth to reveal a trompe l’oeil painting of the shop, but Micah’s collages gave our crew a better way of showing off their photorealism.
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