Miguel Rodriguez, 45, approached his tattoo artist friend with a unique idea: a Los Angeles-themed back piece. The proposal intrigued the artist, Eric Reyna, but also made him a bit wary.
Rodriguez wanted a large tattoo covering his entire back, featuring some of L.A.’s iconic landmarks like the 6th Street Bridge, Union Station, and a surprise addition: Oceanwide Plaza, recently known as the Graffiti Towers.
This tattoo, spanning nearly the length of Rodriguez’s back, is the largest piece Reyna, a tattoo artist from Apple Valley, has ever attempted. The black and gray design celebrates Los Angeles, the city where both Reyna and Rodriguez were born.
“He pushes me a lot and kind of made me do it, which I kind of love,” said Reyna, 31. “It’s gonna take me a couple of sessions to finish the towers because there’s so many details that go into it.”
Rodriguez lived near the buildings for years and witnessed their transformation from abandoned skyscrapers to a multistory canvas for street art. Initially part of a billion-dollar project to revamp downtown L.A. with luxury condos, a hotel, and retail spaces, the construction stalled in 2019 when the Beijing-based developer ran out of money.
Earlier this year, taggers began adding their own artwork to the partially completed skyscrapers near Crypto.com Arena at L.A. Live, turning them into a spectacle.
For Rodriguez, these towers are a symbol of Los Angeles, a city that welcomes dreamers and artists from across the country.
“Those towers are iconic,” Rodriguez said. “They’re part of the culture of LA.”
The towers, which have been the site of several arrests and even paragliding attempts, have frustrated public officials trying to prevent further tagging. In February, the city allocated nearly $4 million to remove graffiti and secure the property, now surrounded by a tall metal fence.
The graffiti has sparked debate among Angelenos about the line between art and vandalism. In May, the unfinished development was put up for sale.
Reyna, who co-owns Ink Heart Tattoos with his wife Jacque, faced some backlash when he posted the tattoo on social media.
“Some people are mad about it and some people think it’s the coolest tattoo,” he said. “Not everyone understands the process of tattooing. I just try to be nice to them.”
Reyna’s journey into tattooing was partly inspired by street art. His brother encouraged him to use his artistic talent in tattooing. He began by inking friends and family at home before turning professional six years ago.
Reyna has completed most of two towers and has one more to go. Stenciling the towers took six hours, and the first tattoo session lasted five hours.
Rodriguez, who has “too many tattoos to count” including a Dodgers logo on his head, isn’t new to the process. He sat for eight hours during the last session before undergoing surgery for injuries from a fall. Despite more surgeries and a long recovery ahead, he is determined to finish the tattoo.
While the future of the towers is uncertain, their current form will live on, etched onto Rodriguez’s body.
It’s a unique canvas, much like the buildings themselves.