This page records a history of the original making, the sad unmaking, and hopeful remaking of the #staircandy painted steps on the Micheltorena St stairway, in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Who created the original #staircandy?
Visual Artist Carla O’Brien, and Mandon Bossi, both Australians living in Silver Lake, in early 2015, came up with the original concept for painting the lower two flights (39 steps total) of the Lower Micheltorena St stairway to beautify the existing gray, dirty and unappealing stairway.
The Micheltorena steps in 2012, which were predictably dirty, and adorned with feces, and looked the same in 2015
Carla and Mandon also enlisted the assistance of Silver Lake local, Corinne Carrey, and together the three of them did a guerilla painting of the rainbow stripes and love hearts on the Micheltorena steps one night in April of 2015, which they named ‘Stair Candy’ or hashtag #staircandy, shown on the left side of the featured image above.
And here is a video of Carla O’Brien describing the origins of #staircandy
Click this link to watch all the #staircandy videos in this YouTube playlist
The more detailed and interesting stories of how the #staircandy artwork was made, vandalized, protected, restored, has an Aussie sister, was vandalized again, and then remade are told in the following pages:
Motivation, Concept, and Execution of #staircandy
Reception and Popularity of #staircandy
Misattribution in the Media
Protection Efforts
Vandalism of #staircandy
Restoration: New and Improved #staircandy
Sister #staircandy in Queensland, Australia
Recent Developments
Quotes by Carla O’Brien:
It’s been heartwarming seeing photographs of happy people, their pets, in love couples, engagement proposals, even Wedding photos being taken at ‘Stair Candy’. Not to forget people people just exercising and getting a photo of them in general, the joy your art brings is the drive and enjoyment you get as a public art artist.
When the Stairs were whitewashed grey the response from the general public was overwhelming that they wanted Stair Candy reinstated to their former glory. I hope this incarnation lives on and brings much joy to everyone who walks on them.
StairCandy
Creator: Mandon Bossi @gypsea_mc Carla O’Brien @carlaobriencarla
Additional painter: Corinne Carrey @corinnecarrey
For more information: carla@carlaobrien.com + 61 437 151 212
carla@carlaobrien.com