To promote the upcoming movie “Fruitvale Station,” about the 2009 fatal shooting of an unarmed Oscar Grant by a Bart police officer on a platform at Oakland’s Fruitvale BART Station, the Weinstein Company. commissioned three murals in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco by street artists Ron English, Lydia Emily and LNY.  Unfortunatley, logistical issues and creative conflicts between some of the artists and the studio have led to delays and disagreements.

Ron English’s work on the Los Angeles mural was supposed to begin June 27th, but production stopped that morning.  For this mural Grant’s face was to be seen over a rainbow-colored backdrop, not unlike the “Abraham Obama” image English created for the 2008 presidential election.

Ron English, “Abraham Obama”

English’s first choice, however, was a version of a Norman Rockwell painting, in which he depicted an African American boy with a target on his back. He was told, however, that the image was “too aggressive.”  “It’s been pretty frustrating,” English told the Los Angeles Times. “They rejected my first idea. The next one we changed about eight times and the director got involved and rejected it. The director said it can’t be anything negative or about the police or guns.”

Lydia Emily, “Oscar Grant”

Los Angeles. artist Lydia Emily was originally to paint the San Francisco wall with Oakland-based street artist Eddie Colla. After creative differences, however, Colla left the project.  Emily painted the San Francisco mural solo on the side of Ian Ross Gallery, south of Market Street.  LNY is set to begin work on her mural in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, once unspecified “logistical issues” are settled.

“Fruitvale” took home both the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize at last January’s Sundance Film Festival.