Carrie Fisher and David Bowie, both of whom died last year, are being celebrated in murals installed on the side of the Sofitel Hotel at La Cienega and Beverly boulevards just outside West Hollywood.
The murals were created by artist Mike McNeilly. Bowie is portrayed as his alter ego Ziggy Stardust and Fisher as Princess Leia, one of her most memorable characters. The murals are labeled “They are in the galaxy far far away.”
Bowie died on Jan. 10 last year and Fisher died on Dec. 27.
McNeilly said he was inspired by both artists. “On the other hand what I like my music to do to me is awaken the ghosts inside of me. Not the demons, you understand, but the ghosts,” McNeilly said, quoting Bowie. And he quoted Fisher’s “I don’t want my life to imitate art, I want my life to be art.”
McNeilly has worked to raise awareness for organizations such as APLA, AMFAR, Project Angel Food and Children of the Night. He has also been controversial, with a lawsuit filed against him by the City of Los Angeles for allegedly wrapping numerous buildings illegally with his graphics.
Director and producer Leon Melas created a video documenting the Sofitel murals, which is posted above.
I went to see Star Wars with Mike McNeilly at the Westwood theater in 1977 on it’s first release. Wonder if he remembers me.
How long will the murals be up? Temporarily?
You have the date of Bowie’s death wrong. He died on January 10,2016
You’re right. We were wrong. The story has been updated to correct that error!