"Unity" by Komar and Melamid, US Bank Tower, Los Angeles, California

One of the most beautiful and provocative public art works is located in the lobby of the tallest building in Los Angeles (and west of the Mississippi). The work is called "Unity" by Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid, also known as Komar and Melamid. Komar and Melamid immigrated from the former Soviet Union in the 1970s. The duos work is known for their art about the Soviet Union using both conceptual and postmodern strategies.

For Los Angeles, Komar and Melamid reflect on both the founding of Los Angeles and the current state of a multicultural Los Angeles. The lobby portrays three angels, each perched on the 3 walls that welcome both visitors and tenants to the US Bank Tower. The angels are based on ones found in Renaissance art. The center angel is dressed in blue and gold. The halo is based on  African, Asian, and Native America motifs and symbols. The side angels are rendered in a energetic manner where they appear floating in a storm of intense energy. While the side angels are floating is a storm like environment, the center angel seems at peace with the symbols from various cultures uniting in the halo. This unity is what Komar and Melamid is trying convey to the viewer. The angel, in which the city of Los Angeles is named after, is at piece when the cultures are unified.The lower side plaque gives the story of the founding of Los Angeles. This public art work is a well worth the time to see.

Located at 633 West 5th Street, Los Angeles, California in the lobby of the US Bank Tower.