Germs

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There are plenty of depictions of the Virgin Mary dotting the facades of buildings across Los Angeles. However, the one that has had the biggest impact on Jaime Zacarias, the artist best known as Germs, is on the side of Pancho's Bakery. It sits on the corner of Holmes and Florence, next to a bus stop in South Los Angeles. The mural depicts Our Lady of Guadalupe, the apparition that Catholic tradition teaches appeared to Juan Diego in Mexico hundreds of years ago. She is swathed in a lightly patterned gown and a cloak covered with stars. Her figure is surrounded by rays of light. To one side of her is a string of roses. Legend has it that Juan Diego presented roses to the Blessed Virgin Mary. To the other side of her is a Mexican flag. Beneath her is a pillow of clouds from which an angel hoists her into the air. The angel's wings share the same colors as the flag.