Life in Los Angeles can be, in a word, random.

"Random" - as seen on the wall of a liquor store in Highland Park off Monte Vista St. / Daina Beth Solomon

And that’s why we love it, right?  We love driving through Highland Park on the way to Vietnamese eatery Good Girl Dinette after visiting a friend’s garage sale and coming across the brightest liquor store wall we’ve ever seen.

The liquor store wall off of Monte Vista St. in Highland Park. / Daina Beth Solomon

And yet, not so random – the artist, who goes by “Alza,” has painted signs and graphics on the majority of liquor stores, clothing shops, grocery marts and even dental offices in the area.  On every block we see his scrawled lettering and colorful designs.  For better or worse, they have come to define Highland Park’s visual culture.