Arturo Vega, shepherd of the Ramones, completed a mural of Jesus before his death on June 8, 2013

Arturo Vega completed this mural on Elizabeth Street just off Prince Street in March 2013 for Quality Mending Company. The words “Life isn’t tragic. Love is just being ignored.” are from the song “Great Provider” by the punk band Bronx (also performing under the name Mariachi El Bronx), which is based in Los Angeles.

The artist died on June 8th in 2013 at age 65. His last artistic piece is like his last will and testament. Journey photographed the site on June 15, 2013.

Arturo Vega landed in New York City for good in 1971. While he was searching out his artistic career, he worked at the Orange Julius as a dishwasher on 42nd Street. In Times Square, he started his photo box art which leads to the style of art that he produced for The Ramones, which is often called the first punk band. Searching for a permanent place to stay, he dropped into the neighborhood of Second Street and The Bowery. Although he discovered that the intersection was a heroin supermarket, he was drawn into renting a loft there for $300/ month. He lived there for the rest of his life.

In 1974, Dee Dee Ramone (Colvin) wandered into Arturo’s apartment and remarked that he liked the artist’s music. That led to the Ramones asking Arturo to do their artwork. He handled their artwork, lighting, and publicity. At first, he wasn’t paid to travel with them, so he started selling Ramone’s T-Shirts for $3.00 apiece. The idea of selling T-shirts at a rock concert was a novel idea and they sold like hotcakes. He also managed their many life tribulations, often providing his loft on East Second Street as their practice space and home. His relationship with the band was so close that he was thought of as the fifth member of the Ramones. Vega was born in Mexico on October 13, 1947. The Ramones fashioned a gritty style and made clear that they didn’t come to suffer or die for anyone’s sins in their song “I am not Jesus.”

Arturo’s pick of the final lines of his art comes from the punk band “The Bronx,” which also performs under the name of “Mariachi El Bronx.” The long-time leader of that band, Matt Caughthran, dismisses religion, but in a 2016 podcast of “Pen to Paper Media” says that their music has lots of religious references because “I connect with the idea that there is something else beyond this life…If you’ve ever lost someone you love you know what I’m talking about. There is a deeper realm that reveals itself.”