For the muralist known as Bumblebee, it’s still about the art

DOWNEY — A mural of a young girl cutting her hair stands tall on the outside wall of a hair salon on 2nd Street. Her yellow and black paint chips and frays; the oranges decorating her skirt so sun-faded they are hardly visible anymore. It’s one of only two pieces left in Downey by the street artist known as Bumblebee. He looks up at her, gazing reminiscently. “We did this one twice,” he says. “The first time we put her up, she was crooked.” It’s been 18 years since Bumblebee began putting up his artwork around the walls and businesses of Downey, 16 years under his artist name. Though not nearly as anonymous as he once was, Bumblebee tries to keep the focus on his art and off of himself. “I feel like my name’s not important; I’d just like to keep it all about the work,” said Bumblebee. “You know, once you bring race into it, or just your name, I feel like people judge you, and I just like to keep it about the brand and the artwork itself.” His art has been called “whimsical” and “playful,” and has drawn comparisons to Banksy and Shepard Fairey. “If you...