The ‘bathroom blogosphere’

A sticker highlights Il Corral’s version of a bathroom mirror.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

Another view of the bathroom at Il Corral.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

Insomnia’s bathroom wall.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

The humble sink in Insomnia’s bathroom.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

Another view of Insomnia’s bathroom.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

A sign states the obvious at Karma Coffehouse.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

Is Brett Wallach the reincarnation of Yashua or simply a strong high school baseball player? Bathroom philosophers at the Karma Coffeehouse want to know.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

The Los Angeles Times serves as a backdrop for bathroom graffiti at Karma Coffeehouse.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

High art in the bathroom at Little Joy.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

Bathroom poetry to elevate the spirit at Little Joy.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

Romance on the ceiling at Little Joy.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

A bold declaration on the bathroom wall of The Smell.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

Painted into a corner at The Smell.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

No more than an inch of wall space goes unadorned in the bathroom at The Smell.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

The woman on the bathroom door at Toi (Hollywood) gazes benignly at bathroom-goers. According to the manager, the mural was painted by a cab driver who worked for the restaurant for only a week.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

Another view of the graffiti at the rock ‘n roll Toi in Hollywood.  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)

Mark Ferem, who shot and compiled hundreds of pictures for the photo book “Bathroom Graffiti,” explains the cultural significance of latrinalia while standing in the bathroom of Toi (Hollywood).  (Elina Shatkin / Los Angeles Times)