Paved Paradise

Parking lot at the South Bay Galleria

It has been a long time since I last shared an "urban blight" image with you. What type of structure is as great an eyesore as a parking lot? ;-)

"Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell

Enjoy!!!

Summer Nights

Westwood Village, looking north on Broxton Ave. towards the old Fox Theater.

Enjoy!!!

Under the Power Lines

The bike path cuts through the north Redondo neighborhood, under the power lines.

After a long hiatus, I decided to put a bit of exercise into my daily schedule. Whew!!! Maybe I should hit the gym, where the nice air conditioning will keep my spirits up.

Well, I'm now exhausted. So, this will be another "Image of the Day" lazy Tuesday.

In choosing how I go about spending my blogging time, I focus on content generation, sharing my personal feelings about various cultural topics, putting up photos, and linking to relevant videos. I don't have sufficient time to community-building activities, like visiting other blogs and leaving frequent comments. Certainly, I enjoy many other blogs, but I don't like leaving "nice post"-style remarks. It feels slightly disingenuous and inauthentic, like chattering spam-lite.

Nevertheless, it is this type of blog browsing networking that leads to the development of a community. And, if I had a large community following, I could have a fun lazy post by writing, "A bike lane and power lines converge upon a power station. Thoughts?"

Oh well, I'm happy rambling to myself and my dozen readers. ;-)

Roaming in the Gloaming

Rally's Burgers or McDonalds?

I don't have much to say tonight. I'm a bit tapped out from a busy day. ;-)

However, I wanted to share this photo with you all. I was driving through the urban wasteland near the southern 110 Freeway, around dusk. For a brief moment, the soft hues of the western sky, the shadows of the street, and the lights of the various roadside venues combined to create a dreamy vision of color and light.

The ugly urban intersection became a place of subtle beauty. It was enchanting.

Enjoy!!!

Angel of Normandie

Graffiti on the side of a building on Normandie Ave., north of the Sunset intersection


I found myself stuck in the traffic, going south on Normandie Avenue, inching my way towards Sunset, as every other car ahead of me foolishly attempted to make a left turn against oncoming vehicles. After more than a few minutes, I started getting a bit testy. Driving in or near the city core is never a pleasant experience.

So, I took a deep breath and looked around for something, anything, that might lighten my mood. And, as if in answer to a prayer, I spotted this graffiti angel, a charming example of the type of street art that can be found all over the urban center of Los Angeles. I felt immediately better.

Although I go to see aesthetically pleasing works in museums and galleries, if only I could keep my eyes open to the world around me, I would see that the world is filled with Beauty, from the humble to the grand, from the folksy to the refined. My mind works in a methodical, categorical manner, filing away experiences and expectations in delineated spaces and at properly noted times. I sometimes forget that life is not a script, and existence isn't circumscribed to a really big stage; the Schedule is not God.

Shortly thereafter, a batch of cars ahead of me didn't attempt to make a left at the intersection, allowing me to escape from the gridlock and, eventually make my way back to the Westside. ;-)

Enjoy!!!

Desconocido

Roosevelt High School Walkouts (1970) by Oscar Castillo

I've written about the Pacific Standard Time event plenty of times over the past few weeks, but I don't believe that I have clearly articulated its premise. Its purpose is to document the artists and aesthetic movements that flourished in the Los Angeles area from 1945 to 1980. This is a critically important task because many of the participants of the events under review are getting up in age. Opportunities to record this firsthand testimony are diminishing with each passing year.

And that's why I'm so happy to see Oscar Castillo's photographs on display in "Icons of the Invisible" at UCLA's Fowler Museum. Creating a visual record of the wild days of the Chicano movement, Castillo utilized a photojournalist style in witnessing the lives and environs of Los Angeles' Latino community, a large population that was overlooked and disenfranchised by the various civic institutions, be it political or economic or artistic. In spite of its size and history as an integral part of the city, Latinos were "invisible" to mainstream society, relegated to the barrio.

Refusing to let these people slip away into a forgotten past, Castillo captured the moment through his camera, furnishing evidence of the turbulent era, a time when the downtrodden Chicano culture refused to quietly abide the cruelties of society, defiant even in the face of overt police brutality. With evocative imagery and uncompromising verity, Castillo's photography testifies to the struggle for respect and recognition.

Chicana at Gage Ave. and Whittier Blvd., East Los Angeles (1972) by Oscar Castillo

Sadly, these photographs have become "invisible" themselves, known only to students of the era or enthusiasts of urban cultural photojournalism. "Icons of the Invisible" brings these images back into view, allowing us to give witness to the moment, perhaps recognizing foreshadowing and prophecies of the current state of Latino society in Southern California.

Between the Blocks and Buildings

Build Boom Bust (2011) by Brian Cooper

The Torrance Art Museum is currently showing Cities: Visionary Places, curated by Camilla Boemio and featuring a wide variety of artist. The premise is based upon the exploration of the Urban Streetscape as a source of aesthetic inspiration, be it from the Beautiful, the Banal, or the Sublime. The works range in style and form including video works alongside paintings and photography. I found it to be an interesting collection.

My favorite piece on exhibit is Jeremy Kidd's Ruby City 1, which offers upon a dream-like image of nocturnal downtown Los Angeles. The photo seems to portray a twisting space, imbued by a subtle crimson light. Without the presence of people within the weird urban scene, it has a haunting presence.

Detail of Ruby City 1 (2008) by Jeremy Kidd

I had recently seen some of Jeremy Kidd's work at the Leslie Sacks Contemporary show, Perception, in late June. His work really challenges the viewer's conceptions of spatial arrangement. They seem to lose their stability; the cityscape becomes "ungrounded."

But there are many other interesting pieces in this show.

Nostalgia in Neon

El Tavern - Vacancy IV (2010) by Terry Thompson

About a month ago, I saw an exhibit of Terry Thompson's signage paintings at the George Billis Gallery in Culver City. The show was entitled "Sign of Life". I thought that was a strange name, given the aged and deteriorating appearance of the subjects. I was thinking "Memento Mori" or even "Et in Arcadia Ego" would be a more fitting title.

But Thompson's idea is that these signs are survivors. While their fellows from the late '40s to the early '60s have fallen to real estate redevelopment, these signs have persevered. The rust and wear are badges of endurance. Yes, they are from Googie era, but, in spite of the odds, they still exist. They are still part of "Now".

Canyon City Liquor (2010) by Terry Thompson

So, I spent a few weeks considering the matter. Then I returned to the gallery to reassess the paintings. Upon review, I can see his point.

Down These Mean Streets

Scrooge McDuck, Urban Entrepreneur (Original image by Carl Barks)

There's a fascinating article at Discovery News about how birds with big brains are successful at adapting to an urban environment. The term "big brain" doesn't necessarily means "smarter" but refers to the overall ratio of brain to body size. Avian critters such as jackdaws, magpies, and wrens are urban adapters. They are able to adjust to the diverse elements that comprise the city life, in terms of food and habitat.

Moreover, there may be some natural selection at work in the avian world, as these birds may become even brainier to continue thriving in the city. As urban development spreads and paves over the preexisting natural environment, the pressure for birds to adapt will become even greater. Things aren't looking good for the yellowhammer or the golden oriole.

Life is tough when you have a small brain. ;-)

Of course, a mention of big-brained magpies necessitates a vid:

Here's a link to the Discovery article, Brainy Birds Live the High Life in Cities.

Here's a link to Wikipedia page for Scrooge McDuck.

And here's the Wikipedia page for Heckle and Jeckle.

Finally, it's always good to pay a trip to the Audubon Society website.

Enjoy!!!

Through a Window

GW #2 by Michael Eastman.

I had the opportunity to stop by dnj Gallery at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica where they were featuring an exhibit called "Plexagraphs" by Michael Eastman. It was a compelling show.

The "Plexagraphs" are photographs printed within or upon a plexiglass base. Through some novel technique, Eastman has created an effect that doesn't just create a visual overlap of images, but rather fabricates a sense of depth within the image. There is a clear forground, a window. There is a vague background, architectural forms. But there is an implied mid-ground created by a some textural and luminescent effect seemingly within the plexiglass itself. At least that's how it seems to me.

It was a fascinating display of illusionistic skill.

On an emotional level, the pieces made me feel lonely. As a Viewer, I was looking through a window upon a vague scene of desolation, a forlorn place of urban decay. Between the Viewer and the Object was a space of diffuse pearly grey, hinting of fog or an overcast sky. In total, these works were depicting a place of abandonment.
I found the exhibit to be a deeply moving show.

In any case, don't take my word for it. If you're able to get to Santa Monica, check it out for yourself.

Here's the link to dnj Gallery.

Here's a link to Michael Eastman's website.

And while I was viewing the show, one of the gallery staffers, Annie, was very informative and friendly. I'm always thankful for enthusiastic art professionals. So, since she's an artist herself, I recommend checking out her website. Much beach-lovin' fun. ;-)

Enjoy!!!