Tomorrow, West Hollywood will be treating its own, and all others of the general public who are interested, to visit the official unveiling of their newest public art sculptures.

They’re located on Santa Monica Boulevard, between Doheny Drive and Almont Drive.

When all is said and done, there will be seven large-scale public art sculptures on display for the general public through June 2012.

(So don’t worry if you cannot attend the official unveiling; you’ll have about another year to stop by West Hollywood to check out this extraordinary urban art display).

This stretch of park median has been home to a previous art installation featuring Peter Shire’s large-scale art works.

Currently though, the various works featured are the result of a successful collaboration between the City of West Hollywood and The Sculpture Foundation, “a private operating foundation dedicated to providing exhibitions and contemporary landmark public artworks for a broad range of communities including urban centers, small towns, regional parks and cultural institutions.”

Having taken a “sneak-peak yesterday; all I know is that I love the new exhibit, and I bet you will, too.

Here are the current art works on display:

Flora Exemplar by Andrew Rogers, 2006

Wave Hill by Robert Ressler, 2000

Between Essence and Existence by Bruce Lindsay, 1992

Lintel by Emilie Benes Brzezinski, 1993

Bucci by Peter Voulkos, 2001

Matters of the Moment by Mike Gyampo, 1996

Teatro XVII by Herk Van Tongeren, 1981

If you’d still like to see Peter Shire’s work, you still can. They’ve been moved further up Santa Monica Boulevard.

Located within Lincoln Park is a unique public art work that tells us a story and also has a cause behind it.

It Consists of eight wall panels, of which six of the murals depict life with AIDS in the Latino community and two granite panels that pay homage to the 600 named people who’ve have died from AIDS.

The Wall Las Memorias is the first publicly funded AIDS monument in the nation.

Designed by artist Robin Brailsford and architect David Angelo, the project’s main sculptural icon, fabricated of stainless steel, symbolizes the AIDS ribbon.

Founded by Richard Zaldivar, on December 1, 1993, on World AIDS Day, The Wall Las Memorias Project stated mission:

is dedicated to promoting wellness and preventing illness among Latino populations affected by HIV/AIDS by using the inspiration of The AIDS Monument as a catalyst for social change.

Each year on World AIDS Day, new names are added to The Wall.

Made possible by the State of California through the leadership of then State Senator Gilbert Cedillo and the City of Los Angeles, the $700,000 art piece was designed as a Quetzalcoatl serpent, an Aztec symbol for rebirth.

By walking the path leading to the main icon brings a sense of peace and solitude. It’s not a long walk, but it’s definitely introspective.

This poem by Anna Contreras and Richard Zaldivar, from the plaque at the walkway’s entrance, says it all:

It is here we grieve
and restore
honor to our dead.

It is here we heal
and through acceptance,
destroy denial and ignorance.

It is here we awaken to reclaim
an understanding of self,
ancestry and culture.

We unite as one people
in our visions,
our teaching,
and our truths.

Through truth we live,
through knowledge
we survive.

Located right across the street from Inglewood High School is a important and dynamic mosaic mural with a long history.

It was completed in 1940 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Project Administration (WPA) Arts project, The History of Transportation mural, which starts out with wagon wheels and ends with airplanes, was designed by a California artist, Helen Lundeberg.

The length of The History of Transportation Mural, spans 240 feet; each one of its 60 panels is 8 feet high; and this particular mural is one of the last remaining outdoor artworks that incorporates the petrachrome process–which was created by Stanton McDonald-Wright, another California artist who headed the Southern California WPA.

Utilizing the petrachrome mosaic technique, white concrete is colored by oxides or colorful ground up stones. The zones of color are comprised of variously sized crushed rock aggregates imbedded in tinted mortar. The color and textured varied by choices of aggregates, their sizes, and the proportion of aggregate to mortar and mortar color. Color zones are sharply differentiated by using brass strips as borders. Source: The Petrachrome Process (PDF)

For many years, the mural resided at the southeast corner of Centinela Park at the intersection of Florence and Redondo. And even though the petrachrome process was designed to withstand the Southern California sun and heat, over the years, the mural:

had been hit on the front by speeding cars, smacked on the back by forklifts moving caskets at the adjacent Enderle Vault Co. and cracked along vertical lines by rebar pulling away from the concrete backing. Weather and pollution also had taken a toll, but the most intractable and unsightly problem was perpetrated by gang members who had buried Lundeberg’s art in layer upon layer of graffiti, effectively turning the historic mural into a billboard for their violent subculture. Source: LATimes

The above photo, courtesy of the Inglewood Public Library via the Online Archive of California shows the mural circa 1990. After nearly a decade of work, headed by a citizens’ group, and supported by city officials and financed by over $1,000,000 in grants, the mural was ready for its restoration.

In 2002, the restoration project was started. Carefully packaging the over 500lb. panels, the total restoration process along with creating a new home for the mural took over 5 years.

If you’d like to know more about the restoration process, here’s a great article (PDF).

On August 11^th, 2007, the Dedication and Unveiling of the newly restored History of Transportation mural in Grevillea Art Park was celebrated by both the local community and the city of Los Angeles.

When visiting, there’s 7 plaques that provide additional information about the mural, it’s history, and subsequent restoration.

When people get together for a common cause–especially one for the arts–anything is possible and The History of Transportation Mural in Inglewood is another example of why and how that works.

On Friday, I took LA’s Crenshaw/I-105 Metro Station, aka as the “Green Line,” going west.

The last time I took the Green Line, I was traveling to Long Beach. But today, I’m heading to downtown Los Angeles via the “Silverline.” If you’re ever in Inglewood, the Green Line and its connection is one of the best ways to get there.

The Crenshaw/I-105 Metro Station includes a 500 space parking lot, which on this particular weekday was half full. During my foray, I took advantage of their services and parked my car there and headed to the platform. BTW, there’s no charge for parking.

Entitled, “Crenshaw Stories,” the artwork gracing the walls of the station are the brain child of Buzz Spector, who until recently lived in the Mt. Washington area of Los Angeles County.

When he thought about public transit Spector said:

Transportation systems are not just means of moving people—they are metaphors of the cultural and spiritual links between peoples. Crenshaw Stories has been designed to stress the connections between us that may be found in the stories we tell about our lives. If we can better understand each others stories, we’ll be better able to appreciate the connections between us all.

The station’s patrons include a diverse ethnic and cultural population and corroborate Crenshaw’s Stories.

The neighborhood’s stories include Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Arabic, Russian and Tagalog, among others. In total, 72 stories are hand-painted onto tile and interspersed with color squares at the entrance to this Metro Stop.

Be sure to see it in person and read a few of the stories. That way, our differences are lessened and our community becomes a beloved glimpse into other people’s lives which comprise the great melting pot called Los Angeles.

I used to go to the Memorial Branch Library fairly regularly, mainly to purchase used and newer books from their for sale section.

Their prices are great, and since I usually forget to take library books back right on time, I often purchase them instead. By the time a book is 3 or 4 days overdue, I save money by buying it used.

BTW, every Tuesday for the next 3 weeks, the library will be having a clearance sale. Books will be half price, around $.25. Now that’s called a deal.

But, I digress. Like many people, I go places and sometimes ignore what’s literally right in from of me. However, yesterday I was at the library to document the artwork for this story and discovered this:

Crafted in 2008, this mosaic bench, by artist Brent Spears, was a gift from the Friends of the Memorial Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library.

Whatever the inspiration for the bench notwithstanding, when you look close, you’ll see the many different details and objects used that make the bench such a wonderful piece of artwork:

Permanently embedded in the bench are billiard balls, various screws, ceramic tiles and other unique sundry materials.

Glass bottles of all size, shape, and color, candle forms,

Springs, broken tiles, and even a vise grip. When you take the time to notice, it’s amazing what you’ll find.

BTW, do you know where I found this bench?

Turn any corner and you’ll discover different colors, shapes and some of the most unique designs.

And each and every time it happens–it’s always an unexpected and pleasant surprise.

Whenever you encounter something new and interesting, feelings of wonderment and happiness are not far from your heart and head.

You ask yourself what story is being told.

Located at the corner of North Spring Street, across the street from the Los Angeles Historical State Park is a simple office building, but it’s not that simple.

Although, I photographed these pictures a couple of months ago, perhaps, there’s a new design or image which has taken its place. In any case, this building is just one more example of the unexpected you’ll see around the city.

Each public art piece is unique.

Each public art piece has its own message.

Each public art piece is able to stand alone and be admired.

What do you think about when you see this?

Commissioned by the Culver City Redevelopment Agency in 2004, The Lion’s Fountain, located in the Town Plaza, is a favorite location for locals and tourists alike. Many a summer day, you can find children playing in the 40 animated water jets, cooling off from the hot California sun, which is what artist Douglas Olmsted Freeman intended.

Standing eight feet tall, the bronze Lion’s Fountain was inspired by Culver City’s film studios lions, the MGM’s Leo the Lion and the Wizard of Oz’s Cowardly Lion. The Lion’s Fountain has become a focal point of Town Plaza, delighting visitors with its carefree demeanor and dancing water jets.

The day I happened to be in Culver City, I happened upon a dog playing in the fountain. He tried several times to venture closer to the Lion, but each time the water shot up, he barked, and backed off. Not sure of what would happen next, he sheepishly approached, only to be startled again.

It was fun to watch.

Originally unveiled in 1931–at a then cost of $22,000–Electric Fountain was, at the time, a state-of-the-art timed fountain. Its water jets and color effects are timed for 60 different combination’s every 8 minutes. At its unveiling, the Fountain stopped traffic for hours, so people could watch; indeed its magnificence remains to the present.

The different water patterns are wonderful to watch; but upon further examination, the Electric Fountain is a lot more than just its water jets and color effects.

Why the Electric Fountain is a great Fountain and Sculpture

1. I’ve already mentioned the timed color effects. Here’s a photo of its affect and use of water and light.

2. An often overlooked aspect of many an outdoor sculpture, fountain, or statue is a fairly basic concept, which many artists omit, but one that should be incorporated for people to fully enjoy appreciating the perfect fountain—seating. As seen here–in the form of several long benches–this Electric Fountain provides many a place for people to relax and enjoy the magnificence and beauty of the spraying art work, and water structure.

3. The decorative tile which surrounds the entire fountain; adding color, depth, intensity, and history to the fountain.

4. I’m a big believer in having plaques for art work, which helps people learn the story behind the story about that particular piece of art and the artist–and the people who helped make it possible. Here’s the one for Electric Fountain. Put another way, when you go to a museum or gallery, instinctively you want to know who the artist is, the type of material used, when it was made, and the name of the piece. And that’s for starters.

5. Small and exquisite fine details that help to tell its viewers a story; and helping them understand the installation a bit more and, of course, leaving the visitors wanting for more.

6. A figure head at the top of a fountain creates symmetry, and a focal point.

7. Decorative protective barriers are an added plus; along with a perfectly manicured space and garden.

8. When a fountain has supplementary places of significance surrounding it, everybody enjoys these visible details every time they visit.

Although I can think of many more ways and means, that makes this striking Electric Fountain stand out and takes you from the ordinary into the realm of the extraordinary; we’ll leave a little mystery for you to come to your own conclusions.

Being able to sit, relax, watch, and listen to the synchronized sounds of a fountain– even in the hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve in Beverly Hills—makes this “Electric Fountain” a Los Angeles treasure.

]]> http://www.mlapa.org/the-electric-fountain-in-beverly-hills/feed/ 0 http://www.mlapa.org/estrada-courts-public-murals-in-boyle-heights/ http://www.mlapa.org/estrada-courts-public-murals-in-boyle-heights/#comments Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:31:05 +0000 LisaNewton http://www.mlapa.org/?p=248 Our recent series of Boyle Heights has uncovered many treasured gems–taking you from the Breed Street Shul, to Hollenbeck Park, to the Malabar Branch of Los Angeles’ Public Library system.

This enclave symbolizes our ephemeral place here, and simultaneously overwhelms us with its unsung role in shaping our understanding of how this particular neighborhood impacts our understanding of others; and enables us to “Walk a Mile in somebody else’s Shoes,” if but for a moment–hopefully for a lifetime.

Boyle Heights begets the requisite requirement and need to photograph and write about their public art–not just any public art–but amazing murals which have withstood the test of time–notwithstanding our bevy of taggers and masters of destruction. The Estrada Court’s Public housing project is the home of numerous murals that first appeared in the early 1970s.

Often times when someone says the words “public housing,” it’s easy and lazy thinking that colors our collective brains with myopic visions of high rise “ghettos;”–to dirty, broken down buildings, and other things probably more myth than reality, but which also have elements of truth.

However, after finishing this story about Estrada Courts, the term which more easily comes to my mind is the concept of “home” and “family.” As I walked around this special community, I saw clothes blowing in the wind on clotheslines, lunch being prepared on stoves, boys playing basketball, lawns being watered, and neatly manicured gardens. I felt like I was back in a small town again and the feeling was good.

Built in 1942-1943, Estrada Courts was one of three public housing projects built primarily for war industry workers, and after the War, for returning servicemen.

Aliso Village, one of the nation’s first racially integrated public housing projects, and Pico Gardens, were the other two public housing projects.

By the 1990s, violent crime and gangs, had overridden all of the public housing projects, which was one of the reasons, both Aliso Village and Pico Gardens were demolished. New housing was built, but on a much smaller scale, thus leaving many people homeless.

Today’s Estrada Courts, are low on crime, and high on family values, with flowers, kids playing, and barbecues cooking. Although there’s violence associated in other areas, perhaps this enclave is less so due to its charm. One of the unique features of Estrada Courts is its public art murals. I originally went there thinking I would find 8 or 9 murals–instead there were about 40.

On almost every portion of its buildings and structures a colorful mural was my constant companion. Although, there’s some blank walls, I look forward to returning to see what rainbow of colors were inserted during my absence.

Below is a visual presentation of the Estrada Murals in a slide show format. So enjoy its panache and beauty of color textured Murals that its various artists created. Several of these murals–almost exclusively painted by Mexican Americans–date back to the 1970s during the height of the Chicano Power struggle.

But art is part of a school of thought, and its reasons have its reasons. Art’s ultimate aesthetic lies in its power to emote and to draw that emotion out from us and back into the object of our affection.

In that, these Murals are a part of Boyle Heights that welcomed us with a warm embrace, and which was only a matter of time for us to find so we could document and share their art with our readers. On a side note, surprisingly, many of the murals contain no tags, but as you’ll note as well, some do. Then again, there’s trash littering glistening streets in other parts of the city where it also doesn’t belong. A few bad apples in the bunch don’t spoil the entirety of what it contains.

Here’s the Slide-Show of the Public Art at Estrada Courts

If you’d like to visit and see the murals, here’s where they’re located at Estrada Courts:

View Estrada Courts in a larger map

]]> http://www.mlapa.org/estrada-courts-public-murals-in-boyle-heights/feed/ 2 http://www.mlapa.org/michael-jackson-mural/ http://www.mlapa.org/michael-jackson-mural/#comments Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:33:13 +0000 LisaNewton http://www.mlapa.org/?p=243 The idea and reality of having our urban and public landscape as a place to display, create, and to appreciate art is ingrained in the heart of LA. Aptly labeled—Public Art—allows people the ability to enjoy, view, and appreciate multiple artists and their multi-faceted creations. In this, the plethora of beautiful images, sculptures, buildings, and murals, become unique and a part of a neighborhood, a borough, a city, a state, and a nation.

Most people enjoy and appreciate museums and art galleries; but there’s something very exciting and inexplicably unique in having that museum on the streets, so to speak. When that public “museum” comes to us in the form of public murals, drawings, sculptures, and statues– I often ponder and wonder how much work, effort, and techniques went into creating any particular piece of Public Art.

Above is a mural located across the street from the Jensen Melrose Theatre on Melrose Ave. It’s by a local artist named Rabbi at DTLADesigns, who created a video of himself while painting this. If you’ve ever wanted to see a street artist at work, here’s your chance:

It’s amazing all of the different art forms you can see while Travelin’ Local.  It just takes a little looking around.

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