SoCal As a Loc
By Restless
There’s a lot to like about Southern California, so different from Northern California that there’s been talk for years of splitting the state in two. I love the architecture in LA, and the deserts, the beach and the sun. But mostly the architecture.
I meant to see Los Angeles Plays Itself when it came out in 2004 in New York, but it was a limited art house showing. I’ve had it in my netflix queue ever since, but it’s not available yet.
This film from Thom Andersen combines recognizable city imagery with twists on other scenery and still shots. Changing the normal view of a city as just a backdrop, Andersen also uses unique tools to portray the City of Angels as a subject and a character.
Just discovered a guy from Germany who’s made it his avocation to come to Los Angeles and take shots (over 1700 so far) of the architecture there (Pictured: Ross House 1957 Eric Lloyd Wright). Check it out!
Aaron — On 4-25-2007 at 3:02 pm
Yes, there is a lot to like in LA. There’s also a lot not to like.
Aurora — On 4-26-2007 at 11:14 am
I just took a foot tour of downtown LA, and it was great! totally reccommend it. Architecture was great, traffic about as bad as the bay area, great food!
restless — On 4-26-2007 at 12:29 pm
I used to try to visit LA at least once a year. On one visit, I made a point of rooting around downtown. It was ages ago, but I was always fascinated by the decaying strangeness of it. I know that Nicolas Cage has a loft down there. I love the way the morning light sillouettes the old buildings sometimes. . .
Yes, there’s a boatload of stuff to not like about L.A., and when I lived down there for a year or so I really hated it, but it holds an allure for me, and I think a lot of that is in its architecture. I find southwest architecture in general more free form, open and unique. I like the idea of an enclosed patio in the center of a house offering privacy in the outdoors. I think for years, many architects were given free reign to create radical structures down there.
Several years ago, when I was doing my chothes in the Hollywood Laundrette next to the Orbit on Market street, I took an old Architectural Digest from the rack. The entire issue was devoted to houses of old stars and movers and shakers in early Hollywood. We’re talking about the homes of: Ginger Rogers, Clara Bow, Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, Mervyn Leroy, Bela Lugosi, Fay Wray, Ramon Navarro, Will Rogers, W.C. Fields, John Barrymore, Jean Harlow and at least 10 others. Many of the pictures were black and white and most of the homes no longer exist. What was fascinating about this issue which I kept for several years (sorry, Hollywood Laundrette) was that each article had a bio on each star charting their rise and fall, incorporating the house into the career trajectory.
One house in particular, stood out. It was built for Ramon Navarro by Frank Lloyd Wright’s architect son, Frank Wright. The pictures of it show it standing on the barren (which in itself is amazing to see) Hollywood Hills. This weird looking modernist structure is now the home if Diane Keaton, or was at the time of the AD issue (1995 I believe). Anyway, when it comes to saying I Love LA, for me, it’s about the architecture first.
Aaron — On 4-26-2007 at 3:46 pm
I did a report on Neutra’s Kaufman House (Palm Springs) while in college. I forget much of it, though I remember reading that the architect, Neutra, was very proud (kind of prickish) in how he would show everybody he met this famous photo of it. Nice house sure, but nowhere near as beautiful as the photo…..
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http://www.3ayak.org/imaj/schizophrenia13/kaufman.jpg
Porter Venn — On 4-26-2007 at 5:18 pm
When I think of Northern California Houses, I think Victorian Doll House, when I think of Southern California Houses, I think Brady Bunch.
Maggie Venn — On 6-7-2008 at 5:02 pm
Hi ! Just discovered this art site—and was intrigued with comments about LA. I lived in dwtown LA in l959, after High School, before college — at the Evangeline Residence for Working Girls, at the beginning of 6th St. east of this st. was a freeway and then dntown with absolutely no highrises The tallest bldgs were the old Biltmore Hotel and a govt. bdlg.[white] I used to take the bus on Wilshire Blvd west to the beach on most weekend. It was an interesting ride because of the neighborhoods–no highrises, a few small corporate bdlgs. I know that this has changed. I had a job off of Melrose Ave , at that time Melrose was filled with small businesses and very busy with lots of people on the street, lots of traffic and was kindof cool to see from the bus.The very best place to see in LA is the Amtrack Station downtown. Was the train depot. Many young starstruck girls [and Doris Day] detrained here since train travel was the mode of transportation then. The depot has been restored and is the very best place to use one’s imagination.