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My brother-in-law came to visit Los Angeles last weekend and we wanted to show him the Watts Towers. I was disappointed that we went on an overcast day until I learned that even when the sun doesn't shine the Watts Towers hold their own.
The Watts Towers are certainly the most important work of art indigenous to the region. The Watts Towers are exhaustively documented including a conservation project with over 5000 images recording every tile and every placement. On other visits I didn't take a single photograph.
But this time on my fifth or sixth visit I found myself taking shots just for the pure pleasure of acting with the artwork.
The best thing I learned on this visit was that Charles Mingus, the extraordinary jazz musician, as a neighborhood kid in Watts was a helper to Simon Rodia, the artist who built the Watts Towers. Mingus reportedly said that Rodia taught him patience and discipline. But you can't help but see that Rodia might have taught Mingus something about improvisation and something about jazz.
Simon Rodia
Charles Mingus
You can download full size images here sta.sh/22f20ch7728z?edit=1 and read more about this remarkable work here www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/w…;
Protesting Drag Queens
On Easter Sunday there was a protest in West Hollywood, CA against the right wing conservative sponsored laws in various states attacking LBGTQ culture. It is a serious issue; then again there were Easter hats to be worn!
Highland Park Street Fair
I love this neighborhood, Highland Park and its neighbor, Eagle Rock, in Los Angeles. This street fair is a reflection of the residents here. Except for maybe the Taco Truck owner, its a local crowd, local bands and local merchants and artists.
Fremont Summer Solstice Parade
Every year the Fremont neighborhood in Seattle, Washington in the United States hosts a Summer Solstice festival. Actual summer weather usually doesn't arrive there until quite a few weeks later however. Still, the corner stone of the parade (rain or shine) is a nude bike ride that is some parts exhibitionism, some parts nudist revelry, some parts arts and fantasy, some parts cosplay, some parts wishful thinking for warm weather, lots of parts of body paints, many nasty bits on display and mostly massively fun for the participants and the crowd.
Cherry Tree Shootout Contest
CONTEST: The cherry trees in bloom now at the University of Washington in Seattle attract a huge post-Covid crowd. I went to shoot the trees and the beautiful quadrangle where they reside but ended up being forced to shoot the people shooting themselves and each other. Until I run out of Fragments or Coins, every one who comments to this Journal with an honest attempt at counting all of the people taking photos or looking at photos in the photos in this Journal will receive a Fragment or Coin. Please feel free to challenge each other's counting skills.
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I have known of the towers all my life --I have never seen them in such a display of the art of the lens. These are with out a dough the clearest images of the mans art that I have ever seen--the added history is fantastic