Los Angeles

So, we got into LA last night around 6:30. Pictures will be posted tomorrow, as will stories from the first two days on the road (and pictures). We both had stereotypically negative impressions of what LA would be like. I came to LA a couple years ago with a friend during spring break and wasn't at all impressed. I remembered sitting in traffic on the freeway and seeing nothing but a sea of cars and smog as the sun set. I thought of urban sprawl, pollution, concrete- basically a dirty city with no redeeming qualities. In the 36 hours I've spent here so far, I've come to see the city much differently.

I think that most of the images of LA I had in my head do not stem from any real experiences I've had here or even that people I know have had. I'm thinking of the rich white LA that drives everywhere all the time, is shallow, appearance-obsessed, and completely disneyfied but in a post-apocalyptic kind of way. LA is interesting. It seems real. It is maybe the most urban place I've ever been. There are tons of people walking everywhere. The buses are full. There seem to be a lot of interesting cultural/artistic and political happenings. I've been surprised at how GREEN the city is. Things are growing everywhere. It makes sense considering the geographical location of the city, but I just never expected people to have gardens here. I certainly didn't know that LA has the biggest urban farm in the US. (more about that to come when I upload photos from today). I also never realized how many factories are here. I saw the American Apparel factory today, where my wholesale shirts for screenprinting come from. Things in this city look old and worn, run down. Marc called it "shoddy." I think it looks real.

I've also met some amazing, fascinating and genuinely Nice people.

We are staying with Robby and Kimberly who both work on the Journal of Aesthetics and Protest. Robby's brother Marc, is the one who actually set up the screening for us. The Journal is really cool and I recommend checking it out. Lots of cool articles.

During our tour we are helping them with their project, the Red State's Journal.

Here is a description: We have sent out several diaries to act as chain-letters to documents the lives and communities of creative folks and activists to share their thoughts, ideas, reflections about the notion of living on the conservative side of the "Divided States of America.

We intend to publish the Red State Journals in an editioned artbook. We will also display them on-line and as a part of an exhibition.

Marc had planned for us to show the doc. at this place called Beta Level (formerly C level) in China town. It's in an alley in a basement. The only signifier that it's even there is a red (unmarked, unnumbered) door. There was a torrential downpour all day today. We got trapped on Sunset Boulevard in the rain and mostly hung out at the Down Beat Cafe (my new home in LA). Ava (a cool radical urban planner at UCLA) met us there and we talked for a while. We drove in the rain to China Town after that and the traffic was a nightmare (AKA normal). Ava co-edited this really cool book about public spaces. The Pdg files are online so check them out.

We got there and waited for a bit but no one came to the screening. Marc had tried to set the whole thing up in the matter of a couple of days and I'm sure the torrential rain didn't encourage people to come out. So instead of showing the dvd we sat around talking theory and sipping tequila. It was a nice night overall. Tomorrow we head for Santa Cruz.