Acrylic on canvas, 18x24in.
Statement: When I was younger, whenever I felt the need to escape from my day to day struggles or feeling lonely in a city full of individuals who never understood me, I always found refuge in nature. To me, nature was where I grounded myself and where my troubles felt so far they could never reach me. The LA River was the closest thing I had to a distant land where the humming of the freeway transformed into a cascade which I could only hear and see if I closed my eyes. I enjoyed going to the river bed by myself when the sun was setting and always found that even though I liked to go alone, I was never lonely because the elements were always present. My spirit became one with the fresh breeze that blew against my hair, the warm sun against my face, the water running closely by my side, and the earth beneath my feet. Although the water in the river has never been clean enough to jump into and the night sky never showed more than five stars because of the light pollution, I often envisioned and re-imagined a colorful night sky where I could see the many stars in the milky way and see how such beautiful skies reflected themselves upon the clean, healing waters of the river. For many years the LA River was a sanctuary where I could escape, it was there down by the river bed where I always found myself and gained the strength to return to the life I was meant to live.
About the Artist: I moved to SELA at a young age and since then I still reside within this community. SELA is where I blossomed into an adult and it's also the place where I discovered who I was meant to become. I am a proud SELA artist because despite all my hardships, here is where I learned to overcome all of my obstacles so that everyday I can become the best version of myself and share my gifts with the community.
Hometown: South Gate, CA
Connect: instagram: @arte_estrella1115
Acrylic on canvas, 9x12 in.
Statement: When I was younger, whenever I felt the need to escape from my day to day struggles or feeling lonely in a city full of individuals who never understood me, I always found refuge in nature. To me, nature was where I grounded myself and where my troubles felt so far they could never reach me. The LA River was the closest thing I had to a distant land where the humming of the freeway transformed into a cascade which I could only hear and see if I closed my eyes. I enjoyed going to the river bed by myself when the sun was setting and always found that even though I liked to go alone, I was never lonely because the elements were always present. My spirit became one with the fresh breeze that blew against my hair, the warm sun against my face, the water running closely by my side, and the earth beneath my feet. Although the water in the river has never been clean enough to jump into and the night sky never showed more than five stars because of the light pollution, I often envisioned and re-imagined a colorful night sky where I could see the many stars in the milky way and see how such beautiful skies reflected themselves upon the clean, healing waters of the river. For many years the LA River was a sanctuary where I could escape, it was there down by the river bed where I always found myself and gained the strength to return to the life I was meant to live.
About the Artist: I moved to SELA at a young age and since then I still reside within this community. SELA is where I blossomed into an adult and it's also the place where I discovered who I was meant to become. I am a proud SELA artist because despite all my hardships, here is where I learned to overcome all of my obstacles so that everyday I can become the best version of myself and share my gifts with the community.
Hometown: South Gate, CA
Connect: instagram: @arte_estrella1115
Color pencil on paper, 11x14 in.
Statement: The river was here before us, and will continue to prevail long after our society has changed. Its structure has changed because of human interaction, but in many ways, its essence is still intact. We have seen our communities prosper because of this natural formation, much like most other societies that have successfully established themselves near bodies of water. Here in SouthEast LA, we are currently experiencing a “rebirth” in social, cultural and environmental consciousness. With the ongoing threats of gentrification, homelessness, and socioeconomic shifts that may result from viewing our SELA as “Progress”, it is important that all the members in our communities take ownership of, and celebrate the places that have nurtured all of us this far, while taking civic responsibility. “SELA Renaissance” is an homage to the ever swinging pendulum of social and environmental reconstruction of our natural landscapes.
About the Artist: Edlin G Lopez is an artist, community organizer, and educator who grew up in South Gate, CA. She is a first generation American whose work deeply centers Mexican culture and tradition. Described by the artist as symbolic narratives, her art aims to examine feminist identity politics, multi-nationality struggles, and issues of mental health and socioeconomic status. She is one of two founding members of Open Walls, a project-based artist studio dedicated to providing artist spaces to the SouthEast Los Angeles region.
Hometown: South Gate, CA
Connect: www.open-walls.org, instagram: @lina_lupita
Digital Rendering, dimensions vary
Statement: Stark, gray, shadow, concrete, unsettling, mysterious, monumental, performative, explorative, artistic... river.
The ecological succession of the Los Angeles River has played out amidst a sea of recent proposals for its “revitalization”, contending that the water course, through its channelization, had completely lost touch with the natural eco-system that once existed there. This is not untrue, but this is not the whole story either. What has emerged in the river is an alternate/artificial ecology, with attributes, though unexpected, are not without value or character. Perhaps accepting that the grit and grime of its channeled walls as a veritable terrain for occupation and use could be leveraged to create something beautiful and monumental, rather than familiar and comforting.
As a prototype for an artificial landscape, this project posits that a new type of public space could emerge with all the same qualities the current LA River already possesses - one that does not seek to tame or revitalize the existing ecological conditions, but rather seeks to amplify the potential they possess as peculiar and fascinating opportunities for artistic and creative exploration.
About the Artist: Aaron Levine is a Designer and Musician working in San Francisco. He is fascinated and inspired by the seam between nature and constructed environments, as well as the performative relationships therein. Having found music to be a bridge to architecture and visual art, the need for a feedback loop between mediums weighs heavily on his creative process and design sensibilities. Levine was born and raised in Los Angeles and moved to San Francisco in 2007. He holds a Master's of Architecture from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor's of Art in History from UC Santa Cruz.
Hometown: Los Angeles/San Francisco
Connect: instagram: @aveclaudenum