Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles: Part 1

I find Hollywood Boulevard to be one of the most fascinating places in Los Angeles. It's a clash of everything tacky and glamorous, rich and poor, old and new. Here you'll find links to the golden age of Hollywood, where landmarks have been re-imagined, transformed, and squeezed for any drop of relevance they may or may not actually have. It's a visual smorgasbord of pop culture where the fantasy of the movies collides with the real world of those trying to get a taste. 

I spent the night wandering, chatting with strangers, and tasting craft beers at the various bars that caught my attention. I explored the Chinese Theatre and the Dolby at Hollywood and Highland. In the end I was just playing in the fantasy too. The first picture I snapped was of this musician walking across Alfred Hitchcock's star on the Walk of Fame. He was just a few paces in front me. It was a great snap, but I found myself so caught up in what I was doing that I didn't realize until I got home and looked at the image again that the friend he was walking with was actually homeless and had no shoes on. To me, that's Hollywood Boulevard in a nutshell. Iconic, but so full of distractions that sometimes the obvious just kind of blends in. 

Cabot's Pueblo Museum Interior

After exploring the exterior of this former residence in Desert Hot Springs, California I knew I had to take the tour of the interior. The oddly shaped rooms were filled with Cabot Yerxa's original artwork, artifacts from his family's history, and general glimpses into what life was like for desert homesteaders in Southern California. Read more about this unique location by viewing my first post here. 

Cabot Yerxa's art supplies.

Notch cut out of the door because of an oddly shaped beam.

Bathtub Yerxa bought for his wife - one of the few things he ever bought new.

Bits to Atoms @ Medalta (2015)

Over the last couple of months I've been working on several projects at Medalta, one of which was Bits to Atoms. I shot and edited this video about a 10 day program being put on by Medicine Hat College and Medalta where participants will get the opportunity to design an original object on computer, 3D print that object, and then translate that object into ceramic.

Shooting a bunch of the potential scenarios for the video, I witnessed some really cool things. From the design work of James Kuehn and the 3D print he did of his mug to the skill of Noriko Masuda and the art of creating a slip cast, it was really interesting just being a fly on the wall while all of this was happening. We even got a few money shots with the flames from the kiln. All and all, it should be a really great program and I can't wait to see how it pans out. 

Have a look at the brand new video below, and click here for more on Bits to Atoms.