It took about 50 years for the automation of elevators to eliminate the job of elevator operator. Once you can reach your floor with the simple push of a button, why would you pay someone just to push the buttons? The problem is that elevator operators delivered other services besides being sure the lift was…
I have to say that “respect” isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Slab City, an informal community of faded snowbirds, desert rats, creatives, burnt-out meth heads, and a few others who simply want to drop off the grid. But there it is, emblazoned on the side of a concrete…
In the final act of Picasso at Lapin Agile, a mysterious visitor from the future, wearing blue suede shoes, enters the bar and makes a striking pronouncement. VISITOR: ‘Cause this century, the accomplishments of artists and scientists outshone the accomplishments of politicians and governments. The rest of ensemble, including Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, and a…
When I first learned about Desert Christ Park in Weird California, I put it on my bucket list because it seemed like good fodder for a snarky blog post. But instead, I found the experience strangely moving. Just about two hours outside of Los Angeles and half an hour before you reach Joshua Tree National…
When our desire moves us to make something, we begin to naturally start assembling bits and pieces into a kind of order. It doesn’t matter what we are working on, a piece of writing, a painting, a piece of furniture. There is an ordering process that is common to all creative works. The easiest place…
Candy Chang’s installation project “Before I Die” transforms an abandoned house in New Orleans into a place for people to dream about what could be.
Not everyone has lights. Or an outlet. Or empowerment. But pretty much anyone can find a can of paint. Web Urbanist passes along 40 Fantastic-to-Freaky Christmas Greetings in Graffiti.
