ARTifacts

Found, as-is, on Willow St. near Santa Fe. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

You can often find the remnants of photoshoots all over this area. I find it fun to try and imagine what kind of shoot occurred in each of them.

Industrial St. - Widelux View

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

The Widelux is officially out of storage.

Tom Garner - Painter/Graphic Designer

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

When one thinks of the Arts District, the type of artist that comes to mind first is the fine art painter. A painter with a loft studio filled with canvases, easels and bottles of wine all against a musical score of some sort playing in the background.

Artist Tom Garner pretty much fits that to a tee.

Tom responded to a community e-mail I sent out looking for portrait subjects in the neighborhood. Upon receiving his reply, I checked out his website and immediately realized that Tom lives in a different visual world than most of us. I was intrigued.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Classically trained, but with a very contemporary interpretation, his work seems familiar at first, but then quickly eludes. With a nod to the Venetian greats, his paintings look classic, but only at first. A good example is his Omaggio A Tiepolo series. This body of work pays homage to the works of classic painters, but with the added element of movement. A technique I, as a photographer, could appreciate. When questioned about how he derived the look, the answer proved simple, and humorous. He would tell me that, as with most museums, photography is prohibited. Therefore, many of his reference photos were taken on the sly. This translates to: quickly, and often—blurred. Lemonade from lemons they say


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

The amazing thing about Tom is that painting isn't all he does. His day job is as Director of Graphic Design at Lucky Brand jeans. After our shoot, he pulled out some color digital printouts of tee shirt designs he's hand-lettered or hand-illustrated. All of it stunning. He also teaches painting in the classic style at UCLA. He's a busy guy. The day after our shoot, he was off to Italy to meet up with his wife and son for the Holidays. They split their time between Italy and California.

People like Tom are fast becoming a rarity. A commercial artist who can draw and paint. We discussed graphic design, something I have dabbled in on occasion. He says he's happy the latest trends in graphic design are going back to the fundamentals, when, he concludes, "graphic artists really were artists."

Hear, hear Tom.

Dan - TOY Factory Lofts Security

Dan in his natural habitat. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Meet Dan.

Officially, Dan is security at the TOY Factory Lofts across the street from my building. Unofficially, Dan is a security guard, doorman, dog-sitter, FedEx package signatory, dog treat dealer and overall jovial guy in a polka-dot tie.

Dan moved to Los Angeles from Maryland some years back to deal poker. But he quickly tired of that scene and stumbled onto our little block way the heck out here in industrial-land. And he decided to stay. When asked about the transition and why he can't ever seem to want to leave, he simply says, "I love it here. I REALLY love it here. The people are great." You'd have to love it here to work 6 days a week as he often does.


Dan Field Guide. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Beloved by the tenants—and their four-legged best friends—Dan is a fixture around these parts. He earned that status through his charm, sense of humor and biting, lightening-fast wit that is nearly always delivered completely deadpan.

I befriended Dan while hanging out at The Royal Claytons around happy hour. I'd recognized him as the guy I'd seen sitting in the odd little shipping container box/front desk in the lobby of the adjacent TOY. Only at The Claytons, the tie is gone and his shirt is always untucked (his way of saying "off-duty") as he holds court with a bottomless White Russian in hand.

And if you ask Dan what he does, he'll turn to you and pause with a serious look on his face and reply completely deadpan, "I run the building."

Bus Stop

Hailing a bus. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

A single piece of foamcore carved out in the shape of a bus commuter on Traction Ave.

Grey's Anatomy Filming at The Biscuit.

Patrick Dempsey during a take. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Last week, they filmed another scene for the ABC series Grey's Anatomy here at the Biscuit Company Lofts.

Apparently, Sandra Oh's character, Dr. Cristina Yang, lives in a loft building. So whenever they have an exterior scene in front of her building, they shoot here. The photo above is mid-take. Cristina and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) exit the building and she crosses the street to get in a Land Rover to meet someone. Derek stays behind and sits on a bench outside.

Ironically, I moved from Seattle to Los Angeles only to see a series set in Seattle shot in Los Angeles. It's slightly odd seeing a bunch of cars with the "Mt. Rainier" Washington State license plates driving down Industrial St. They also hosed down the street to make it look like it had just rained. Here in L.A., they actually have to TRUCK IN THE RAIN. Too funny.


Another take. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

The Limey on Willow St.

"You tell him I'm f*@&ing cominnnnggggg!" (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

A neighbor told me one of my favorite motion pictures, The Limey was filmed here at the Biscuit Building. After a few minutes searching on YouTube and one evening on my bike, I discovered that the infamous quadruple murder scene was actually shot at a warehouse on Willow St., not far from here.

I decided to take some newly acquired five-years-past-expiration 4x5 Polaroid film I recently uncovered down to the location to re-shoot it. The look of the Polaroid film just seemed to fit the tone of the scene.

And here's that scene. (NSFW: Language, Violence, Terence Stampitude.)



It's a great flick. I watched it for the first time as a second-run art film in an empty La Paloma theater in Encinitas, CA circa '99. In addition to excellent casting and a hallmark performance by Terence Stamp, Steven Soderbergh's use of washed out colors, disjointed timeline and beautiful lens blooming in the dream sequences make this one of my top 10.

A trip under the 6th St. Bridge

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

A few days ago I discovered this disjointed but very neatly written screed on the 6th St. bridge approach columns. This being an area called both "The Industrial District" and "The Arts District," it could have been written by any one of the following:

1.) A junkie.
2.) A homeless person.
3.) A photographer for yet another "urban" fashion shoot.
4.) A bored set security guard.
5.) A bored key grip originally from Santa Cruz.
6.) An extremely well educated rat on some really good shit.
7.) A troll.
8.) Amy Winehouse. (See also 1 and 7.)

I like to picture it was some crazy, hyper-intelligent, Exidor-looking, ranting end-of-times, hallucinogen-loving self-proclaimed shaman. Whoever wrote it, thank you. It made my afternoon.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Vicky - Wardrobe stylist/costume designer

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Vicky is my neighbor of two doors down. Her loft is a lot like her—richly adorned and very tall. (Our floor has 16 ft ceilings.) We met Vicky shortly after moving in. She seems to glide about, always with a big smile and bright eyes. Now that we've become friends, we simply can not pass by one another without a hug and a kiss. That's just how she is. Originally from Australia, her voice is light and her speech lyric. And she is rarely seen empty handed, whether it be racks of clothing, her dog Tabitha on a leash or a ridiculously long surfboard. She's always up to somethin'.

I decided to photograph her in front of her gorgeous Moroccan doors, imported from Marrakesh. Knowing Vicky's penchant for succinct brevity, I opted for a 10 question Q & A:

Q: Where were you born?
A: Sydney, Australia

What do you do for a living?
Wardrobe stylist/costume designer

Have you ever been lost in the wilderness?
Never lost in the wilderness... but in the wilderness... a lot.

Pick your poison
Red wine.

What is the love of your life?
My two boys... Oliver and Axel... they are the loves of my life.

Any bizarre hobbies?
'fraid not.

Ever had a near-death experience?
Yes, but really don't want to talk about it... it involved a car and a rabbit.

Favorite color name.
Sea foam green.

Most ridiculous fashion trend.
High heeled Crocs.

Ever meet a personal hero?
Every day.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

CSI: NY (well CSI: LA really...)

NYPD 12th Precinct in downtown L.A. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

This last Monday they shot a scene from CBS's CSI: NY down the block on Mateo Street. The front door of a warehouse was converted into a NYPD Precinct complete with patrol cars and a NYC cab. I don't watch the show so I assume the Escalade was for some sort of dashing police detective to peel out in after a heated argument with the police chief or the Medical Examiner or a blonde bombshell.

After shooting was completed, I watched one lone (probably union) guy load all these cars onto a tractor trailer and drive off. And he did it all in less than an hour. Impressive.


Prop cars. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Dead Bridge

Lit for movie filming. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

If this remote area of downtown has an icon, it's the Sixth Street Viaduct. Seen in countless car commercials and motion pictures, it's the visual center of film shooting in this area. It's not uncommon to see the parking lots below it packed with grip trucks, hotlights and support trailers.

And it's going to be destroyed.


Viewed from the Fourth St. Bridge. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

According to recent studies, this bridge has a 70% chance of "failing" in a large earthquake in the next 50 years. Reason is the bridge has a cancer known as "Alkali-Silica Reaction" (ASR) that is causing it to slowly crumble from the inside out. It's the only one of the twelve bridges that span the L.A. River near downtown to suffer from ASR. Engineering reviews have shown the best solution is not retrofit, but demolition and re-construction. So no matter what, this bridge—this icon—will be gone.


From the river basin. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

New bridge options are now being considered. But the sad truth is a piece of art deco history is quietly going into the sweet hereafter. Which is, in sorts, a harbinger for this neighborhood. The signs of this area changing rapidly are in the air. The building I live in and many like others like it have become an engine for change and growth in these parts. We hear we're a "neighborhood in transition." I just hope that Los Angeles, unlike my former Seattle, manages the change properly and chooses to retain some of the rich history of this area over the quick profit.


From the bridge deck. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

In the meantime, I think I'll continue to photograph this bridge as much as I can until it's gone.

Graff

Ben. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

There's a building on 3rd St. in the Arts District covered in graffiti. Gorgeous graffiti. Just West of Cafe Metropol, there's a section that seems to change with the seasons. And today I found out why.


Thanx on the ladder. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

While heading over to Phillipes for lunch with my good friend Ryan, we saw four guys working the wall. The light was still weird and orange from all the recent brush fires and we happened to have our cameras with us. So we decided to stop and snap a few frames of these artists at work.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Unlike most situations, the owner of this building has given permission and consent to graff artists to bomb the structure. And bomb they do. The lead on this crew was a gentleman named "Thanx." He's from an L.A. crew named UTI and was being helped today by some friends visiting from out of state. The wall previously had a Halloween theme and was now being covered with a new one. We were there too early in the process to know what that new theme is.


Wall detail. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

We shot the shit with Thanks for a bit then let him do his thing. I also spoke with Ben, who immediately caught my attention because of his intensity while working and the long beard the likes of which I haven't seen since I left the colder northern climes of the Pacific Northwest. He was gracious enough to allow a portrait. But after a few frames, he quietly said "I don't want to take any more pictures." It was then I realized all my talking had taken him away from his work long enough. Plus, he was no poser.

Check out more of the UTI Crew work here.

Lisa Solberg - Painter

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

For yet another installation in my loosely defined neighborhood photo project "90021," I asked painter and TOY Factory Loft resident Lisa Solberg if I could drop by for some photos of her in her studio.

Lisa truly gives meaning to the phrase "live/work" loft. She lives and works in a very sparsely furnished loft complete with excellent window light. She lives her work. Walls are covered with paint smears and Post-It notes scrawled with notes—written backwards. (A habit she picked up when she was younger to hinder her mom from reading her sketchbooks.) What's immediately obvious is that one thing is paramount to Lisa—her art.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Her curriculum vitae is almost as thick as her passport. A world traveler, she speaks German and can get by in Spanish if need be. She also speaks with a certainty and confidence about her vision that nearly competes with the bold strokes and colors in her paintings. Her prolificacy is evidenced by the 22 exhibitions she's been shown in to date. Today, she casually transferred a drawing from her sketchbook onto a large canvas pinned to the wall. "Is that the Virgin Mother?" I asked. "Yup. The Pietá. I revisit the Pietá a lot."


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

She just wrapped up a solo show of new work here in Los Angeles at Kinsey/DesForges Gallery. Next up is a group exhibition at Amsterdam's Andenken Gallery. You can find more information at her web site and see new work regularly posted at her blog.

The Royal Claytons

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

After the great shoot at Church & State, it seemed only fair to cross the (Industrial) street and get a portrait of the owners of The Royal Claytons. Meet Tony, Elizabeth, Lady Etta and Sir Henry. It's rare to see Tony and Elizabeth without the dogs. So, they had to be part of the shoot. Had to. And I am glad they were there. These dogs are walking sandbags that slobber. But don't be fooled by all the snorting and grunting. They are very, very smart. (Except for the part where they tried to eat billiard balls.)

"The Claytons" is our regular hangout. It's a home away from home—with 11 beers on tap. Great food, great beer, great company. I highly recommend that if you're in our neck of the woods, drop by and get a pint. Or two. Or three.

Election Night

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

To get my mind off the anxiety of the electoral college, Joe the Plumber and dangling chad flashbacks, I decided to get outside for a photo on election night. I had an idea. I envisioned my loft building filled with people in their living rooms watching the election results on TV, as seen from the rooftop across the street. So I lugged my gear up seven floors and set up shortly before sunset.

At the tail end of the magic hour, I clicked away. And wouldn't you know it, I seemed to be the only loser in town not at an election night party because, as you can see, hardly anyone was home. Shit.

Oh well, I got a great new photo of my loft building and a new President to boot. Win/win.

¡Feliz Dia de los Muertos!

Seen at the Festival de la Gente, 2008 © William Anthony

Steve Arroyo - Church & State

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Way back when, on our real estate tour of the Biscuit Building with the property manager, the first thing I noticed was the restaurant under construction on the ground floor loading docks. "That will be Church & State" said the rep from the leasing agent. "It will be really cool." Indeed.

After a protracted courtship with the developers, Church & State opened on Sept. 22nd.

The restaurateur (Did you know there's no "n" in that word? Me neither.) is a man named Steve Arroyo—owner of several other successful eateries in Los Angeles, most notably Cobras and Matadors. I introduced myself to him soon after opening day and later hit him up for a portrait. He agreed without a blink. I like this guy.

Softspoken and courteous, Steve indulged my complex lighting melange while nearly falling off his chair from a hard-puffing cigarette buzz. ("More smoke Steve! More smoke!") The restaurant's interior design is a mix of influences from Pastis in the Meat Packing District of NYC to clarklewis in Portland, Oregon. The latter also being a former loading dock in an industrial building. (Look closely at the photo above and you'll see the wine bottles perched on the former loading dock of the Biscuit.) I wanted to place Steve in situ as he fits the decor as someone who's created a space in which he fits perfectly. The mirrors, the Edison bulbs, bricks, steel and bottles of red, red vino all blend with the tats, hat, smokes and lowball glass of swirled aperitif.

Thank you Steve.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Giordano

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Giordano, aka "Gio,"works at Cafe Metropol on E 3rd in the Arts District. We here at WAP have become regulars there and always look forward to the great service and conversation with Gio. Today, he agreed to a few photos at the end of his work day.

Gio was born in Cuba and like me, survived Catholic school. We had a great conversation about God, evolutionary biology, nuns and my mother's potty mouth. (We both learned curse words in Spanish by example...)

After about 15 minutes, he answered his cellphone. It was his boss. I am not sure what was said, but the shoot ended—immediately.

We never got around to the story about the tattoos. I hope you didn't get into any trouble my friend!


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

V. Hernandez - LAFD

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

I met Mr. V. Hernandez while on a bike ride this morning. He and two engines were doing drills in the neighborhood. There's a lot of that down here. We crossed paths in front of the former Engine Co. #17 Fire Station on Santa Fe and 7th St. Mr. Hernandez is actually with Engine Co. #4 (as you can see on his helmet), but the industrial buildings down here give them the perfect environment to practice their procedures with the heavy equipment.

We chatted briefly about the history of the neighborhood and he recalled the big explosion. at the Imperial Toy Co. in '97. Which was directly across from us.

I have nothing but respect for firefighters. Unless they are driving by the loft at 1am with lights and sirens blaring. Which they do. Just about every night.

King of Misfit Toys

Found, as is, under Spring St. Bridge (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

King? Troll? Wubby?

Choose wisely.

Frank: Biscuit Mr. Fix-it

Frank dusting off the building. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Meet Frank. (Born "Francisco.") He works at the Toy and Biscuit Lofts. He does maintenance, cleaning and other odds and ends around my building. Everyone around here knows Frank. He's easy to spot as he's almost always wearing a huge grin. (See below.) He's also a great, great guy. Former military, father of two, and a huge Dodgers fan (sorry about Game 2 buddy), Frank knows how hard work "works."


© William Anthony

Frank and I have a lot in common. Our mothers share the same first name. We're both Spanish/Mexican, talkative, and extremely handsome. Did I mention we're both modest too?

If you're in the neighborhood, be sure to stop by The Royal Claytons roughly around quitting time. You're sure to find Frank sitting at "his" table having a beer and flirting with the wait staff after a hard day's work.

Obamccain

That One v. McNasty (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Poster art seen at the corner of E 3rd St & Traction Ave. in the Arts District.

Conrad and Bubbles

On Center St. near the 1st St. Bridge. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

I don't know who Conrad or Bubbles are. But I do know that at one point in time, they loved one another. So much so, that Conrad (assumedly) took out a pocket knife and risked cliche by carving that love into a tree.

Adam and the KIA commercial.

Adam between takes. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

This is Adam. He was part of a crew filming a KIA commercial on and around the 6th St. Bridge. I was just sitting there on my bike watching the camera car chase this sporty little KIA car up and down 6th Ave. Then I saw the fro. I walked up and asked if I could snap a few frames. His response?

"Totally."

Thanks Adam.

90021

TOY and Biscuit in same frame. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

I live in an extremely famous neighborhood in Los Angeles. But you'd never know it by driving around. I don't live in Hollywood, or Beverly Hills, or Malibu. You'll never see landmarks from here in postcards or visitor's guides. But chances are, you see my neighborhood every day on television. I live in the "Industrial District," where thousands of commercials, television shows and movies are filmed every year. You can't walk two blocks in any direction without seeing the ubiquitous "NOTICE OF FILMING" labels adhered to a random wall, door or gate. It's the prototypical "urban landscape."

The race sequence in the movie Grease? It's the LA River under the Sixth St. bridge. The cheesy projected background whizzing behind William Shatner as he rides a motorcycle in that Priceline commercial? Santa Fe St. All within walking distance.

I've taken to riding my bike around here at dusk, when the light is best, and snapping photos with one camera or another.

I figured the best place to start was my front door. The photo above is one third (the middle third) of the TOY loft building directly across from my front door. You can also see it way in the background at the end of this Saturn commercial. Look for the enormous letters spelling "TOY."

Expect more musings from 90021.