noirish Los Angeles

[GaylordWilshire]

Since plenty of people think that Wolfe was not a writer but made millions by pretending to be one—someone without genuine artistic skills—I'm not sure he was the best judge of who is and who isn't an artist.

I'm with Lwize on this one. Seems obvious to me.

Originally Posted by Lwize

"Art" is subjective to the point of being beyond criticism.

There is neither good art nor bad art. There is simply art.

Ruscha was/is an artist.

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Rusha, now 82 years old is a perfect example of someone who is not an artist can make millions by pretending to be one.

A great book about this is:

Wolfe's thesis in The Painted Word was that by the 1970s, modern art had moved away from being a visual experience, and more often was an illustration of art critics' theories.

This book explains why modern art is actually a scam created by art dealers, critics and people without genuine artistic skills.

[ethereal_reality]

Thanks odinthor and HossC.


Perhaps a remnant of the oil field: There's a Birch Hills Golf Course on the east side of Brea / northwest of Anaheim.


google_earth


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[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by Lwize

"Art" is subjective to the point of being beyond criticism.

There is neither good art nor bad art. There is simply art.

Ruscha was/is an artist.

I'd differ a bit, criticism of vision is invalid, criticism of technique is valid.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

The highway signs are the clue, 79 and 74 only coincide for a short distance and the only area that would have that much retail is Hemet.

I think this is probably the Palace Market:
via GSV
It's at 400 E. Florida Ave., Hemet City Hall is now across the street.

While I was writing this up, we had a small shaker here in the southland.

Thanks Bill.

It appears the Palace Market/Cindy's Pawn Shop used to be Hemet's A & P Grocery Store.


eBay / Postmarked 1960

If you squint you can see the A & P letters.


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[ethereal_reality]

I looked through past posts that mention "Simon's" (there are hundreds it seems) and didn't see this item from an. . .um. .Electrical Products Corporation magazine. (if I remember correctly)


old ethereal file


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[ethereal_reality]

.

Tonight's mystery location.


"Sexy Gal by Car on L.A. Street. Delux Ford Roadster. Top Down"


eBay




Here's how it recently appeared on eBay. (I'm having trouble finding it again)



eBay

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[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Since plenty of people think that Wolfe was not a writer but made millions by pretending to be one—someone without genuine artistic skills—I'm not sure he was the best judge of who is and who isn't an artist.

I'm with Lwize on this one. Seems obvious to me.

^^^
I enjoyed "The Right Stuff". Great book & entertaining history of the early space race and the test pilot/astronaut subculture. Wolfe wrote very well. His "new journalism" style makes history enjoyable. He took a subculture (e.g. surfer, hot rods, test pilots & astronauts, modern art, Wall Street traders etc.) and dug really deep in what I call "point of view opinionated cultural journalism" but is usually called new journalism. Too bad he passed away, but still catching up on his old books. Because his books lack footnotes, people assume Wolfe didn't work very hard. In fact, he did. Often years researching a book. "The Right Stuff" is in my opinion the best of the (informal) histories of the early space race, and nobody has questioned its essential veracity as far as I know.

[HenryHuntington]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

.

Tonight's mystery location.


"Sexy Gal by Car on L.A. Street. Delux Ford Roadster. Top Down"


eBay

Here's how it recently appeared on eBay. (I'm having trouble finding it again)



eBay

.

________________________

We're looking eastward on Pico Blvd. just east of Swall Dr. in West Los Angeles. The building across the street remains as retail & offices.

The young lady is standing in front of what is now the B'nai David Congregation.

[badrunner]

I have no opinion on Ed Ruscha as an artist. Not a big fan of modern art in general, but he was an important documentarian for LA streetscapes. Kind of a Google Streetview before the internet.

• Video Link

[Noir_Noir]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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"Sexy Gal by Car on L.A. Street. Delux Ford Roadster. Top Down"


eBay

The lower portion of the Van De Kamp's windmill above the sexy gal's head is still there at 8839 West Pico.



GSV



The rest was carted off to the dump in 1956.



ladbsdoc.lacity.org

[Hollywood Graham]

Roadster is not a Ford, it is probably a Packard judging by dash board, instrument panel, lack of "suicide doors" and running lights on fender.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Rusha, now 82 years old is a perfect example of someone who is not an artist can make millions by pretending to be one.

A great book about this is:

Wolfe's thesis in The Painted Word was that by the 1970s, modern art had moved away from being a visual experience, and more often was an illustration of art critics' theories.

This book explains why modern art is actually a scam created by art dealers, critics and people without genuine artistic skills.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I have to smile at some of the comments on this topic.

I remember back in the 1970s when I was at Art Center College. Several of my fellow art students used to talk about how they planned to scam the art market to make money from their mediocre art. Several were later semi successful at it.

Rich people want to buy art but they don't know what to buy. They allow gallery owners and critics to tell them what's the hot art. They fall for it but its just a merchandising game. The galleries, artists and critics all together collude in the scam. I've been there and know exactly how they operate.

Wolfe explained it all in his book, shown above.

[Scott Charles]

How the fine art market works:

• Video Link

[Martin Pal]

So it appears rich people are ruining art markets and architecture, too.*

While it's been widely known for at least a decade that Frank Gehry is the world's worst living architect, it's not entirely clear why some people—mostly very rich clients—haven't picked up on this yet.

https://gizmodo.com/architect-1523113249

*...and sports and politics and the environment and...

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

So it appears rich people are ruining art markets and architecture, too.*

While it's been widely known for at least a decade that Frank Gehry is the world's worst living architect, it's not entirely clear why some people—mostly very rich clients—haven't picked up on this yet.

https://gizmodo.com/architect-1523113249

*...and sports and politics and the environment and...

Martin, your comment is a hoot. The nouveau-riche social climbers usually know only one thing.... $$$$$$$. The snobby art galleries know this and love to flatter them with the latest hot caca art. These noobs lap it up like a thirsty puppy.

Gehry? Don't get me started.

[BDiH]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I have to smile at some of the comments on this topic.

I remember back in the 1970s when I was at Art Center College. Several of my fellow art students used to talk about how they planned to scam the art market to make money from their mediocre art. Several were later semi successful at it.

Rich people want to buy art but they don't know what to buy. They allow gallery owners and critics to tell them what's the hot art. They fall for it but its just a merchandising game. The galleries, artists and critics all together collude in the scam. I've been there and know exactly how they operate.

Larry Gagosian anyone?

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Noir_Noir

The lower portion of the Van De Kamp's windmill above the sexy gal's head is still there at 8839 West Pico.


GSV

Thanks for figuing out the location Noir Noir.



So this whole building was built by Van de Kamp's?


GSV

I didn't realize their stores were so large or is this one an exception?

There's a beautiful building behind all the unsightly signs & awnings.


And it's such a shame the windmill was carted off to a dump.

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[Mstimc]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

So it appears rich people are ruining art markets and architecture, too.*

While it's been widely known for at least a decade that Frank Gehry is the world's worst living architect, it's not entirely clear why some people—mostly very rich clients—haven't picked up on this yet.

https://gizmodo.com/architect-1523113249

*...and sports and politics and the environment and...

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Martin, your comment is a hoot. The nouveau-riche social climbers usually know only one thing.... $$$$$$$. The snobby art galleries know this and love to flatter them with the latest hot caca art. These noobs lap it up like a thirsty puppy.

Gehry? Don't get me started.

Originally Posted by BDiH

Larry Gagosian anyone?

Harry Truman after touring a modern art gallery in Europe:

"If that's art, then I'm a Hottentot."

[riichkay]

Long before the Convention Center/Staples, a proposal for a downtown "trade fair" center and arena....from the L.A. Examiner archives, 3/28/51...




Photograph of a diagram. 'How it would look -- Here is a cutaway drawing of the auditorium and trade fair center that would be built downtown if Propositions A and B are passed at Tuesday's primary election. Auditorium seating 19,000 is at right, and indoor exhibition hall with two wings is at upper left. Outdoor exhibit area is planned between 4th and 5th and Figueroa and Flower.' -- Examiner clipping attached to verso, dated 28 March 1951.;'Artist's cutaway conception of new proposed Auditorium and trade fair center, showing how the proposed projects can be of great benefit to citizens of Los Angeles. Main arena building, right of center, show seating arrangement for convention. Plans call for maximum seating of 19,000 persons. Upper left is the cutaway conception of the indoor exhibition hall of 120,000 square feet. Large center building shows a typical trade exhibit in operation. Right wing illustrates how a different, and smaller group can meet, at the same time the trade fair is in progress. Left wing shows how a third exhibit area can be utilized. Center, between 4th and 5th and Figueroa and Flower Streets is planned for 30,000 square feet of outdoor exhibit area with entrances and exits and cutaway of underground parking facilities show. Lower right is main parking area building. This Auditorium, convention, trade fair and sports center will occupy 23 acres between 3rd and 5th Streets and Fremont and Flower Streets. Proposition A for this fine civic improvement will be given to the people for their approval on the April 3 municipal ballot.' -- typed noted attached to verso.Figueroa Street & Flower Street; Los Angeles, California; Auditorium & Trade Fair CenterLos Angeles -- City -- Buildings -- A. (Photo by Los Angeles Examiner/USC Libraries/Corbis via Getty Images)



And an alternative proposal for Chavez Ravine, should the courts reject the pending contract with the Dodgers, 1958...



Photograph of an sketch by Don May of a proposed lake in Chavez Ravine, 1958. 'From: Joe Alvine & Co., 1052 West 6th Street (MA 5-7519), Los Angeles 17, California;For: Don Anderson;For imediate release' -- typed on verso.;'Council hears public lake for Chavez Ravine proposal -- A public lake for Chavez Ravine if courts rule against the Los Angeles Dodgers' contract was proposed before the Los Angeles City Council today by Assemblyman Don Anderson, 45th district. Artist's sketch (above) was presented to Councilmen to show how area would look developed as a lake. Anderson expressed belief state would lend assistance to project, which he said would give people needed recreational facilities and help beautify downtown section.' --

[ethereal_reality]

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I happened upon this amazing photograph last night on eBay


eBay


"Vasa - Dagen"

January 16th, 1916....Los Angeles, Cal.


I asked odinthor what "Vasa - Dagen" means. He said 'Vasa' no doubt refers to King Gustav I of Sweden and "Dagen" means Day.
Is anyone familiar with a Los Angeles based Swedish organization from the early 1900s?



for search purposes:...Lauritz Bros. Foto
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