oneshotexhibition.org blog

For the critical mass of destruction in this global world, there startling information on how the earth is moving into decay in a alarming rate.

In the New York Times article UN’s warning about climate charge and the CNN program “Planet in Peril” are telling us there is a need from the global population to change our daily routines and habits in order to change the tide of destruction towards the environment.

How long is it going take to change people minds and heart in making a difference instead of being in denial on global warming and the loss of our natural resources? How many catastrophes do we need to learn that the way we conduct ourselves is hurting the environment?

There are a great majority of us who think responsibility and preach about ecology but do not practice are a bunch of hypocrites. There are some architects who put themselves as socially conscious in terms of being Green but their work displays the opposite. They usually used Type V Construction (wood frame construction) with exposed wood beams that comes from a dense wood grain that doesn’t allow the wood to split or crack. They are usually come from old growth trees and face of heart center (F.O.H.C.), meaning they come from the center rings of the tree, most likely a Douglas Fir tree from North America.

The only hope is that people who are rebuilding from the fires in Southern California recently can rethink on how they what to build and what materials they want to rebuild their homes. Maybe move closer to densely populated area close to work, away from the wilderness area and live with a sense of responsibility.

(courtesy of LA Times)

Song of the Blog: Destroy Everything You Touch by Ladytron on the CD Witching Hour.

Graffitti along Caesar Chavez Ave.

One of the more interesting works in East LA, an abstraction of language, lettering and art. Most of the detailed works has a tertiary bond that goes beyond the representation of it.

In the Liquor store parking off the corner of Alantic and Whittier Blvd.

Song of the Blog: Shwingalokate by De La Soul on the CD album De La Soul Is Dead

East LA (Latino nation), east from the Downtown LA and the 5 Freeway, is a place ready to be explore with its multitude sorts of shops and restaurants along Whittier Blvd, Pomona Blvd and Caesar Chavez Avenue, a rich cultural body that will influence societies into a realm of languages, art, form and identity.

96.8% of the Population is Hispanic, where the majority are Mexicanos. There are Puerto Ricans, El Salvadorians, Nicaraguans, etc.

The dichotomy of East LA is the explosion of flavors in a area where shops of clothes (ropas), gifts (regalos), food (comida) and other services (otros servicios) lined together along busy streets with mariachi music filling the air, in contrast with gang activity, crime and graffiti tagging running rapid.

The extended Gold Line of the MTA which will be completed in late 2008 will stretch through the center of East LA, all the way to Atlantic Blvd. It will give an opportunity to explore the area and try the local cuisine. It is much of a historical and cultural town which already has an identity to grown upon.

Beware of a large auto-tech guy @ Tony’s Transmission on Caesar Chavez Ave.

Mural of Caesar Chavez, Jose Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera and other Mexican Cultural Heroes.

At the south-west corner of Atlantic and Whittier, stands a closed 1927 classic movie palace, the Golden Gate Theatre, registered as a national historic monument. The theater was built in the Spanish Churrigueresque style and an adjacent historic retail building that fronted the movie house was razed in the 1990s after sustaining damage in the Whittier Earthquake.

Now owned by Charles Co., they already have Walgreens signed on to be part of the redevelopment plans which plans in 15 months.

While the Golden Golden Theatre will be preserved, the question is how the new design on the intersection will it integrate itself as being a focal point of the community and the fabric of East LA. Will it replicate to the theatre or will it come up a new approach more representative of the Hispanic community compliments the area with pedestrian open spaces in coordination with the theatre, instead of a parking lot.

Right now, on the south-east corner of S. Woods Ave., there is a boxy colored coordinated commercial building that is uncharacteristic and typical mini-mall that spreads most urban and suburban neighborhoods. Lets hope this isn’t the case.

exterior view Golden Gate Theatre @ the corner of Atlantic and Whittier Blvd.

Interior view of Golden Gate Theatre (courtesy of LA Public Library).

Song of the Blog: The Social Relevance of Public by Quetzal on the CD Sing the Real

There has been quite a discussion on the use and design of storage containers- the way it’s being recyclable, sustainable and affordable. Two firms in Southern California who are pushing the envelope or making a concerted effort in using shipping containers into the building industry – Jennifer Siegal of Office of Mobile Design and Peter Demaria of Demaria Designs Associates Inc.

While the use of containers are the integral part of their design, the language of using the containers is not moving in a direction of self-exploration of space, no interplay or dynamic movement amongst the usage of the containers. It seems that the occupying space and material of the containers are their central theme. Not to take away what they have accomplished but the investigation of using containers in producing a new direction of social, mental and psychological space can be explored, rather than stacking on top of each other.

For example, the house in Redondo Beach by Peter DeMaria represents the massing and transparency of the house where the roof line is the dominate feature in the interplay of space. The interior space is determined by the containers stacking which gives it a double-space effect.

The spaces are more direct in plan than having certain nuances of residual and open spaces, therefore it’s more about the use than the utilization of storage containers. It wouldn’t be a innovative way of using them for a certain family or group but it gets to the point of reusable materials and space.

House on Redondo Beach by Peter DeMaria of Demaria Associates.

Song of the Blog: Would I Be The One by Sean Lennon on the CD Friendly Fire

The town of Fillmore, 17.5 miles west from Santa Clarita and 15 miles form Ventura, is more of a small town amidst the sprawl in the Los Angeles and Ventura region. Its main street reminisce a town in the mid-states. It still maintains the essence of the simple life and the agricultural landscape which is rare but might be short lived.

South of Interstate 126, a couple of new developments is starting to taking shape that has become inevitable for capitalistic growth, the same type of development seen around Ventura County and elsewhere in Southern California, Mediterranean style homes scrunch together like sardines which doesn’t mix near to commercial and local business to offset in using the automobile.

There no end in sight when there is still no new smart planning that will mix residential and local business, such as a bakery, cafe shop, dry cleaner, general store, etc. and is within walking distance from each other. A community will not sustain itself form one another when household groups or families live in isolating packs, away from public interaction with strangers and without the use of the automobile to get to a social environment or center.

Small California towns has been disappearing or being over-run and communities are becoming social fracture society with no sense of place, history has been replace with sprawl. Planning and development in open areas like the inland empire of Ontario, Banning and Riverside County are becoming suburban wasteland with its Martha Steward inspire houses by KB Homes and live in a programed life.

For the meantime, we still have Fillmore.

Corner of Central Ave and 1st Avenue in the historic part of Fillmore, CA.
The Fillmore & Western Railway Depot

Song of the Blog: Prisoner of Society by The Living End on the self-title CD The Living End.

Jules Shulman, one of the most respected architectural photographers in our lifetime, gave an open discussion about his work during his illustrious career while he is celebrating his 97th birthday at the Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach in accordance with the exhibition “Birth of Cool: California Art, Design and Culture At Midcentury.”

What is amazing about his age is he is still has a sharp mind and still has strong opinions about the Architecture academia, even though he walks with a walker. He had to correct Rani Singh, a senior associate of the Getty Research Institute, on how he first met Richard Neutra & became an unofficial photographer for him. He showed candor and arrogance but also a good sense of humor.

He told the audience that he was lucky to have fallen into this profession and be able to sustain it for a long time. He advised architectural photographers to do their own way photographing space and composition, and not to allow Architects dictate on your work.

He also mention he wanted to bring the deans in the architecture schools of USC, UCLA and Woodbury University in order to bring attention to the state of architectural education which he believes it is in a state of crisis. He wanted to talk to Norman Millar (Director School of Architecture/ Woodbury University), Quingyung Ma (Dean of USC School of Architecture) and Hitoshi Abe (Dean of UCLA School of Architecture) about precipitous state of architecture and that schools should move towards an inclusiveness approach of society needs and responsibility. Who knows what effect Jules Shulman will have on Architecture Schools curriculum.

Jules Shulman photography of Case Study House no. 21 (Bailey House) by Pierre Koenig.

Jules Shulman with one of his groupies (Caroline) @ the Orange County Museum of Art.

Song of the Blog: Human Canonball by Butthole Surfers on the Album Locust Abortion Technician

With the outlaw of the McMansion throughout the city, most new home owners who came to America want to put their stamp into the model neighborhood which they could afford and want to live. Some come with consequences of sticking out like a sore thumb, a rotten apple, out of style and gaudy.

It brings an up and arms approach of their neighbors who  believe it degrades the neighborhood by the owners/developers appeal. None of it would be sensitive to the concerns of the neighbors but they believe it’s an improvement than before.

One of the suggestions is their culture from their former foreign land suggest it’s OK to do anything because it’s a free society and it’s America (somewhat like the Borat movie). It may be they aggrandize themselves their wealth for neighbors, siblings and relatives for to see or it’s a narcissistic view of themselves in society.

In Los Angeles, it’s more prevalent in neighborhoods where there is a new influx of immigrants capitalizing from a successful entrepreneurship which enables them to imprint their cultural heritage, even though it’s out of context, scale and insensitive towards their surroundings with the the neighbors. The impact of disassociation has left an indelible mark.

Should they be burn to the stake or to accept it as a paradigm shift from a bucolic landscape of suburbia or a historic neighborhood that hasn’t been designated to a cultural landmark to a multi-faceted culture face of personality which is integrating with the rest?

Stay tune with with your neighborhood and other neighborhoods.

(Guess who coming to Diner?)

Song of the Blog: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Molotov on the CD Con Todo Respecto