Gangsta Gardener Ron Finley
In South Los Angeles, the term “gangsta” isn’t typically associated with flowers, fruit trees, or fertile bins of compost, but one day it will be, if Ron Finley has his way. For the self-named “Gangsta Gardener,” planting an edible garden is an act of resistance and empowerment, not to mention a smart financial move. “Growing... More
Maripol: Polaroids From The Underground
In 1974, a book called The Faith of Graffiti, featuring photographs by Jon Naar and an essay by Norman Mailer about a new art form rising from the streets and subways of New York City, found its way into the hands of a student at l’Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Nantes, France, named Marie-Paule. A seminal... More
Frogtown: A Creative Hub Blossoms Along the L.A. River
Turn onto the wrong street from Riverside Drive and you might never find it. You’ll hit the 2 or the 5 freeway, or maybe wind up at a side entrance to Home Depot. But once you do enter this neighborhood of single-family homes and low industrial buildings, nestled along the curving, soft-bottom section of the... More
Desert Storm: Art in Joshua Tree and the Coachella Valley
The drive from Palm Springs to Rancho Mirage isn’t what you’d describe as scenic: The landscape shifts from explosively verdant flora and palm tree colonnades to tan stucco boxes, asphalt, and scrub. But Neville Wakefield, the artistic director of the Desert X biennial, opening February 25 and on view through April, wasn’t necessarily looking for... More
Eve Babitz’s Classic Hollywood Memoir is Finally Reissued
Derek Taylor, the Beatles’ L.A.-based press agent and a man about the Sunset Strip, introduced Eve Babitz to the Fab Four as “the best girl in America.” Indeed, for a hot minute that spanned the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, the Hollywood native was a bright star in the galaxy of art and glamour that was... More
The Leading Ladies of “Dope”
As the setting sun paints the Santa Monica sky hot pink, Kiersey Clemons and Chanel Iman scroll through their Instagram feeds, debating the merits of candid versus posed photographs. “I’m an actress, so I love candids,” says the 21-year-old Clemons, best known as teen troublemaker Bianca on the pioneering Amazon series Transparent, “but [Chanel] is... More
The Distinct Californication of Paris Photo Los Angeles
With nearly 200 art fairs on the international cultural calendar, it’s no surprise that art-world denizens have a case of fair fatigue. Paris Photo L.A., however, seems to have the cure for what ails them. Expecting 20,000 people for its third year at Paramount Pictures Studios in Hollywood this weekend, it is an art fair... More
Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of ‘Howl’ in Los Angeles
As the man who produced one of Allen Ginsberg’s last recorded works — and who virtually invented the tribute album as standalone art form — the record producer (and current music producer of “Saturday Night Live”) Hal Willner was truly the only person who could have put together last night’s celebration of the Beat poet’s... More
Smoke Signals: Incense for Every Style
For many, the idea of incense evokes nothing so much as college dorm rooms and hippie shops that smell more like car air freshener than exotic spices. But lately that stigma has started to lift, as fragrance artisans and boutique brands offer new variations that leave Nag Champa up in smoke. Historically, incense was used... More
Cameron, Witch of the Art World
Pale and slender, she is wrapped in a black and white shawl that once belonged to Rudolph Valentino, a Spanish comb fanning out from her fiery red hair. Slowly, she lifts the long, fringed lashes framing her blue eyes and fixes her liquid gaze on the camera. She extends her hand and opens her palm... More
Something in the Air
To some, art smells like nothing so much as money, but in Los Angeles these days there’s a distinctly sweeter scent wafting through the halls of culture: perfume. Thanks to the rise of a California–based artisanal-fragrance movement, perfume is becoming a dynamic new medium for artistic collaborations. Standing squarely at this intersection is the –Institute... More
Vintage Maven Linda Ramone Talks Shop(ping)
I gabba-gabbed with the glamorous vintage goddess and rock ‘n’ roll widow Linda Ramone for Los Angeles Magazine‘s December 2013 issue. Below are some outtakes from our talk about her inspirations, her favorite pieces and designers, and the monotony of today’s red carpet. When did you start wearing vintage? I started wearing vintage before it... More