the irony and the ecstasy

by urquiza!
Posts Tagged ‘downtown’

la nueva ola

el conjunto la nueva ola is a mix of culturally heavy flavors from cover tunes of 80s new wave to rock en español. original songs are smothered in spicy addictive cumbia rhythms from colombia, but taste like the mexican-american los angeles experience when performed in luchadore masks (wrestling masks) and with songs like “home depot”. mexican band members urbano lopez, lead singer; primitivo rios, bassist; luzio nava, guitarist; hipolito madero, percussions; raio manzares, keyboards; tacho vasquez, percussions perform for the 8th anniversary of la cita bar in downtown los angeles. set includes back stage and images from a los globos show just weeks before. these are part of an image mapping project about the los angeles experience.

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all together in the middle of everything thinking of nothing

from the series, “the love train” and assorted street sessions. the bulk are from new years eve 2013, but some from as early as 12.14.12 through early 2014. this series is constantly growing and changing from every moment on the street with a camera. this is the third edit for some of these, while others get added or dropped.

street photography is beat poetry written while swimming in the current. it is a flip chart of time and a record of a city or space for a decade or an era, that is if it survives the day after… this series of street photographs explores the la metro. style, culture and aesthetics constantly change, but people do not. we are afraid, we are voyeurs and exhibitionists, we are together on the train or bus and we do human things. we come and go worrying about things and forgetting more than we worry about. the human race is to the finish line of death. with that eventuality comes all the fears and joys of being human. this series of images on the metro explore how we use this constructed space or our city hive to fulfill our own needs of comfort and dreams.

in the beginning my early street images were distant from what i was searching for. on the road to making these images i found the guilt and pity of street photography. we peer into the intimacy of other’s lives seeking the beauty of being. that i am human and sometimes lapse in the pursuit is my fault. i forget they are gifts given to me by the subjects and not something to be taken. this time we spend running and in transit between moments of connection and contemplation trying to get to the next one, and the next one. the rich strut through the subway, the lovers embrace, the homeless find refuge while the poor are trying to get home. the train, the car, the bus is our solace as it is our window to the world.

 

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street fragments

from street sessions 07.20.13, 07.27.13, 12.02.13, 06.05.14 and 07.30.14.

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lost in space

900,000 photographers out to get this shot, didn’t even bother to try and sell these… i almost sat this one out except for a student that convinced me to go out with them. auto focus failed me for the split second shot with the LA skyline in the background. the money shot ended up being the last one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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city of vernon

out takes on assignment. city of vernon has a population of about 112 people and is five miles outside of downtown los angeles. during business hours there are about 50,000 workers in the factories, warehouses and meatpacking buildings of vernon.

 

 

 

 

 

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after the grand canyon

part two in the continuing series in the study of my nephew arturo. these are photographed almost to the day a year later from the first sitting. yeah, homie is still wearing the same hat and a similar sweatshirt… in this trip he leads his wife and two kids, as well as his mom who wanted to join us through the experiences he shared with my mother.

see part one in the series “mr churro” (here).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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