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Arts of All Shapes and Size
Last Thursday, I attended the Downtown LA Art Walk for the first time. An experience that I was expecting to be quite blasé, exceeded all of my preconceptions. It was an inspirational experience that extended far beyond the art inside each gallery. Inside each gallery, there were pieces of art ranging from carved wood statues to newspaper collages thoughtfully pieced together on a decorative canvas. The galleries were in beautiful spaces ranging from small studios to hair salons to coffee shops. The art inside each place was mobilizing and powerful; however, my favorite pieces of the night were found outside of the galleries. On the sidewalk outside of a crowded art gallery stood a man with a simple human-figured puppet, attached to strings, resting atop an old brown table. Cigarette in mouth, much resembling a young Bob Dylan, the man put on some sad, slow jazz and fashioned a story using a puppet. The puppet was connected to some strings attached to few pieces of thin wood. With the measly puppet and sad jazz, the man created a story. Goosebumps covered my body and a sheet of tear water quickly glazed over my eyes. A story of agony, hope, strife and hardship was all expressed in a two-minute puppet show. I overheard a man standing next to me mumble, “puppeteers-- what a lost form of artwork—so unfortunate.” I couldn’t have agreed more. I found my second favorite piece of artwork among the sidewalks also. Arguably, this form of art is the kind most overlooked by people. This art is the eccentricity of people utilizing the sidewalks. For this one special night, the streets of Los Angeles were dense with people. When a city is dense with people utilizing the streets, a walking base culture is created. In a walking based culture (like that of which exists in New York City), one is constantly being pushed and bombarded with words, bodies, etc. This constant bombardment causes an overflow of sensation within oneself. Inspiration is thus born. The styles of every different person or group and the overheard conversations provoke thoughts in each person’s head. With these thoughts come new ideas and innovations. Together on the streets of Downtown LA, people are subconsciously art themselves. The art walk offers art in all shapes and forms. It’s an interesting place to find fresh ideas and even meet new people. Take old friends or new, a moment of silence will never occur at the Downtown LA Art Walk. Keep your eyes open for next month’s art walk!
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