Elaine Hu / Courier
L.A. Unearthed
Sandy Rodriguez Reveals a Rich L.A. Culture in Places Thought to Be Otherwise

Christian Daly, Asst. News Editor

Los Angeles, a city known for diverse little towns, the show-time of Lakers and local skyscrapers, is also home to something else • creativity. On May 18, in the president's conference room, artist Sandy Rodriguez gave PCC an inside look into her exhibition, "Unearthed."

Rodriguez's exhibition began April 24 in the Latino/Chicano Heritage Reading Room in the library and will be on display until July 27. The exhibition has nine art pieces, where Rodriguez examines the diversity of Los Angeles and the history of its well-known parks.

Before painting, Rodriguez researched the areas she planned to paint, such as Lincoln, Echo and MacArthur Park and found interesting facts that added to Los Angeles' unique history.

Lincoln Park, home to ostrich farms and midget racetracks. is seen in her painting "Alligator." Rodriguez described how Lincoln Park was also home to alligator farms and when it rained the farms would flood allowing the alligators a free swim in the lake.

"Laveta at Sunset Blvd (Echo Park)," is a painting of two store front shops, a beauty shop and a Quincea•era shop, standing in front of several buildings. Many of the skylines featured in Rodriguez's paintings no longer exist due to city renovations. "I feel very fortunate that I had a chance to capture [the skylines] when I did," said Rodriguez. Other skylines in her paintings with sunsets can no longer be found because apartment buildings have been built taking away the golden image.

"Surveillance City," is a skull helicopter hovering in a golden-hued sky over a green and lush cityscape. Living on Hollywood Boulevard and hearing the Los Angeles Police Department's helicopters going back and forth helped Rodriguez morph the helicopter windows into the face of a skull.

After seven years of living in Hollywood and two years in Echo Park, Rodriguez experienced the inspiring qualities of Mar Vista, her latest home. According to Rodriguez the air and lighting in Mar Vista are different compared to other places she has lived. Rodriguez's Hollywood Boulevard studio had no windows except for the skylight, but in Mar Vista she could step out and get a better view of the sunset. The clear air, not polluted like where she lived before, showed the ranges of lights and colors while viewing of the city and its sunsets moving her away from a "whiteout" day, created by smog silhouetting the city.

Her home in Mar Vista also inspired her to paint the Nocturne collection. Her home with wrought iron bars on her second-story windows inspired her to paint "Marvista Nocturne," wherein the bars represent a symbol of agoraphobia. Moving from the Eastside of L.A., which is "supposed to be dangerous" according to Rodriguez, to the "quiet" Westside was a change for her. She admits it was a strange adjustment from staying indoors to being able to walk in the neighborhood freely.

Rodriguez's next goal is to capture the essence of the recent Los Angeles fire, and call it "Burn Hollywood Burn," because of the brilliant colors and hues the fire on the hills created. "The fire scenes need to be captured, presented and preserved for future generations," said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, who comes from three generations of artists, does not plan to have any children. Though the artist's bloodline may not continue she passes on her wisdom by teaching in museums. "I am really excited to help teachers, to inspire them to open up young artist's minds," said Rodriguez, "[Young artists] will be excited to discover their own L.A. experience, and it prompts their own investigation of their city and local artists."