los angeles (some)times: a (r)evolution of self and environment

2 weeks of headlines juxtaposed with inner thoughts, separated by 21 years - collage on canvas and paper

Los Angeles (Some)Times: A (R)evolution of Self and Environment presents two related series composed of seven consecutive days of Los Angeles Times headlines. Each work documents the twin progression of environmental crises and our awareness and engagement around them – building a bridge between our individual process of reconciling change and how we might collectively act to build a livable future. The first series — the Evolution series — shows headlines dated June 2001 superimposed with an inner monologue of mundane thoughts, such as “I wonder what’s for breakfast” and “I’m running late again.” The juxtaposition of one’s routine introspection against dozens of news headlines conveys a relative innocence in a time that predated world-changing events — notably, the acceleration of climate change and the events of September 11, 2001.

The second series — the Revolution series — is from 21 years later in July 2022. Looking closely, it is clear that many more headlines concern drought, wildfire and climate change. The superimposed text has progressed from monologue to dialogue — more directly confronting what is happening in one’s urban, natural, and social environment, with statements such as “This is really happening” and “I know you know that I know.” The choice of material also demonstrates an increased awareness of sustainability – the 2022 series repurposes high-quality hand-made archival paper donated by Avenue 50 Studio. The works incorporate crushed charcoal from the Bobcat Fire as pigment, a fire which started on September 6, 2020, the day that Los Angeles County recorded its highest-ever temperature of 121°F. The fire, which burned while Angelenos experienced the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, scorched over 100,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest. Each artwork also features intricate drawings serving as ghostly reminders of a fire that sent smoke plumes all the way to the East Coast and Europe.

Los Angeles (Some)Times: A (R)evolution of Self and Environment documents the dual shifts of undeniable changes in climate and our simultaneous increased awareness and engagement with our environment. As the climate changes, how might we change ourselves and our relationship with our communities and neighborhoods?

Jolly de Guzman is Avenue 50 Studio’s first artist-in-residence, a role that he simultaneously holds with the Los Angeles Center for Urban Natural Resources Sustainability. For this joint art residency, Jolly spent the first half of 2022 immersed in exploration of how extreme heat, drought, and wildfire are affecting some of Los Angeles’s climate-changed communities and how those communities are responding to the shifts. From exploring LA neighborhoods and burn areas of the Angeles National Forest on foot, to curating the Shade In LA art installation on heat equity, to taking a deep dive into science and storytelling on these topics, Jolly seeks to crystallize a vision for a future Los Angeles that connects people to nature as agents of positive change in an era of unprecedented shifts.

Artwork: Evolution series, newspaper, acrylic on canvas, 16” x 20”, $1,250. Revolution series, newspaper, acrylic, crushed charcoal, Micron on handmade archival paper 19 1 ⁄ 2 ” x 27 1 ⁄ 2” (image 16” x 20”) $1,250. To purchase artwork email us.