small square of grass on a sidewalk in Los Angeles, June 2003
Until yesterday, I forgot this photograph even existed. I was digging through boxes in the back of the bedroom closet, looking for an old draft of an essay, when I discovered a stack of lomos from my last trip to Los Angeles. It was June 2003, my final residency for graduate school, and I walked past this little patch of grass every day.
Why was this one tiny patch preserved? A wildlife refuge for bugs and birds, a park for the ants? It was just big enough for half of one foot, so I could balance on tip-toe, feel the soft earth beneath.
One morning, while walking to school, I looked down at the patch of grass and started crying. I set my bag on the sidewalk and pretended to rifle through the front pocket while I broke down. Here on the sidewalk was the view from my airplane window - the only part of Los Angeles I ever really had. Arriving and leaving. Hello. Goodbye. And I have not been back since.
Comments (2)
Come back! Come back! I can show you a much bigger patch of grass and trees and other flora and fauna within walking distance of my house! It's called Griffith Park, and it wants to meet you.
Posted by W | April 22, 2004 3:45 PM
Posted on April 22, 2004 15:45
it's places/moments/thoughts/photos/ground/honesty like this that makes me really WANT to do my job -- like any other design profession, architecture can be a huge bore most of the time. scale is the most underrated design tool in my field.
Posted by vin | April 29, 2004 11:50 PM
Posted on April 29, 2004 23:50