Genesee Palms
Photographs of Los Angeles made between 2006 and 2008, tracing the public spaces and electric sunshine of a city experienced entirely on foot, from West Hollywood through downtown to the Pacific.
Los Angeles, California, 2006-2008
Statement
I moved to an apartment on N. Genesee Ave. in West Hollywood in February 2006. It was my third year in Los Angeles. By then I was uncertain how long I would stay.
I remained fascinated by the cinematic experience of walking through the city and how the electric sunshine transformed its public spaces. That golden light was a constant presence, and I followed it across the landscape, curious what new colors and scenes it would illuminate.
The uncertainty sharpened everything. I knew my time in Los Angeles was going to be fleeting, and that knowledge clarified the purpose of the walking explorations. This was the first place I understood the nexus between photography, experience, and memory.
The country felt volatile, exhausted by the Bush years and the Iraq war, with the 2008 election looming over everything. I became certain I would be leaving after it, no matter the outcome. A week after Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States, I packed my bags and drove back to Minnesota. The experience of traversing this complex city on foot had transformed the way I understood public space and the pedestrian experience in America.
I’m a photographer based in Minneapolis working on long-duration projects centered on walking, cities, and public space. This newsletter shares periodic dispatches from that work, along with selected images and related references. Selected work also appears on Instagram.