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On "Auto-Portrait L.A."
Where are the people? Does a pedestrian even stand a chance?
I want to awaken the viewer to the relationship between cars and pedestrians in
Southern California—America’s most congested region.
I grew up in a city where the streets were teeming with people. I waded daily
through a sea of figures and faces, an endless stream of features and gestures. When I
came to Los Angeles 15 years ago, I found that that the streets were full of cars instead
of people.
I have learned that Los Angeles city planning is all about moving cars more
efficiently, with little attention paid to those on foot. The lack of public transportation
discourages people from walking. Pedestrians now seem out of place in this cityscape...
unwelcome visitors in the land of automobiles.
Is it too late to turn back the clock on this mechanized city? Can we make Los Angeles
more walkable... more humane?
About My Style — I capture the mood and character of my subjects primarily through the element
of line. I prefer working in monotype for its uniquely expressive quality of line.
Everything in this world has its characteristic line. I connect with that line, and feature
it in my work.
— Srboohie Abajian, 2009
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