SUMMARY
A collection of 5 years worth of 35mm photographs, documenting Los Angeles's evolving landscape and the effects of gentrification on architecture, housing, real-estate and design.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
A large portion of my work is based on picking a direction and putting one foot in front of the other. In someways, taking photos comes secondary to walking and experiencing life on the streets; grabbing a papusa or taco from a street vendor, picking up a beer from a random liquor store, interacting with the cast of characters that makeup a neighborhood, learning about and discovering the many corners of this enormous city.
Like so many artists that have moved to Los Angeles, the city has become my muse. But my experience as a new LA based artist is different than the average transplant. I’ve been fortunate to see the city from the perspective of native Angelenos, thanks to my extended family that’s lived here for generations. Given my background I find it almost impossible not to notice the changes that I’ve witnessed this city go through just within the last 5 years.
Walking is Working represents my first body of work to focus on street photography comprised exclusively of material shot in Los Angeles. My hope is that this body of work can serve as an archive and inspire people to think about the effects of gentrification.
NOTES:
Copyright 2013-2019 Lexis-Olivier Ray, 35mm Color & Black and White Film
