Guy - Los Illegals. Photo by Diane Gamboa
Departures is KCET's hyper-local web documentary, community engagement tool and digital literacy program about the cultural history of Los Angeles' neighborhoods.
Artist Diane Gamboa was born and raised in Boyle Heights. In the 1970s and 80s, she photographed the thriving eastside punk scene. Her images and stories reveal an eclectic, dynamic time of backyard neighborhood parties and Sunset Strip club gigs; a time when East L.A. was recognized as a musical mecca, when people and artistic inspiration streamed readily east and west across the L.A. River.
EAST L.A. TWIST
By Diane Gamboa, 2005The UNPOPULAR CULTURE series of black and white photographs presents a view of L.A. history from 1980 to 1983. A hand held 35mm camera and existing lighting set the tone, blur and mood of the images. It was a unique time just before the outbreak of technology, mass consumption and the pre-packaged entertainment of this millennium. The city skyline was young and no one had a cell phone.
Ritchie Valens and his raw guitar pulled me into music and his Big Baby Blues provided the beat for many nights to come. Jumping in and out of cars, we were on our way to the next show, slam dance, not-so-permanent marker body art, or dire devil tactic, and maybe a wild kiss. The camera clicked as the bands played in large studios, small bars, back yard parties, underground clubs and rooftops.
Vex (club in ELA) was the starting point as sound waves crossed the 6th street bridge from East Los Angeles to Hollywood, Chinatown, Pasadena, Downtown and beyond. The days of wine and rosaries play in the head like a silent film-punk rock music playing over the memories.
The UNPOPULAR CULTURE series chronicles a specific and significant period of PUNKS THAT ROCK, COOL CATS AND BAD DOGS.
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Funders and Partners
Support for the Departures is provided through these funders as well as local community partners and viewers like you.
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THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR THE GREAT WALL OF LOS ANGELES
The Great Wall of Los Angeles has been a work in progress since its inception, and plans for its growth include extending the story from the 1950s into the 1990s.
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THROUGH THE COMMUNITY'S EYES: PERCEPTIONS OF THE GREAT WALL
The value of the mural is evident through the eyes of the growingly diverse local community. Neighbors have a personal connection to a particular panel's story or have grown up with it, learning and sharing the lessons the mural has to offer.
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NEW VOICES: NEW FACES IN LOS ANGELES MURALISM
Today, young artists inspired by SPARC and other pioneering muralists are continuing the legacy of muralism in Los Angeles with new avenues of approach.
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RESTORATION OF THE GREAT WALL OF LOS ANGELES
More than 25 years later, Judith Baca and SPARC returned to the Great Wall, to restore its luster after years of fading in the summer and beaten by the waters of the Tujunga Wash.
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