September 17, 2006

The Mystery Artists of Fletcher Drive

First I noticed Television Hill. Old TVs, painted with political and personal mottos like BUY MY LIE and TRUE FRIENDS ARE FEW, dot a hillside near Fletcher Drive and Riverside Drive. Over time, some TVs are added, some taken away. By whom? Hard to say. Maybe more than one person. Maybe it's an unplanned, organic conspiracy rather than any single artist's doing.

Now I see Median Cairn. A column of carefully-stacked rocks appears in the middle of Fletcher Drive at the Glendale Freeway ramps. Like other stone monuments, might this one mark a gateway to a neighborhood, like our own Atwater Village? Or might it signify something more sinister - a burial? (Yikes.)

Less than half a mile apart, perhaps both these displays have been inspired by other Fletcher Drive experiences. A smooth tuneup at Luis Lopez Automotive. A smooth soft-serve at Foster's Freeze. A smooth lapdance at Strip Club Too.

[Images from Vidalia and Wildbell Flickr sets.]

9 comments:

sherru said...

I've driven past that rock formation now for a few weeks. Every time I want to take its photo, the traffic moves and ruins my shot!

AVN said...

Puts public art programs to shame! AVN

Miles said...

The rocks are actually the former pillars of the elevated tracks of the famed red car Streetcars. Just so you know...

AVN said...

Ooh Miles, how would one know such a thing?

Miles said...

Newbie, it's from oh-so-many years of reading and enjoying local blogs and history. Some info can be found here:

http://silverlake.org/historic_photo_pages/miscphotos.htm#redcars

There's more info if you care to dig further. Tonight, for myself, I think I'll have a glass of wine and play with the dogs.

Miles said...

Yes, I'm obsessed. Here's more about the red car:

http://www.metrosilverline.com/bigredcars.htm

Miles said...

Dear God, why can't I stop. Here's a flickr view of the art:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vidalia/sets/152654/

Miles said...

And, finally, Franklin Avenue comes to the rescue:

http://franklinavenue.blogspot.com/2006/05/not-so-ancient-ruins-of-los-angeles.html

Scroll down...

Done now. I promise.

AVN said...

So that monolith of round rocks came from pieces of destroyed Red Car pillars? The piece de resistance would be, if such a exists, a YouTube video of someone constructing the Median Cairn.... AVN