L DIA

With a little creative cropping I made this sign come pretty close to my name. I framed it to just take the "L" from the preceding word "Del" and included the "Dia" that followed. I few friends call me "Dia" - short for Lydia - so when I noticed the L lingering so close to the Dia I knew I had something!

Photo credit © Lydia Marcus 2010 / www.lydiamarcus.com
Photographed February 20, 2010 in Downtown Los Angeles at Olvera Street.

BLEND OUT

When I created this blog I wrote that fotonomous is the "Web identity of Lydia Marcus, an individualist, Piscean & native Los Angeleno (Encino/WEHO) raised in diametrically opposed communities shaped by culture, status, sexuality, and spirituality. This multifaceted upbringing informed her ability & desire to always seek to blend out instead of blend in."

This past Saturday when I saw this ad covering a downtown Los Angeles building (it's part of an advertisement for the new Hyundai Sonata) I was pretty excited. I've never seen the words "Blend Out" written anywhere before. Maybe Hyundai has been to my blog! ;-)

Photo credit © Lydia Marcus 2010 / www.lydiamarcus.com
Photographed February 20, 2010 in Downtown Los Angeles.

L8S ANG3LES

Banners announcing L8S ANG3LES - the inaugural exhibit at the Annenberg Space For Photography - have just started popping up all around Los Angeles. I'm very excited and can't wait to see the new Space (located on the former site of the Shubert Theater) and show featuring eleven celebrated LA photographers: John Baldessari; Catherine Opie; Greg Gorman; Douglas Kirkland; Tim Street-Porter; Julius Shulman; Lauren Greenfield; Carolyn Cole; plus three Los Angeles Times staff photographers Lawrence Ho, Genaro Molina, and Kirk McKoy.
- Lydia Marcus

L8S ANG3LES
March 27 - June 28, 2009.
2000 Avenue of the Stars #10, Century City, Los Angeles 90067
http://annenbergspaceforphotography.org





Photos by © Lydia Marcus
L8S ANG3LES banners photographed in Encino, CA on March 23, 2009

AMERICAN GIRLS

Hot Dog On A Stick Girls At The L.A. County Fair photo by Lydia Marcus

Photographed September 25, 2008 in Pomona, CA

ENCINO COMMONS: THE VALLEY'S MIRACLE MILE

A new sign reaching across the Plaza de Oro to the Encino Town Center. I like it!

Encino Commons photo by Lydia Marcus
Photographed August 13, 2008 in Encino, CA

WESTSIDE

Office For Lease photo by Lydia Marcus. Photographed July 6, 2008 in West Los Angeles, CA

DOWNTOWN

Los Angeles Street & City Hall photo by Lydia Marcus. Photographed February 18, 2007.

CLARA BEE & THE LE MANS

Last December I was visiting Palm Springs when this seriously distressed Pontiac Le Mans caught my eye. The ick green, primer looking paint, the weird Pontiac angles exaggerated by bashed body work - all set against a rusty red building - of course I had to pull over and photograph it. Although I think these photos are okay, I never really got the shot that I "visualized" from the middle of the road driving by. When I got a closer look at the car, it cracked me up that it was a "Luxury" model. I believe this Le Mans is somewhere between a 1973 - 1975 model. I'm not sure what this Clara Bee place is, but I did some googling and it came up as the Clara Bee Lodge. Aside from the cool architecture and interesting sign fonts, it looked seriously rundown, vacant, and creepy, but who knows, maybe people are actually paying to stay there. Yikes.















Clara Bee and Pontiac Le Mans photos by Lydia Marcus. Photographed December 17, 2007 at the intersection of South Canyon Drive and 300 East Ramon Road, Palm Springs CA.

THUNDERBIRD LODGE

Summer 2003 in Laramie Wyoming - Gas was $1.44 - $1.64!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thunderbird Lodge photo by Lydia Marcus. Shot July 31, 2003 in Laramie, Wyoming using a Canon PowerShot S400.

BEIGE

A slice of old school Fairfax





Polaroids and digital images photographed May 10, 2008 and March 23, 2006 in Los Angeles

OLD SCHOOL

Growing up in the Valley, I used to relish going to Shakey's Pizza on Reseda Blvd in Tarzana. Not only did they have killer pizza, but they were the first restaurant I went to that had video games! A night at Shakey's included giddy-upping on a coin-operated horse, watching old Laurel and Hardy shorts projected on a large screen, and playing Pong or Pole Position. Ah, those were the days. That location doesn't exist anymore and I doubt Shakey's Pizza tastes as good as I remember it, but this sign sure brought back memories.

Shakey's Pizza Parlor, Northride CA photographed April 1, 2008

FOR SALE

Lydia Marcus’ Print List Photography Now
Julia Dean Photo Gallery, Venice CA October 19 – November 30, 2007

Curious Transport Series
Pinstripes #1 (International Harvester Scout ll)
Archival Pigment Print, 11x16, Signed & Framed $150-
Digital Image, Archival Pigment Print from an Epson R1800 using UltraChrome Ink,
Printed on Innova Fiba-Print Gloss Warm Tone Paper (OBA Free, Acid Free)


Pinstripes #2 (Chevy Custom/10 Truck)
Archival Pigment Print, 11x16, Signed & Framed $150
Digital Image, Archival Pigment Print from an Epson R1800 using UltraChrome Ink,
Printed on Innova Fiba-Print Gloss Warm Tone Paper (OBA Free, Acid Free)


Pinstripes #3 (Datsun 280Z)
Archival Pigment Print, 11x16, Signed & Framed $150
Digital Image, Archival Pigment Print from an Epson R1800 using UltraChrome Ink,
Printed on Innova Fiba-Print Gloss Warm Tone Paper (OBA Free, Acid Free)


Distressed #1 (Ford Econoline Van)
Archival Pigment Print, 11x16, Signed & Framed $150
Digital Image, Archival Pigment Print from an Epson R1800 using UltraChrome Ink,
Printed on Innova Fiba-Print Gloss Warm Tone Paper (OBA Free, Acid Free)


Distressed #4 (Abandoned Jeepster Commando)
Archival Pigment Print, 11x16, Signed & Framed $150
Digital Image, Archival Pigment Print from an Epson R1800 using UltraChrome Ink,
Printed on Innova Fiba-Print Gloss Warm Tone Paper (OBA Free, Acid Free)


Glossy #3 (Buick Super Sport)
Archival Pigment Print, 11x16, Signed & Framed $150
Digital Image, Archival Pigment Print from an Epson R1800 using UltraChrome Ink,
Printed on Innova Fiba-Print Gloss Warm Tone Paper (OBA Free, Acid Free)


Sign Language Series
Liquor #1 (Time To Buy, Encino Park Liquor, Encino CA)
Archival Pigment Print, 11x16, Signed & Framed $150
Digital Image, Archival Pigment Print from an Epson R1800 using UltraChrome Ink,
Printed on Innova Fiba-Print Gloss Warm Tone Paper (OBA Free, Acid Free)


Liquor #2 (Surf Liquor, Santa Monica CA)
Archival Pigment Print, 11x16, Signed & Framed $150
Digital Image, Archival Pigment Print from an Epson R1800 using UltraChrome Ink,
Printed on Innova Fiba-Print Gloss Warm Tone Paper (OBA Free, Acid Free)


Liquor #3 (The R in Liquor, Valley Beverage Co)
Archival Pigment Print, 11x16, Signed & Framed $150
Digital Image, Archival Pigment Print from an Epson R1800 using UltraChrome Ink,
Printed on Hahnemuhle German Etching Paper (Acid Free)


Liquor #4 (Liquor, Atwater Village CA)
Archival Pigment Print, 11x16, Signed & Framed $150
Digital Image, Archival Pigment Print from an Epson R1800 using UltraChrome Ink,
Printed on Innova Fiba-Print Gloss Warm Tone Paper (OBA Free, Acid Free)


Processed By Kodak (Studio City Camera Exchange CA)
Archival Pigment Print, 11x16, Signed & Framed $150
Digital Image, Archival Pigment Print from an Epson R1800 using UltraChrome Ink,
Printed on Innova Fiba-Print Gloss Warm Tone Paper (OBA Free, Acid Free)


Hattie Kay's Coiffures (Tijunga CA)
Archival Pigment Print, 11x16, Signed & Framed $150
Digital Image, Archival Pigment Print from an Epson R1800 using UltraChrome Ink,
Printed on Innova Fiba-Print Gloss Warm Tone Paper (OBA Free, Acid Free)

GONE

One of the ongoing photo series I'm shooting is buildings/businesses that are here today, gone tomorrow in Los Angeles, and more specifically, the San Fernando Valley where I grew up. Prototypical suburban "Ranch Houses" are getting bulldozed at an alarming rate to make way for McMansions that barely leave a strip of land or grass to call one's own. Whenever I see a longtime business put up their closed sign, I'm racing to get a photo of the facade or signage before it's obliterated. Yes I'm more than a little nostalgic about my L.A. past and if all I can do is take a photo of a place that has held memories for me (even if that memory is just driving by), then I'm doing my best to get out an take a picture before the construction crews show up.