La River Series: #53 (2019)

A new development titled One Santa Fe in the downtown LA Arts District commands a significant presence along the LA riverfront. Located across the street from the Cal-Arts School of Architecture, One Santa Fe is illuminated in the warm glow of dusk as depicted in painting number 53 from the vantage point across the river and beneath the First Street viaduct. 

In this part of Los Angeles, expansive rail yards and Edison high-tension power line easements separate most development from the riverfront making public access all but impossible. The Los Angles River Revitalization project envisions the rail yards and easements to be replaced by parks and open space to increase public access to the river. 

Many people fear that new development along a revitalized riverfront will cause gentrification with unaffordable housing making it a newly accessible river only for the rich while displacing nearby immigrant communities and homeless. The effects of gentrification on neighborhoods seem likely to be a continued subject of contention for future development along the river.

If you are interested in this painting, you can view more details in the Store. If you would like to learn more about the City of Los Angeles' River Project, explore the links below.

City of Los Angeles River Revitalization Project