This is Michelle. Like the girls name. He’s French. I don’t hold that against him. I call him French Michelle. I can hardly understand a word he says. He agreed to let me pick his nose. He agreed to let me scratch his face. I don’t hold that against him either.
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If you’ve heard of the Dane Olafur Eliasson it’s probably because he did the temporary and controversial installation of three waterfalls under the Brooklyne Bridge. Enough said, now pull up your Eames lounge chair and take a listen to the rappin rhythms of Olafur’s pessimistic prismatic countrymen (if children are present, come back when they aren’t). Sploosh! Heres goes the rest of the story. Olafur was in Pasadena back in 2005. I know because I attended the opening and took these photos. Enlarge the top photo and you might recognize the Pasadena skyline. The exhibition took place inside the Jamie residence, near what I refer to as the the unholy trinity of bad design; just my opinion. The project’s name, “West of Rome” and the window art is entitled “Today I am Feeling Prismatic”
Anyone who can place Frank Gehry and Hans Christian Andersen together in a rap gets space on my blog.
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Mr V and I met Roberta Martinez while working on a project at the North/West Armory on Fair Oaks (it’s a vacant lot now). Back then Roberta was involved in the research aspect of her forthcoming book “Latinos in Pasadena”. Well it’s here now and Mr V was able to add his voice to her research. You see, Mr V’s family came out west to Pasadena post WWII. The housing stock was minimal. They would spend the next several years living in a 250 square foot trailer (community toilets) where Target (previously Fedco) is now. He hated it. North of the trailer court and wiped out by the construction of the 210 freeway was Pasadena’s barrio district called Titleyville with a market, church and ceramics factory. Now represented by a dead end street called Titley Ave.
Roberta also discusses the Bandini family of fertilizer fame. She showed me the Pasadena home the Bandini’s commissioned Green and Green to build for them. Transitional Green and Green interior except for the prominent painting of the Virgin of Gaudalupe. All in the book and more.
Roberta will be giving a lecture and signing her book at the Pasadena Museum of History on Tuesday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5.00/non members and members get in free. The Pasadena Museum of History is located at 470 W. Walnut Street, Pasadena. For tickets and more information call (626) 577-1660 ext. 10 or log onto pasadenahistory.org.
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