The workshop is conceived as an immersive drive-thru one cross section of LA; its aim is to train observation skills and simultaneously to postpone judgement. Not unimportantly, my agenda was also to have fun, share each other's views on things and to maintain a great group dynamics all day long. After an introductory round, we had a great 'fill up' breakfast at Pann's in 50ies style. We drove up to Mt Wilson Observatory from where we could see Western Avenue stretching out across hazy LA. Then we drove all the way from North to South Western Avenue, stopping now and then to walk. Every student had decided on a personal perspective, with which to document the street's typology, e.g. pauzes, logo's, waiting time and legends. The immersion happened for everyone, thanks to the blazing heat. H: "The heat just prevented us from taking any distance from the subject of the day [read: from that bloody street]"... An uncensured slideshow with improvised soundtrack made everyone come full circle in the evening - while the morning discussion was spent discussing motives and intentions, the afternoon's results pointed to each student's specific qualities and difficulties in such a fast, semi-improvised process, which called for inventivity, resourcefulness and alertness.
(above) The detectives at work.
(below) A funny trip, pieced together from the day's collected visuals, by Marina Murad.
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