The artist, Tom Walker, repurposed a 1957 Edsel station wagon with the number 4 where one of the head lights would be and the cherry symbol on the other. The triangle looking area at the top of the hood is actually a flower box. What you can't see from the photo is the benches that were fabricated onto the other side of the back area of the vehicle that has been spread out in the v-shape. The benches are a nice place to sit and wait, if I do say so myself.
What is oh-so-wonderful should you choose to check this art installation out for your self is that it is located upon real estate on this corner that also includes a very inexpensive-to-park-there, parking lot. As I write this, parking is only fifty cents an hour with a three hour max.
I discovered this area when I was there to meet someone at the "We Be Well" facility located next to the parking lot. Since I arrived quite early (I never know for sure how long it will take to get somewhere, especially if it is my virgin voyage to the destination), I had the chance to walk around a little. What a lovely opportunity to make like the art paparazzi I be.
I also had time, sort of, for a little nosh at Lola's, shown in the photo above and located next to the building "We Be Well" occupies. Lola's is a Mexican restaurant with sidewalk patio seating visible in the photo, a lovely outdoor patio area in the back and Day of the Dead art displayed throughout. The food was enjoyable. I also appreciated their cooperation about my need to speed eat.
Across the street is a movie theater, Art, that looked like a place I would enjoy seeing a movie. I loved seeing that they still show "Rocky Horror Picture Show" there. I had my first "Rocky Horror" theater experience in 1987**. Amazing that there are still places keeping this tradition alive.
What do you think...a little art, a little Mexican nosh and a movie? Sounds pretty good to me. As I watched while waiting, I noticed it must sound pretty good to a number of couples in the area too. I don't think I have ever seen so many happy looking, hand-holding couples in such a short period of time as I did sitting on the bench of the 1957 Edsel Station Wagon.
When I crossed to the other side of 4th Street to get a closer look of the Art theater, I came upon the guitar shaped, metal bike racks in the photo above. I also came upon the street art in the photo below. Although, I am going to go out on a leash*** here and assume that this street art is sanctioned by the City of Long Beach...so not illegal unlike the other street art I wrote about in a previous blog post.
Lastly (but not leastly****) as it is art, I include the photo below of the mural on the side of the building "We Be Well" inhabits.
*One might contemplate why one might include art in Long Beach in a blog about art in Los Angeles (L.A.). I mean couldn't Long Beach have it's own "art 4 art's sake" blog? Couldn't most big cities? So, I concede that L.A. is not Long Beach and vice-versa. From the get-go, I loosely defined this blog as including the greater L.A. area. According to Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, the greater L.A. area includes Long Beach. AND you know if it is online, it must be true, yes?
**C'mon, I know you are doing the math.
***Just exercising a little blog post artistic license.
****See *** above.
end of posting fine print: all photos are copyright 2012 Lori J. Bjork, lbjork9999@yahoo.com
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