My last try at a neutral topic was a few months ago when I asked if other LA’s had some deep-rooted longing to do a certain type of project that had eluded them. Mine was a “sculpture garden,” and someone said their choice was golf course, etc. I had a spasm of remorse about bringing it up and erased the whole thing, which I shouldn’t have done.
I think later I realized, how we “name” things is part of the problem, and how we choose to look at what we have done and may yet do.
In looking through some saved materials after that deleted post, I ran across some designed areas that I realized already had sculptures that I originally had to work around, and/or which also were intended to be places for future rotating displays. Same thing with “dog parks.” Nothing I’ve done was called either term, but I discovered an assisted living complex and another place both added dog parks to the designed grounds later on. I though, that could open up a topic on how designs evolve – on how many of us could just look back at how our spaces are used and find some “surprises”? (Even if the site was almost erased and started over as something else, but portions survive in a new use).
Most of us don’t dwell on it, but we are doing work that may not even last as long as a painting or film. L.A. often mobilizes big piles of materials being assembled, and large populations passing through, but land is inherently kind of “unstable” in terms of the ever changing impact of human needs. So our desires may yet be fulfilled on some other designer’s “former project.” I’ve lived to see big morphings, so far fortunately only one total demolition. But not long ago I was glad to get a project involving a branch bank property transition to liquor store (with need for a party/ hangout social area design). Has anyone else had the erasure or reincarnation experience?
.