Sydney Helmer
The Way it Was, 2020
Digital print
24 x 35 inches
While Los Angeles is typically regarded as a modern, cutting edge metropolitan city of the 21st century, I am intrigued by its frequently overlooked historical architecture and imagery. New buildings are constantly built on every block of Los Angeles, while we often forget about the magic and importance of buildings that have been around for long before we were alive. My images serve as a way to preserve our cities landmarks that are slowly getting knocked down and turned into new business chains. Specifically, I have sought to portray images of signage that depict the feelings of our city from the early to mid twentieth century.
My piece, The Way it Was is a selection of sixteen photos that represent the longest standing institutions in Los Angeles. Some of these buildings include Rae’s Restaurant, The Kirk Douglas Theatre and Factor’s Famous Deli. All of these images are taken at different times, in different locations which brings a sense of unity to the greater Los Angeles area. I decided to capture landmarks throughout Los Angeles, from Santa Monica all the way to the farthest parts of Hollywood.
My main inspiration for The Way it Was parallels the work of German photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher. Ever since I saw their piece “Water Towers 1972- 2009” on a field trip to the Broad last year, I became enamored by their many collections of work. They choose simple objects such as gas tanks, water towers and coal bunkers and create a series of images in which they create a graph displaying the same type of objects at different locations. I am fascinated by the idea that the Becher’s are so consistent with their angles, yet capture a different location in every display. I decided that taking their method and combining it with my enthusiasm for signs was exactly what I wanted to do for my CAS project.
