Islands of LA
by Saskia Vogel


The representative of Islands of LA was very clear: He did not want to conduct an interview. Oh, no … he wanted to talk, but he wanted more than a Q&A, he wanted to spark a dialogue. Which is exactly what he had in mind on Sept. 16, 2007, when Islands of LA, a project to turn Los Angeles traffic islands into territories of art that promote cultural interchange installed the first sign. A play on the L.A.’s ubiquitous “No Parking Anytime” signs, the Islands of LA sign reads, “Shift, Do Art Anytime.”

“The idea first came to mind a few years ago, but it took a while to evolve,” he said.

I was a bit thrown that he asked me as many questions as I asked him, the first being, “What are traffic islands for you?”

Growing up in L.A.’s suburbs, traffic islands were eucalyptus-lined allés, the soft bark padding the paths carved out by semi-retired neon-clad joggers—or they were horse trails for Saturday’s riding classes. These verdant oases provoked daydreams while I was shuttled from school to activity to home, wishing I didn’t have to be car-bound. They were a liminal space. “One of my favorite words is ‘liminal,’” he quickly added.

In a current project at Highways Performance Space and Gallery in Santa Monica, Islands of LA installed a traffic island that mediates two other works: one permanent floor installation by Act Up/LA on the floor exploring the social issue of HIV/AIDS and another by New Zealand public artist Clinton Bopp’s journey as an artist from New Zealand to L.A.’s street scene. Islands of LA invites people to step onto the traffic island, observe the art beneath their feet, occupy this liminal space — neither here nor there, a part, yet separate — and explore how we use public space and the act of writing in public. There will be a related activity on 3/9 in the gallery and nearby traffic island.

Invading public spaces with unofficial art is part of the post-modern experience. Internationally the Guerilla Gardeners out of London having been devising some entertaining and provocative pieces (see GuerillaGardening.org) and artist Richard Ankrom from L.A.’s own Brewery is the author of a freeway sign that has become a permanent part of the local urban iconoscape, though most drivers are unaware it is anything more than a helpful guide to the downtown tangle of roadways.

Ankrom replicated CalTrans freeway guides and installed them on actual freeways signs as clarifications where the signage is confusing or inadequate (see Ankrom.org/freeway_signs.html and HighwaysPerformance.org). He’s not a cheeky prankster causing pile-ups. His mission is to help improve traffic flow. This kind of public art is quiet, nearly invisible and improves the every day experience of local drivers.

lsands of LA takes it to a more conceptual level: improving Angeleno’s lives by encouraging them to think and participate in new ideas. These artists all give their own answer to the question: Who creates public space? This work won’t change to world. “But,” the representative said, “it’s important to social dialogue to try on new ideas, and maybe we can do this on a traffic island.”