Although I had to work through the weekend, I managed to find time yesterday morning to visit the Venice canals.First, a bit of history. It's true that Venice is named after the Venice of Italy. In the beginning of the 20th century, Abbot Kinney (who I mentioned in an earlier post) tried to capture that spirit of Italy and create a European escape in Los Angeles. Originally there were sixteen canals built, but because of the increasing number of cars, ten were filled in and paved over to create more roads. Unfortunately, the canals were neglected for half a century until the early 90s when they were dredged and renovated. Today, there remain six canals in the south of Venice.
When I finished walking around, I headed towards the beach to find a particular house. Guess who designed this attractive beach house. None other than Frank Gehry! Seriously, what is this? I know his concept was to explode the basic elements or whatnot, but come on! Anyways, that was all the exploring I could do this weekend. I'll add some pretty pictures to make up for my lack of adventures.
Happy Bday! How old are you 21 or 22? I hope the canals lifted your birthday spirits. You have to go back - When I was there last year and last january it was surprising how hidden and quiet the canals are. Another juxtaposition that I really like--you have the craziest people on Venice Boardwalk and then you walk just a few feet and there hidden behind a not so pretty cityscape are these incredible canals. I should have tried to get one of these before we left LA. Many students when I was in school could live here in the late 1980s and early 1990s--OK the canals smelled bad back then and the ducks were completely out of control and the rent was the cheapest place to live. My husband wants to write a book and I keep trying to convince him that we should rent a place here in the summer. He has doubts about doing serious work in Venice.
ReplyDeleteI think you need to chill out a bit with Frank Gehry's work. How can you not just love the "Lifeguard House". There are many projects in Venice when many architects were just getting started--a few Morphosis projects, Gehry has a number of projects too, Robert Mangurian too. Venice at the time these projects were built Venice was dirt cheap and many artists lived here and were willing to experiment.
I recommend reading "Seeing in Forgetting the Name of the Thing one Sees: A life of Contemporary Artist: Robert Irwin" by Lawrence Wechsler. 1982University of California Press. Also walking around Ocean Park (just north of Venice before you get to Santa Monica). The artist Richard Deibenkorn did his Ocean Park Series Paintings here, James Turrell also had his office here in Ocean Park in the Mendota Hotel at the corner of Hill and Main St (not sure of the building is still there). They are a few of the artists all living together here.
In Venice Canals look up the architect Glen Irani his office is on the canal and next to his desks/office space is a lap pool to swim in. He also is the architect for another great house on the Grand Canal near the white pedestrian bridge--you'll recognize it. Great house the living room is completely outside on the ground floor. Also FYI the movie "Valentine's Day" with Ashton Kutcher was filmed there. I just happened to come upon them filming the scene with Kutcher when I was there with the WIT Master's studio last year. That was my celebrity sighting.
Thanks, Beth. I'll email you about my birthday later.
ReplyDeleteIf I could pick anywhere in Venice to live, this place would be it. It didn't even feel like California anymore... and it was so serene and peaceful--a perfect escape from the crazies.
It's incredible how the property values have increased since the 90s. Definitely a smart move on the behalf of the city to clean the canals.
I don't hate ALL of Frank's works... but I don't agree with most of them. I can appreciate the fact that he was experimenting back in the 80s (?) but this looks like it was taken straight out of the Flinstones!! Which Morphosis buildings are in Venice? I'm a huge fan of the firm ever since I had to draw 41 Cooper Square. It would be interesting to see how his design methods have developed over the years.
Remind me to read that in a month. Right now all my "free" time is dedicated to studying for the GREs.
My friend and I just had a discussion this morning about whether Valentine's Day was actually filmed around the canals. Now I can confirm that it was! And how exciting!!