Multicultural Arts in LA - Black Art & LA Riots

Black Art in LA: Watts Riots & Assemblage Art

Introduction to Black Art in LA

New module focusing on Black art in Los Angeles.
Understanding Black artistic traditions requires examining LA history, particularly the Watts riots.
Discussion of the Watts riots and LA riots (Rodney King beating).

Keywords & Key Figures

Assemblage Art: Artistic tradition within the Black community, analogous to murals in the Chicano/a community. Connects strongly to the Watts Tower.
City of Watts: The primary location of focus.
Simon Rodia: Creator of the Watts Towers (r o d I a).
Noah Purifoy: Assemblage artist.

Watts Towers

Crucial public artwork located in Watts.
Essay on Simon Rodia and the Watts Towers will be provided.
Essay "Make Art Not War: The Junk Art Conversation" is relevant to the topic.
Contemporary artists like Lauren Halsey will be discussed later.

Overview of the African American Art Scene (1960s)

The 1960s: A significant period in US history due to the rise of identity politics and institutions.
Emergence of ethnic museums and ethnic studies, driven by civil rights and feminist movements.
Increased representation of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities.
Creation of BIPOC-owned institutions and safe spaces.

Important Art Spaces & Groups in LA

Watts Towers: Included a gallery that provided resources for the community, especially youth.
Gallery 32.
Brockman Gallery at UCLA.
Black Arts Council: Lobbied for the inclusion of Black artists at the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA).

Simon Rodia and the Watts Towers

Simon Rodia: An Italian immigrant who lived in Watts for decades.
A significant inspiration to the Black community.
Worked on the Watts Towers independently for over 30 years.
Used humble materials: bottle caps, seashells, glass, tiles, found objects.
Collected materials along the railroad track from Watts to Long Beach.
Origin of assemblage art: creating art from everyday found objects.
Naive artist: working outside of the formal art world, not formally trained, possibly illiterate.
After 30 years, he left the key with a neighbor and moved to Martinez.

The Watts Towers After Rodia

The city contemplated demolishing the towers due to concerns about safety.
Community rallied to preserve the towers.
The site became a park and art gallery.
Seismic tests were conducted to assess earthquake resistance — the towers passed all tests.
Constructed using wire from hangers, showcasing Rodia's engineering ingenuity.
Historical landmark site with restricted access for preservation.

Noah Purifoy and Assemblage Art

Noah Purifoy: Leading figure in the LA assemblage movement (died in 2004).
First director of the Watts Towers Art Center.
Curated the "66 Signs of Neon" exhibition in response to the Watts riots.
Assemblage art defined: Three-dimensional compositions made from scraps, junk, odds and ends, paper, cloth, wood, stone, and metal.

"66 Signs of Neon" Exhibition

Following the Watts riots in August 1965 (30+ deaths, thousands of arrests, destruction of buildings), Purifoy and Judson Powell invited artists to create assemblages from the wreckage.
The exhibition traveled to museums across the US and Berlin.
Artists collected debris from the riot and created art, offering workshops to help the youth heal.
Artists functioned as social healers.
The exhibition was a landmark artistic response to the events of 1965.

Purifoy's Personal Transformation

Before the riots, Purifoy designed high-end modernist furniture for Hollywood homes.
The riots caused a significant life change, leading him to dedicate himself to uplifting his community.
He found new meaning in working with found objects.
"66 Signs of Neon" became a manifesto, representing a school of thought for Purifoy and other artists.

Details of Purifoy's Work

Purifoy began workshops at the Watts Towers Art Center in 1964.
Inspired by Rodia's use of discarded materials.
In the wake of the Watts rebellion, Purifoy and Powell collected three tons of debris.
Purifoy combined crushed metal, melted plastic, and found objects to create art reminiscent of flower paintings.
Purifoy had a belief in the healing power of art education.

Philosophical Implications

The philosophical implications of "66 Signs of Neon" are complex, reflecting on Western society and Purifoy's identity as an African American artist.
The exhibition responded to commodification and capitalism.
Rebellions highlight racial tensions and issues beyond the destruction of property.

Purifoy's Artistic Arc

Purifoy’s artistic journey was largely ignored by art history.
From 1966-1971, he conducted junk art workshops at the Watts Towers.
In 1971, he had a controversial installation at the Brockman Gallery at UCLA.
From 1971-1976, he resumed work as a social worker.
From 1976-1987, he worked in public policy for the California Arts Council.
Later in life, he moved to the Mojave Desert and created large-scale sculptures, establishing the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum.

Causes of the Watts Riots (August 1965)

Racial profiling and police brutality against Black men.
The events began on August 11, 1965, with an incident involving Lee Menakis (white highway patrol officer) and Marquette Frye (African American man).
Frye was pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving and allegedly resisted arrest.
Rumors circulated about police assaulting Frye, his mother, and pregnant girlfriend.
Watts was a predominantly Black working-class neighborhood since the 1940s and a hotbed of racial tension due to police brutality, housing discrimination, and inadequate public services.
The incident occurred shortly after President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Six days of rioting, looting, injuries, deaths, and damaged buildings.
Rioters were fed up with authority.
Cumulative effect of prior injustices: lack of jobs, racial profiling, inadequate education, educational inequities.

Why People Riot

Riots differ from organized demonstrations or peaceful protests like the Chicano Moratorium.
Riots are spontaneous, collective acts of violence directed at property, persons, or authority.
They result from a boiling point caused by cumulative negative events or circumstances.
A precipitating incident symbolizes a larger injustice.

Characteristics of the Watts Riots

Watts was filled with the wreckage of burned buildings and smashed windows.
There wasn't a lot of community building. They weren't necessarily invested in the community due to poor education, lack of jobs, lack of training, racially profiling, and being over surveillance and underprotected.
Noah Purifoy collected three tons of debris, referring to it as junk.

Artist's Response to the Watts Riots

The artist went beyond the grief and hardship to bring awareness to injustice through creative means.
They created an exhibition and junk art workshops for kids.
Rebellion made previously created modern design pieces seem hollow.
There was a commitment to a humble art medium for community building.
Restructuring physical materials was a symbolic way to restructure riots.
Art and art education were thought to be important resources for young people.
Creativity was considered key to self-development.

Parallels to Later Events

Comparison between the Rodney King beating (1992 LA riots) and the Trayvon Martin shooting (2012), which led to Black Lives Matter.

1992 LA Riots

Occurred after the acquittal of police officers who beat Rodney King.
The beating was videotaped, gaining widespread attention.
The riots resulted in 55 deaths and over $1 billion$ in damages.
Reginald Denny, a truck driver, was also a victim.
Collective violence aimed at producing social change.

Race Relations

Consideration of whether race relations have improved since 1965 and 1992.
Reflection on the artist's response to devastation.

Trayvon Martin Shooting

Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman, who was found not guilty of second-degree murder in 2013.
Artists and celebrities protested by wearing hoodies in solidarity with Martin.
Comparison of the Trayvon Martin case with those of Marquette Frye and Rodney King.

Modern Implications

Discussion of Freddie Gray, Michael Brown, Eric Gardner, and Tamir Rice.
George Floyd's murder led to accountability for the police officers involved.
Increased awareness and accountability due to widespread use of cameras and body cams.

Conclusion

Things changed for the positive and there's more awareness.
Artists were asked to reflect on the differences and similarities between past and present events.
Contemporary artists continue the legacy of assemblage art in LA.