Water Cities – Los Angeles

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     The series of large photographs presented in Water Cities - Los Angeles were specifically made for this show and are a continuation of the work developed by Abait in cities where she has lived or exhibited her work such as Miami, Chicago and Atlanta. From her interest in representing aquatic environments, the artist has created different proposals that show cities invaded by water. This element, which is essential for the survival of every form of life and occupies almost three quarters of the earth, regains its main role in the images that draw attention to the urgent need to protect this invaluable natural resource.
 

     Each of the exhibition's works represents an aerial shot of a landmark, including the iconic "Hollywood" sign and the Getty Museum, which allows the audience to identify the space that is represented. Precisely because they are easily recognizable places, the spectator, who in this case is passing through the airport's hallway, immediately recognizes that there is something strange in them. Abait digitally transforms each of the shots by inserting aquatic environments out of context such as underwater views of pools where characters are seen swimming, highways converted into rivers and landscapes intervened with multiple water towers. The manipulation of each of the images makes the spectator stop, discover the anomalies in each of these giant pictorial landscapes -Abait is first and foremost a painter- and reflect on the message she wants to convey.

 

     Through Water Cities - Los Angeles, the artist draws attention to the importance of environmental issues such as contamination; the pollution of lakes, rivers and seas; deforestation; or the consequences of environmental disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes or forest fires especially in a coastal tectonic city like Los Angeles. From this perspective, she creates awareness from the platform of the visual arts.

 

 

 

Francine Birbragher PhD
Art historian