In this episode of Critical Currents, hosts Dani Taylor and Stella Horns speak with UCLA professor and cultural historian, Eric Avila. He is bridging the gap by documenting the history of Los Angeles’ urban design through people-centered, deeply contextual historiographical methods. Avila paints a portrait of an image-obsessed city where competing visions and versions of history lie just below its sparkling surface. We delve into those tensions, from the clash between top-down authority and Los Angelinos’ vision for their surroundings, to the ways displaced communities reclaim spaces through muralism and other forms of urban artwork. Ultimately, Avila reflects on how Los Angelinos can chart a path forward, both socially and aesthetically, while acknowledging the city’s past struggles and present challenges.

MENTIONED:

Popular Culture in the Age of White Flight: Fear and Fantasy in Suburban Los Angeles by Eric Avila

The Folklore of the Freeway: Race and Revolt in the Modernist City by Eric Avila

Amusing the Million: Coney Island at the Turn of the Century by John F. Kasson

The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and His Followers by T.J. Clark

Judith Baca

Chicano Park

Should Scientists and Engineers Run Society? by Dr. Fatima

Tom Bradley

Audio & Sound Engineering by sadie ibrahim.

Critical Currents is a collaborative production of the Wende Museum, Thomas Mann House, and dublab, with episodes airing from the heart of Downtown Los Angeles at the dublab studio. New episodes release monthly throughout the spring and fall, available on all podcast platforms. Subscribe to Critical Currents and join the conversation!