Eric Garcetti is the mayor of Los Angeles. He’s responsible for a thousand pieces of city business and all the politicking and arm-twisting that implies. He’s also a dedicated photographer. He comes by it honestly, the third generation photographer in his family and he uses his skills to give us all a unique view of life as the mayor of a major city experiences it.
On September 19th, Take My Picture gallery opened a show of Garcetti’s work,#MAYOR_OF_INSTAGRAM. These are pictures he makes every day as he travels from place to place doing the business of the city. The prints are small and affordable, only $100 apiece and all the proceeds go to help Los Angeles Public Library’s Photo Friends and Homeless Health Care Los Angeles
On opening day the mayor stood in the gallery talking to a mixture of supporters, local residents and photography lovers. It was a perfect moment to make a speech about the city or politics or maybe to boost himself. Instead photography is what he wanted to talk about.
“I’ve loved photography ever since I was a kid. My grandfather was an immigrant, a very humble man but he bought some old Hasselblad’s and took pictures in a back room in his barber shop and he had a darkroom in his garage. He planted the seed and then my father picked up a camera and as a result I don’t remember a time when I didn’t have a camera in my hand.
As I campaigned and after I was elected I realized I was starting to see my city through the eyes of the people around me. I think journalists, mayors and priests are probably among the few who see people every day from every strata of life. I’ll be talking to a head of state and an hour later I’ll be talking to a homeless person. I’ll be getting protested and then the Vice President says I’m a really awesome guy. You have to ride the highs and the lows and find a balance somewhere in the middle. So taking these pictures was my opportunity to give LA a gift back, a chance to bring the people of Woodland Hills to the people of Boyle Heights; a chance to link this city together. So whether it’s backstage at a fashion show waiting to go on or a bird that lands on a skylight or a parade from the cars point of view I just want to give people a sense of places they might not have seen or perspectives they might not have experienced. This is kind of a love song to Los Angeles. I hope you enjoy it”.
EXHIBITION
#MAYOR_OF_INSTAGRAM
until October 31, 2015
Take My Picture
109 West 9th Street
Los Angeles
USA
Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
(213) 304-4279
http://takemypicture.com
Written by Andy Romanoff
Email – Andyromanoff+loeil.gmail.com
Website – andyromanoff.com
Blog – http://andyromanoff.zenfolio.com/blog
Instagram photos – Eric Garcetti
