LA CRISIS (2022)

When I was asked to touch up on my images, I thought long and hard about what was truly important to me. As I’ve experimented with the creative endeavors of photography and limitless mediums. The question that really stuck with me was simple. What is real? 

Along with shooting beautiful humans that fit “beauty standards”, I took an interest in photojournalism and street photography specifically. I felt quite lonely moving back to LA, given that this is my home I was confused and felt lost. I would walk around LA alone with a film camera shooting whatever felt natural to me, the good, bad, and the ugly. 

Los Angeles has a crippling problem with low wages and raised housing prices forcing people to fend for themselves and being left on the streets. The peace, love, and happiness we saw in the 60s-80s have long gone. We are now living to work instead of working to live. When I went out to shoot, there were tents lined up all along the streets. People with flower pots outside their homes trying to make living spaces prettier, guitars, bikes, suitcases, and even tents that were connected to make what I called a tent mansion. I slowly realized some of my photojournalism was subconsciously subjected to people on the streets of LA and all the emotions that come with it. There was a particular man I spoke to for well over an hour, talking about different spots, life lessons, and all types of subjects. He had these interesting little life quotes that made me laugh and was willing to share his art with me. He appreciated my listening and I think about him often. You can only imagine all the walks of life that are out there taking life day by day. With that, I've had conversations with interesting people I would never even think of approaching in a past mindset. I found beauty in nothing and realized that that too is everything. Everyone has a story that brings them to the point in where they are in and not one story will ever be the same. If you’re in a situation where comfortable enough, talk to a fucking person living on the street. Let go of the superiority complex and recognize we are all equal, doing what we can. Be that person to listen to what the people have to say. 

  -Alexis