Surf and skate ephemera and photo books of the post war era are not only collectable in these parts, but they also help define the aesthetic sensibility of authentic L.A. beach culture (versus the overly-stylized stereotypes). There's something so damn nostalgic about it too—all of it. I don't know what it is about beach culture of the past, but it envelopes a rare combination of pure optimism and coolness. One of the lesser-known photo documentarians of the era is the one-named Spot, known best for his work producing pivotal punk records of the 1980s for bands that include Black Flag, The Descendants, Meat Puppets and Minutemen. Spot is releasing a book of his photographs later this year called Sounds of Two Eyes Opening, but in the mean time (for people like me that need instant gratification) there's a promotional zine in conjunction with the project called Photographs by Spot ($15) edited by Ed Templeton and published by New York's Boo-Hooray and L.A.'s Deadbeat Club. What I'm eager to see is that juxtaposition of the sunny L.A. beach lifestyle with the darker, grittier elements of the hardcore punk scene.
[Gracias mucho, Julia]
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