Posted
on February 12, 2015
He
worked on his art piece for 33 years. He built with his two hands a
landmark that is written up in tourist guide books, a place people
visit and photograph and talk about:
The
Watts Towers.
Watts,
a neighborhood of Los Angeles, is known for two things. One is riots,
because there was a horrible, violent 6-day riot in 1965. The other
thing is much more wonderful: the Watts Towers!
Simon
Rodia was born Sabato Rodia on this date in 1879 in Serino, Italy. He
emigrated with his brother to the United States when he was just 15,
first living in Pennsylvania, then Washington state and finally
California. He worked as a construction worker and as a tile mason,
plus the occasional odd job. Eventually, in 1920, he settled in
Watts.
Why
did he start building towers?
Why
does anyone make any sort of art?
Apparently,
Rodia started small, constructing in his yard a single tower of scrap
steel rebar and his own recipe of a sort of concrete, and decorating
it with found objects. He had no overall design plan, and no special
equipment. He just used a few hand tools and just started building.
Neighborhood children started bringing him bits of broken pottery and
soft drink bottles.
By
the time Rodia was done building Nuestro Pueblo, there were 17
interconnected towers decorated with glass, ceramic tiles, sea
shells, figurines, mirrors, and china.
What
was the reaction from the neighborhood, and from the City of Los
Angeles? Did people immediately love Rodia's art piece?
Well,
sad to say, but there was a lot of vandalism, and the City kept
badgering Rodia to get permits. Eventually Rodia quit-claimed his
property to a neighbor, moved to the Bay Area to live with a sister,
and never returned to Watts.
At that point, the City of Los Angeles decided to condemn the entire structure and ordered it destroyed. However, an actor and a film editor quickly bought the property and worked to try to preserve it. They publicized the towers, and there was opposition to LA's plan to demolish them coming in from around the world. Architects, artists, and activists were among the many people who joined in the effort to save Rodia's towers.
Finally, Los Angeles relented: if the towers could pass an engineering test, they wouldn't be demolished.
At that point, the City of Los Angeles decided to condemn the entire structure and ordered it destroyed. However, an actor and a film editor quickly bought the property and worked to try to preserve it. They publicized the towers, and there was opposition to LA's plan to demolish them coming in from around the world. Architects, artists, and activists were among the many people who joined in the effort to save Rodia's towers.
Finally, Los Angeles relented: if the towers could pass an engineering test, they wouldn't be demolished.
Now there is a Watts Towers Art Center,
the towers themselves are designated a California Historical
Landmark, and there is even a school named after Rodia. Now the
surrounding community respects the towers, and there is little
attempt at vandalism. Even the Northridge earthquake did little
damage to the Watts Towers!
There
are only 61 artists, composers, writers, and other famous people from
all over the world on the cover of the Beatles' iconic Sgt. Pepper's
Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover, but one of them is Simon Rodia
(next to the top right-hand Bob Dylan).
Also
on this date:
Plan
ahead:
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out my Pinterest boards for:
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here are my Pinterest boards for:
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