>> watts towers

Heather and I went to South Central yesterday to check out the Watts Towers, a global architectural destination that is rarely visited by people that actually live in L.A., even though it serves as one of the best examples of indigenous Los Angeles art. The towers were built between 1921 and 1954 by Simon Rodia right in his backyard by affixing broken glass bottles, shells and (sometimes stolen) tiles to rebar-enforced mortar. From far away the towers emit an eerie straight-out-of-a-Sci-Fi-novel vibe, but up close they read as friendly folk art.