Fear and Loathing in Los Angeles: Mike Davis as Nature Writer

M an u e l O cam p o . U N T I T L E D ( E T H N I C M A P O F LO S A N G E L E S ) . 1987. A c r y lic p a in t o n c a n v a s. 66 1/2" x 5 9 ". R e p r in t e d w ith p e r m is­ sio n o f th e ar tist . A s an im m igr an t, O c a m p o is e sp e c ia lly at tu n e d to th e p r e ju d ice e n co u n t e r e d by e th n ic, r e ligio u s, an d ge n d e re d m in o r itie s, as c an b e se e n in th is im age, a p ar o d y o n th e T h o m as G u id e , a str e e t at las c o n t a in e d in m o st car s in So u th e r n C alifo r n ia . T h e in clu ­ sio n o f r e ligio u s an d r acial sy m b ols is in d icat iv e o f O c a m p o ’s style. T h e ad d it io n o f h ist o r ic al im ages lin k s p r e se n t b igo tr y to th e p ast. F e a r a n d L o a t h in g in L o s A n g e l e s : M ik e D a v is a s N a t u r e W r it e r S C O T T H E R M A N S O N F r o m t h e w r it in gs o f U m b e r t o E c o , F r e d e r ic Ja m e so n , a n d Je a n Ba u d r illa r d , t h e o r ist s o f t h e c o n t e m p o r a r y c o n d it io n h a v e le a r n e d t o a p p r o a c h L o s A n g e le s as t h e e p it o m e o f t h e p o st m o d e r n ist la n d sc a p e . Its e x p a n se o f fr e e w ay s, its m e d ia sa t u r a t io n , a n d its c o sm o p o lit a n w e b o f c a p it a l r e p r o d u c e e x p o n e n t ia lly t h e e n v ir o n m e n t a n t ic ip a t e d fo r th e tw e n ty - fir st cen tu r y . L o s A n g e le s is h y p e r r e ality , a c it y m ir r o r e d b y its o w n m e d ia r e - c r e a t io n w it h im age s m e t a st a siz in g ac r o ss So u t h e r n C a lifo r n ia . It sh im m e r s o n t h e e x t r e m e h o...