Blue Line Totems in Red 1995

A series of painted steel sculptures on the 103^rd street station platform. The imagery is derived from ticket punch designs used by the conductors of the original Big Red Car Trolley, from the first Los Angeles train system of the early 20’s and 30’s. 

The abstract shapes are cut with a plasma cutter on 1/4 inch steel plates. Height reaches 18 feet with a 10-foot cross span. The platform has six proverbs in English and Spanish on the theme of Time (7”x 24”). African American Seniors from the 103^rd street Watts Towers community were involved in selecting proverbs and dichos along with oral historical stories of the Red Trolley experience Painted steel and mosaic tile. 

 Commissioned by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Los Angels (MTA) 103rd Street Station, City Watts, California.