Well, this is my first post at the brand new internet chez moi, thanks to the beautiful web designing of Simon Le Parc – brilliant!!! – but instead of spending a bunch of time telling you how delighted I am to be here, I am going to skip straight to the good stuff: projects! Progress is underway on my latest music video project which is turning out to be a multi-media affair, including a photo exhibit and live concert! Songstress Elle Spencer-Lewis pegged me to direct a video for the title track on her upcoming “No Small Miracle” album, which, I have to say, is an album that hits rather firmly upon some of my own preoccupations with dichotomous elements and their seeming interconnectedness. That’s where I got the idea for the video.

The song is sort of an ode to the miracle of love; how each tiny detail that brings one person in line with someone else is truly no small miracle: how do things work out this way? It’s a mystery, but a beautiful one. To illustrate this, I wanted to take Elle’s character in the video on an unexpected journey in an every-day world that perhaps is often overlooked. So, I found the most logical place to start: my own backyard.

I guess I should explain that I live in an east-side Los Angeles neighbourhood best known for its violent Latino gang, most recently in the news for perpetrating hate crimes against black kids living in their ‘hood. Formerly a hangout of suburban kids in the 50’s and 60’s, when Fossilman’s opened its first ice cream shop and Galco’s Soda Pop Stop sent girls in poodle skirts on their way with dime store candy, now the main street is lined with cheap, run-down shops and empty top floors where downtown apartments used to hang perkily upstairs from the main drag. People say it’s dangerous, which is why property values stay relatively low, compared with many areas in the city. Some of the stand-out local businesses, which have been around for generations, are just hanging on with 3-day-per-week opening schedules. However, I know a totally different ‘hood, with a lively, creative undercurrent and a subculture all its own. This is a ‘hood of cyclists who spend Sunday mornings riding together towards the common goal of Chinese dim sum and where Tuesday farmers markets bring local vendors of veg and tamales together with hand-made crafts and clothes. It’s a place where a little-known artwalk has been around longer than the now-famous Downtown LA equivalent and continues to draw a local following; and where the area’s history is honoured at the Southwest Museum and Heritage Square, home to some of the oldest Los Angeles landmarks. So… back to Elle’s unexpected journey!

For the video, I decided to take her to the alleys behind this main, run-down street, to see a world of bright, colourful, expressive, artistic… tagging! My video will find Elle discovering beauty in parking lots and alleys, that not only comes alive with the colours and designs, but also literally jumps out of the wall and into reality, showering Elle with real-live gifts inspired by the designs. When I look at this beautiful work, done by a neighbourhood’s supposed “delinquents,” I see promise divorced from circumstances and position. I see expression that refuses to keep silent, and has discovered a voice so strong and loud, that it can’t be suppressed; that, instead, it is an integral part of the city’s landscape: Los Angeles is comprised of artists that work from the ground up; through walls, across boundaries, and into hearts. And that, of course, is no small miracle.

Now, to be a cheeseball, I’m going to offer a link to a place where you can donate to the making of the video, which we’re raising funds for right now. I know, I know. But seriously – you’ll get some great music out of the deal, and the satisfaction that you’re helping make art happen, from the ground up:  Show Your Support Here!