Dotan Saguy
Venice Beach | In a city inspired by Hollywood’s excesses keeping racial, ethnic and socioeconomic differences under a tight lid, the Palm tree lined Venice Beach boardwalk is an oasis of spontaneity, diversity, and bohemian lifestyle where weirdness is encouraged and the moment is all there is.
I’ve been irresistibly attracted yet intimidated by Venice Beach ever since I moved to Los Angeles from New York in 2003. After all, this “Coney Island of the West” as some used to call it is nothing less than the birthplace of the worldwide fitness movement and modern skateboarding, also greatly influential to the world of rock music, surfing and street art.
My images immortalize decisive moments of Venice Beach’s quirky sub-cultures using complex multi-layered compositions. The choice of high-contrast black and white, unusual angles and back-light infuse the images with an edgy yet dreamlike quality that “feel” like Venice Beach to me. I aim to the place the viewer at the center of Venice’s edgy, eccentric but endangered culture, now quickly being eroded by gentrification and corporate appropriation. www.dotansaguy.com
