Though
the contemporary landscape and economy is dominated by big
businesses, it’s the small businesses which give the
city its personality and humanity. Los Angeles has an abundance
of physically tiny, free-standing buildings housing individual
businesses, ranging from taco stands to psychics to barbershops
to sales offices.
I first began noticing small businesses when I began opting
for my bicycle instead of driving a car. When my pace slowed
down, the city grew more alive, and one of the features
I found most striking was the number of these small places
of business. The structures are monuments to modesty. Human
in scale and basic in function, they are streamlined, simple,
and effective spaces appropriate both to the landscape and
to their singular purpose.
I began photographing small businesses with a large format
camera for a few reasons. Formally, the proportions of the
4”x5” format complemented the proportions of
most of the rectilinear businesses, and so it seemed an
appropriate format for the buildings. More importantly,
the large format negatives allow me to enlarge the photographs
substantially, so that it is possible to make very big images
of these small places. I love the idea conceptually of Small
Businesses in Large Format, and I’m interested in
large prints of these images. While the businesses themselves
are small and modest, the photographs should be large and
brash, giving these small businesses the recognition and
adulation they deserve.
My rules for the businesses are simple. The businesses should
be physically small and free-standing. Ideally, they should
have a door, so that business can be conducted inside of
the building. I generally prefer businesses without outdoor
seating, though in the case of restaurants, I have relented
for some of the photographs. The businesses should not be
specifically designed to be accessed from the car. They
should not be kiosks with windows facing out. They must
not be trailers or trucks. The most perfect small business
I have included with this proposal is the “Know your
future” psychic on Ventura Blvd. It’s an absolutely
tiny shack, with just enough room for two chairs, a table
and a crystal ball.
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