Los Angeles photographer John Humble has been documenting the dynamic structure of the city and all of its rivers, highways, and suburbs for more than 30 years. The recipient of a 1979 National Endowment for the Arts award to photograph the city on the occasion of its bicentennial, Humble continued over the years to capture the views that make LA unique. From funky signs on concrete block commercial buildings to residential homes and amusement parks surrounded by elevated highways and electrical lines, Humble records the urban landscape in all its visual glory.
Over the course of the past decade, the photographer has paid special attention to the Los Angeles River, a 51-mile waterway that bisects the city. Mostly contained in concrete, the river is a mash-up of nature and urban planning. Documented at a variety of points along its path, at different times of day, and under all kinds of climatic conditions, the LA River becomes a metaphor for the spirit of the wild west that’s now been tamed.
The subject of survey shows at the Getty Center in LA in 2007 and Amerika Haus in Munich earlier this year, Humble’s powerful pictures are now on view at Stieglitz19, a photography gallery in Antwerp, through October 10.
Click through below for a gallery of images.
New Overpass, I-105 at I-110, Los Angeles, March 16, 1991. Courtesy Stieglitz19, Antwerp
John Humble, Art House, 1317 Cabrillo Avenue, Venice, 1998. Courtesy Stieglitz19, Antwerp
John Humble,
Headwaters, the Los Angeles River, Confluence of Arroyo Calabasas and Bell Creek, 2001
. Courtesy Stieglitz19, Antwerp
John Humble, 1117 C Street, Wilmington, 1998. Courtesy Stieglitz19, Antwerp
John Humble,
Monsoon Lagoon, Torrance, August 28, 1992
. Courtesy Stieglitz19, Antwerp
John Humble, I-105 at I-110, view North, Los Angeles, 2004. Courtesy Stieglitz19, Antwerp
John Humble,
Lugo Park Avenue at Fernwood, Lynwood, April 20, 1993
. Courtesy Stieglitz19, Antwerp
John Humble,
The Los Angeles River, Balboa Boulevard Bridge, Reseda, 2001
. Courtesy Stieglitz19, Antwerp
John Humble, 719 Lincoln Boulevard, Venice, May 13, 1995. Courtesy Stieglitz19, Antwerp
John Humble,
The Los Angeles River from Gage Avenue, Bell, 2001
. Courtesy Stieglitz19, Antwerp
John Humble,
600 Shields Drive, San Pedro, September 12, 1992
. Courtesy Stieglitz19, Antwerp
John Humble,
10425 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, 1997. Courtesy
Stieglitz19, Antwerp