Communal Space and Connection Through The Self Help Graphics Archive
By: Jacqueline Aguirre
Los Angeles is ever changing. Whether the change is good or bad is still not something I can clearly answer. Growing up in Koreatown, there weren’t many public spaces where I could sit and exist with people outside of my apartment without having to pay for boba, dinner, or a gym membership. I have distinct memories of elders playing chess outside of the Mc Donald’s on 7th and Western… until the tables were taken down so they wouldn’t ‘loiter’. I remember the time my friends and I wanted to take a break from walking by the giant bank on Oxford… until a security guard kicked us out because we weren’t allowed to sit on the benches. Communal spaces were not a priority for whoever developed Koreatown.
These kinds of experiences have always made me think about the way we as people take up public spaces. Why is it that Koreatown doesn't have parks? Why doesn’t South Central have sufficient shaded areas for people to rest? Why don’t we value the importance of being around trees and one another outside? These are all questions that I have had as I see this city evolving– especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. But, I have also seen changes that acknowledge these issues. I’ve seen a push for a pocket park in front of the Pio Pico Library; community runs open to the public in Ktown, South Central, Boyle Heights and beyond; and community fridges all over LA. These are all examples of communal efforts to create space ourselves even if the infrastructure doesn’t make it easy.
As I started working with the Self Help Graphics’ archive this summer, I noticed that many artworks in the collection have themes of community, connection, nature, displacement, and many interpretations of what Los Angeles is and what it could be. I was immediately able to connect with them because I saw my story being told. That’s the beauty of archival work. There is history and stories on top of stories behind every print at Self Help Graphics.
Guided by the theme of communal space and connection, I picked several artworks and have been lucky to connect and interview the artists to provide more context behind their pieces and hear their own iteration of their work. I had the pleasure of speaking with Poli Marichal about her time in Los Angeles, her connection with nature, and her community here and in Puerto Rico. I spoke with Pavel Acevedo about his own artistic journey and experience connecting with the art scenes in Oaxaca, Los Angeles, and the Inland Empire. I spoke with Clover and Wayne Perry about living and growing up in LA.
In the coming weeks, I will be sharing each of these artworks, providing my analysis, and the interviews with each artist. I’m very honored to be able to learn from these artists and connect with them through our love of art and visions of what a community could look like.
Jacqueline Aguirre is the Documentation and Archives Getty Intern at Self Help Graphics & Art. She is a lifelong art enthusiast and an undergraduate student at UCLA studying Linguistics.