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Watts, California

Pictures by QT Luong

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In the middle of the century, Watts was a prosperous middle-class town. Simon Rodia, an Italian immigrant, had dreams of founding a religiously-grounded community center. The sculptures resulting from Rodia's solitary labor of over 33 years (1921 to 1955) are considered to be one of the greatest work completed by a single individual using simple hand tools and castoff materials (discarded broken glass, sea shells, generic pottery and ceramic tile). The Watts Towers are a complex set of 17 separate sculptural pieces constructed from steel pipes and rods, wrapped with wire mesh, coated with mortar, and embedded with pieces of porcelain, tile and glass. Two of the towers rise to a height of nearly 100 feet. Nowadays, Watts is mostly an African-American community that was at the epicenter of the riots of 1965 and 1992, and where the nearby upscale art center somehow feels out of place, yet some of the tiny houses are attractive microcosm of the American dream.

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Highway interchange, Watts. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) House and frontyard, Watts. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Mural, Watts Towers Art Center. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Mural, Watts. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Mosaic Detail, Watts Towers Art Center. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Sculpture, Watts Towers Art Center. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Tour guide and group in the Gazebo of the Watts Towers. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Overview of the Watts Towers. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Watts towers and moon. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Whimsical Watts Towers. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Tower seen from Gazebo, Watts Towers. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Simon Rodia  Watts Towers. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Detail of Watts Towers, built over the course of 33 years by Simon Rodia. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Detail, Watts towers. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Detail of Watts Towers showing a heart. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Three towers and hearts, Watts Towers. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Detail, Watts towers, a masterpiece of folk art. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Close-up of found objects used to decorate the Watts Towers. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Moscaic and tower, Watts Towers. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color) Close up of green 7-up bottles used in the Watt Towers. Watts, Los Angeles, California, USA ( color)
There are 20 color pictures of Watts, California on this page