No Vending

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36 x 36 x 2.5 in.

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Acrylic, ink, cotton rag mat, 99.9% pure silver leaf, newspaper, junk food wrapper, resin, on deep-cradled wood panel

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Private collection

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Los Angeles has a complicated relationship with the many street vendors working its parks and sidewalks, most of them immigrants from Mexico or Central America. "No Vending" is a window into the conflicted messaging surrounding their arduous and often risky efforts.

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This piece speaks to the experience of the more than 50,000 street vendors straddling languages, cultures, and countries. The many among them who are undocumented exist simultaneously in two states, like Schrödinger’s Cat: As highly-visible members of a vibrant community, conspicuous under their bright, rainbow-hued umbrellas; and as shadows, hoping to remain unnoticed while the federal immigration authorities conduct their well publicized sweeps.