Slobodan Dimitrov 1

$\\Commonspot\internet-site\images\bullet1$ Art Projects

Slobodan Dimitrov
The Longshore
2009

Project Area: Pacific Corridors
Project: La Salle Lofts
Project Location: 255 W. 7th Street
Project Type: Developer Initiated

Description:

Slobodan Dimitrov’s work is in the tradition of Farm Security Administration photographers Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange and Gordon Parks, works that are testaments to the effectiveness of photography in straddling both the craft of photojournalistic documentation and the fine art of portraiture. These images focus attention on their subjects, giving the viewers an opportunity to gain insight into the individuals and the circumstances of their place and time.

The public art concept for the La Salle Lofts fits securely within the history of public art celebrating labor and the American worker. San Pedro is steeped in the history of labor movements, both organized and non-organized, and as a community has navigated wars, technological changes and the ebb and flow of immigrant populations.

The artwork has become a point of historical reference, showcasing the community at a key point in its history, as San Pedro undergoes revitalization and as the various maritime industries that support it transform and grow at an unprecedented pace. The artwork measures 24’ x 8.5’ over a total of 204 square feet and is located on the façade of the one story parking structure, which is a separate building from the La Salle lofts residences. The artwork is rendered in photographic decals fired onto black and white ceramic tile.

Artist Profile

Slobodan Dimitrov is a photographer based in the Los Angeles Harbor area. He is a contributing photographer for The Dispatcher, LA Weekly, The Building Trades News, and Random Lengths. His work has appeared in The Nation, The Carpenter, Solidarity, SEIU, UNITE, Machinists Int., America at Work, The Progressive, Los Angeles Magazine, and The Economist, among many labor publications and newspaper.
Recently his work on the Ironworkers has been exhibited at the Harbor College Art Gallery. To date, Dimitrov has had over 100 exhibits, nationally and internationally. He was selected for the Los Angeles Public Library Neighborhood Project to document the community of San Pedro for the public archives. The photographic documentary was on display at the Los Angeles Central Library during 2001. Until recently, he was on the faculty at Marymount College as an adjunct photography instructor. Dimitrov maintains a studio at Angels Gate Cultural Center, San Pedro, California.