Eric Nash - Night Drawings

Night Drawings By Eric Nash

25 years ago when I first came to Los Angeles I was not impressed. It felt uninteresting and suburban compared to someplace like New York. But on that first night this metropolis transformed into something so vast, mysterious and alive. Endless red tail lights snaking along the freeway. Signs glowing in the night sky. Street lights stretching to the horizon. Lonely and romantic. So much of what I knew and felt about LA came from movies and in particular noir films. Sunset Boulevard, Chinatown, Mulholland Drive. Los Angeles, as colorful as it is, seems well-suited to be portrayed in black and white because of this rich cultural history of noir film. But It’s also a city of extremes and contrasts. A place much loved and loathed, both good and bad. Black and white emphasizes this reality. The ancient nature of charcoal with its deep velvety texture was a perfect way to capture noir moments throughout Los Angeles and a few in Palm Springs. These are my night drawings.

- Eric Nash