Ronald Llanos speaks with Saskia Siebrand, Creative & Technical Director, Mosaika Art & Deisgn about his work for Expo/Western Station.
Ronald Llanos describes himself as a visual journalist. “My images are inspired by people and by the places I travel to or frequent,” he says.
Ron collects drawings in a sketchbook while people watching in a café or walking through Los Angeles neighborhoods. He creates thousands of quick sketches of people engaging in city life: talking with friends, walking past businesses carrying shopping bags, pushing a baby carriage or talking on a cell phone. These vignettes become the subject matter for zines – small self-published magazines that tell a story about a particular place at a moment in time. You can see more of Ronald’s images and follow his blog here.
Ronald Llanos shares pages of his sketchbook documenting his urban adventures.
In preparing the artwork designs for the Expo/Western Station, Ronald spent time filling his sketchbook with drawings of people and activities he observed around the station area. He then mapped the art panels at the platforms to unfold like the pages of an open book. A series of 16 watercolor paintings describe scenes from the local neighborhood.
Ronald’s watercolor paintings have a fresh, spontaneous quality to them. The task of translating his translucent washes of color into a hard, permanent material was a challenge. Artisans at Mosaika Art & Design traced Ronald’s designs onto ceramic tile and added thin layers of glaze to preserve the feel of the artist’s hand in the work. Next the work was fired, cut into small pieces and placed within the panels.
Hand glazed art tiles are cut into small pieces then placed within the art panels.
Speaking about the artwork for Expo/Western Station Ronald says, “I feel that if I search within myself for that which I find interesting about the places and people of those areas, I might be able to communicate with people across time.”
Art panels in process at Mosaika's shop.
Art panel depicting neighborhood teens.
More ‘Art for Expo Line’:
Public art is important.
It sometimes can be the only access some people have to art.
Public art is inclusive.
It is for everyone.
growing up in los angeles viewing murals along the 101, bizarre art sculptures like chicken boy on broadway, the multi color paddle boats in mac arthur park, and the vast spectacle of the cement laden la river are among such great foundations that represent a sense of place and permanence even whilst every lot is being razed and refurbed into another shiny construct of the rustless moment…
these irregular cut mosaic murals by llanos propel me back to preserving the idea of la as a timeless place.
one can only hope that the MTA continues to promote art in this same vein as what it feels like to walk the streets of la…