A portrait of drummer and songwriter Robin Russell prominently faces Crenshaw Boulevard at the Slauson and Crenshaw entrance to Hyde Park Station on the K Line.
At future Hyde Park Station on the K Line, the Metro Art-commissioned artwork installed at the station’s entrance and platform celebrates the vibrant culture, community and music of Hyde Park.
The artwork, Hyde Park Oasis, is a series of art panels layered with history and visions for the future shared by Hyde Park residents, small business owners and youth. It was created by artist Carlson Hatton, who was commissioned through an open competitive process following the recommendation of a panel of community-based arts professionals.
Hyde Park Oasis is the culmination of many engaged public conversations which brought together the artist and Hyde Park residents with deep community ties. Residents shared personally meaningful historical and cultural references, and identified key imagery that represented their vision and knowledge of Hyde Park. Meanwhile, Hatton listened.
An integral part of the design’s development was Hatton’s mentoring of four local student artists: Joshua Castro, Barbara Visconti, Felipe Garcia and Jarrid Godbold. Over several years, they researched neighborhood references by sourcing and photographing imagery unearthed in the community conversations.
Hatton then wove these images into the 10 densely layered paintings of Hyde Park Oasis.
Classic low-riders along Crenshaw Boulevard, live music gatherings, energetic social scenes, verdant gardens with fruit trees, mask festivals and the playing of hand-made African drums are all included, as are hundreds of patterns documented along Crenshaw. Music emerged as key theme, too, with influential Crenshaw Corridor musicians and styles — from legendary drummer Robin Russell to contemporary jazz artists to the drum line tradition— all visible in the work.
With rhythmic patterns of color and wide skylines of majestic palm trees cresting notable buildings on the horizon, Hyde Park Oasis is a tribute to Hyde Park and its soundtrack as it echoes across South Los Angeles.
These artworks, fabricated as durable porcelain enamel steel panels, are now visible on all sides of Hyde Park Station at Crenshaw Blvd. and Slauson Av.
Learn more about the artwork in the video below and here.
Check out previous posts on the installed station artworks of the Crenshaw/LAX (K Line) Transit Art Program featuring videos on the K Line artists and artwork by filmmaker Mobolaji Olambiwonnu:
- Expo/Crenshaw Station: Erwin Redl
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Station: Shinique Smith
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Station: Mara Lonner
- Leimert Park Station: Ingrid Calame
- Leimert Park Station: Mickalene Thomas
- Downtown Inglewood Station: Kenturah Davis
Learn more about the Crenshaw/LAX (K Line) Transit Project, now K Line, Art Program here.
About Metro Art
Metro Art enhances the customer experience with innovative, award-winning visual and performing arts programming that encourages ridership and connects people, sites and neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles County. A diverse range of site-specific artworks are integrated into the growing Metro system, improving the quality of transit environments and creating a sense of place.
Click here for more information about the Metro Art program. Follow Metro Art on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe for email updates.
Categories: Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project, Metro Art