Real Faces of Los Angeles: JR (12 pics)

Silverlake

French street artist JR, winner of the 2011 TED Prize ($100,000), will unveil his TED Prize wish live onstage in Long Beach next week. Arriving a bit early, the 27-year-old Parisian put up his trademark large-scale wheat pastes all across Los Angeles this past week.

JR's L.A. visit marks the third installment of his expansive project, The Wrinkles of the City. The first two were in Cartagena, Spain, and Shanghai in 2010.

The series consists of raw photographs of residents selected through mutual friends, a casting call, and man-on-the-street interviews. So far, JR's work has popped up in Venice, Silverlake, Melrose Avenue, and Downtown.

“This is a city where everything is about image,” JR tells LA Weekly. “Where people have Botox and fight against aging, I can bring big wrinkles and hang them on the buildings of the city — in contrast to the big advertisements. Los Angeles' definition of beauty is being transformed by these people this week.”


Melrose

MOCA Museum

Venice Boulevard

MOCA Museum

Los Angeles

Venice

Downtown L.A.

Los Angeles

Downtown L.A.

Downtown L.A.

Downtown L.A.

JR's website
via [LA Weekly]

Eugene Kim

Eugene Kim is the Editor-in-Chief of My Modern Met. In May, 2008, he co-founded the website to create one big city that celebrates creative ideas. His mission is to promote a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.
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