100 Not So Famous Views of L.A. - by Barbara A Thomason (Hardcover)

About the Book

A collection of unexpected portraits of Los Angeles, inspired by Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige's One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.

Book Synopsis

A vibrant collection of paintings capturing Los Angeles from the eye of a local.

"Thomason paints as a native, capturing Los Angeles at the level of its streets.... this is Los Angeles without its history of forgetting, no longer rootless, placeless, but instead, through Thomason's transforming imagination, the embodiment of place."
-- David L. Ulin, book critic, Los Angeles Times

An original collection of paintings, 100 Not So Famous Views of L.A. offers intimate, often recognizable, sometimes unexpected glimpses of a city known and loved by the artist. Inspired by nineteenth-century Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige's One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, Los Angeles artist Barbara Thomason captures the charm and personality of her vibrant city, with commentary and history.

Review Quotes

"Inspired by mid-19th century Japanese Ukiyo-e artist Hiroshige, L.A.-based artist Barbara Thomason's collection of 100 paintings offer an alternative interpretation of the city's often overlooked landmarks and quirky places."
--"Holiday Books Guide: Coffee Table", LA Times

"A celebration of the most mundane (and, thus, most moving) landscapes of Southern California life.... What I love about these paintings is that they are recognizable; I have seen, have walked through, nearly every location they portray. What I love about these paintings is that they are commonplace; there is nothing special about their scenes, about the vistas they animate. Did I say nothing special? What I mean is: They bestow their own sort of specialness, the specialness of the every day. Thomason paints as a native, capturing Los Angeles at the level of its streets.... this is Los Angeles without its history of forgetting, no longer rootless, placeless, but instead, through Thomason's transforming imagination, the embodiment of place."
-- David L. Ulin, book critic, Los Angeles Times

"Inspired by 19th century Japanese artist and printmaker Utagawa Hiroshige's series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, artist Barbara A. Thomason decided to pay tribute to Hiroshige with her own series, 100 Not So Famous Views of L.A. Her paintings are landscapes that take the format of portraits, as the subjects have become characters in Thomason's own life story, and in many cases L.A.'s, too."
-- "Here are the 10 Perfect Holiday Gifts for Any Angeleno" LA Weekly

"Rendered with the lush texture of early 20th-century California plein air paintings, the images are romantic yet filled with tension, capturing the familiar in a way that makes you see things in a whole new light." -- Elina Shatkin, Los Angeles Magazine

"A treasure... it's the perfect gift for a friend who has moved away from LA (can you say FOMO?)." -- Time Out Los Angeles

"Capturing L.A. with a thoughtful stillness, Thomason reveals a deep sense of place through its less celebrated views." -- Marieke Treilhard, Angeleno

"So easy to fall in love with." -- L.A. I'm Yours

"Barbara A. Thomason's vibrant paintings look at the city in a new way, faithfully documenting the view from disused street corners, tucked-away hillsides, and obscure local landmarks. This is a beautiful work of civic anthropology."
-- "5 Gorgeous Gift Books for the Holidays" by Brian Hurley, Fiction Advocate

"Thomason's achievement is in showing that L.A. is neither too vast nor too ephemeral to understand, if you know where and how to look." -- Boom, A Journal of California

"A unique and splendid tour of the vibrancy, quirkiness, charm, and essential personality of a great American city."
-- Rafu Shimpo

About the Author

Barbara Thomason is a Los Angeles-based artist whose paintings, drawings, and prints have been shown in exhibitions at many galleries, museums and universities. She received a masters in printmaking from California State University, Long Beach and worked as a master printer in lithography at renowned artist workshop Gemini G.E.L., where she printed for Robert Rauschenberg, Claes Oldenberg, Jasper Johns, Frank Stella, Ed Ruscha, Ellsworh Kelly and many others. She has been on the art faculty at California Polytechnic University, Pomona, the University of California, Santa Cruz, University of Redlands, Otis College of Art and Design, and other fine institutions.