Charcoal Myths in the Age of Industry

Along the banks of the polluted LA River, I draw 20-foot bird guardians in charcoal—symbols of power, flight, and resistance. These ephemeral works, made from the same carbon byproduct that chokes our skies, reflect Long Beach’s layered ecology: industrial, cultural, and mythic.

Birds—central to Norse, Tongva, and global traditions—are not just symbols but sentinels. They migrate along ancient routes now shadowed by ports and refineries. In collaboration with local twitchers (citizen birdwatchers), I document both the birds and their vanishing habitat. The river becomes both canvas and battleground.

My drawings are often erased—deemed graffiti. Yet the trash clogging the river remains for months, untreated. This contrast reveals what society chooses to see, clean, and value.