‘LA TIMES’ HIGHLIGHTS AMIR ZAKI’S SKATEPARK PHOTOGRAPH EXHIBITION
Photographer Amir Zaki was featured at the Los Angeles Times site over the weekend for a piece about his new photo exhibition, “Empty Vessel.” Another reminder of how skateboarding’s brutal history, the exhibition highlights examples of “brutalist architecture” in skateparks. (And, like any good mainstream article covering skateboarding, there is a quick recap of the late-’70s California drought; kids jumping fences; the letter “Z.”)
Zaki used to skate, so he knows that these aren’t just striking cement structures. His photos of beautifully transitioned, empty skateparks are undoubtedly beautiful. Our question is: Wouldn’t these photos look better with someone, you know, skating in them? From certain angles, Zaki’s images almost look like disused military bunkers or training grounds. At ease.
The exhibition is at the Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion, Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa.
We featured some gorgeous skateparks in our In Transition series, so if you’re interested in seeing people actually use these backdrops… see below: