"On a clear day I can usually see all the way to Watts" by Mark Bradford

Watts is a neighborhood in Southern LA, and the color scheme of the mixed media canvas is similar to the Watts towers sculpture:



To get back to the original piece of art, I think sky blue is almost universally considered gorgeous. The horizontal black lines, like the lines of the towers, seem man-made and imperfect. The form is not steady. It can be seen as playful, or slightly disorienting. The blue sky and lighter blotches are like clouds. It is a pretty day, with an intersection of human and natural--the sort of intersection that does not exist in LA. The title of the work is what really draws one's focus to the smog problem. On a clear day. LA is never clear. I can usually see all the way to Watts. Wouldn't that be nice? It's an environmental criticism that works through a Utopian image and a strong title.