Llano Del Rio Collective

 


The Llano del Rio Collective is a collaboration between an artist and community stakeholders. This collaborative art project encourages the use of alternative spaces and explores the cultural history of the colony and the region it resides in. During the month of August, the group will host a variety of events and projects throughout the city of Los Angeles. Some of the projects include scavenger hunts, drive-through sculpture parks, galleries, museums, and other public spaces. In addition to art, the organizers also plan to create socially distant projects, such as drive-by projections.

The Llano del Rio Colony was established by socialist politician Job Harriman. He was a lawyer by training who worked for the Socialist Party in California. He was a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles in 1911, but lost. Afterward, he formed a corporation and purchased land in the desert near Littlerock. After establishing a colony, Harriman advertised the colony in Western Comrade magazine. Although the colony was successful, the local community fought back, and the colony was eventually attacked by the Los Angeles Times.

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In the 1920s, the socialist diamond was perceived as a poorly represented diamond. For instance, Emma Goldman gave speeches in New York City during the early 20s, but her socialist agenda failed to get its fair share of press. Ultimately, the socialist movement was derailed by economic and physical problems.

Eventually, the remaining community in California was unable to attain the same size as the original colony, and it filed for bankruptcy in 1918. At the same time, another community was formed in Virginia. These communities became known as Twin Oaks. Their buildings are named after former communities that were no longer active. Visitors to these towns can play a speculative design game of New Llano utopography and discover the futures of experimental utopian communities.

Using historical resources and contemporary artistic practices, the project aims to bring together past and present tales of the Llano del Rio Cooperative Colony. It will include a digital PDF publication, a map, renderings of the colony, links to resources, and a speculative architectural design game based on Alice Constance Austin's feminist city plan.

The project is a continuation of the Antelope Valley Artist Outpost, a cross-sector partnership with organizations including the Otis College of Art and Design, the Lancaster Museum of Art and History, the Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance, and the Regional Planning Department. Through a combination of artist-led projects and innovative public space initiatives, the organization supports artists and creative thinkers working in Sun Village, Littlerock, and the greater Antelope Valley.

Yestermorrow: Llano explores the high desert area of Llano, California. It incorporates a diverse range of artmaking from the region, such as graphic design, graphic novel, and a speculative architectural reimagining of the Alice Constance Austin plan. There are also artists who work from a diverse set of disciplines, such as Gregory Ain and David Hockney. Additionally, the project provides a look into the sophisticated thinking of the desert hinterlands.


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