Marsea Goldberg, Armando Lerma and Carlos Ramirez

Growing up outside Los Angeles, we would find ourselves, once every couple years or so, visiting historic downtown.  Whether checking out the Bradbury building, Union Station or Chinatown, we always made sure to take a stroll down the birthplace of the City of Angels, Olvera Street.  Centered around a traditional Mexican style plaza, Olvera Street is a historic hub and insight to Mexicano culture.  Featuring colorful dresses, bollero musicians, Oaxacan altars, churro carts, Sacred Hearts and bootleg Mickey Mouse shirts, the energy and spirit of Olvera Street is one that we’ll never forget, and one that resounds in the memory especially upon entering the Date Farmers’ latest show, “Strange Fruit.”

For Strange Fruit, Carlos and Armando have pulled no punches.  Driving up from Southern California the day before the opening, the Date Farmers have transformed FIFTY24SF into a proverbial swap-meet, a place where the Olvera Street visits of our childhood has met the peyote trips of our adult life.  Discarded signs, handcrafted sculpture, vintage typography and an arcade machine playing the Date Famers x N.A.S.A. “A Volta” video make for a creative and well rounded show.  As an added bonus, the ever lovely Marsea Goldberg from New Image Art and Modern Multiples’ master printers Richard Duardo and Sarah Melendez made appearances as well.

Pictures after the jump.

Marsea Goldberg, Richard Duardo and Sarah Melendez

Words/Pictures/Peyote by AM/SF: Ken Harman
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