Aaron Rose is a fairly big Los Angeles figure, a Beautiful Loser era contemporary artist and art supporter that is perpetually behind the scrim of local art. We’ve seen him around several times and he’s always very unassuming and to himself, likely cataloguing what is going on to share later. Avante/Garde Diaries–the people behind Transmission L.A.–did a video of Rose waxing on about LA art institution, Watts Tower, where he speaks about its importance to California art and art in general.

To setup the video, Rose explains what art means to him and relates it to Simon Rodia’s motivation for making Watts. He quite literally traces Rodia’s tracks (and railroad tracks) in Watts as he explains how they may be the most significant California sculpture…and no one visits it! He relates it to being alluring because it’s hidden in plain sight, touches on how Rodia lives on as an avant garde legend (*wink* Avant/Garde Diaries tie in *wink*), and what we–locals and not–can take from Watts Tower today.

This video along with everything I read or see about Watts Tower reminds me that I’m one of those people Rose mentions: I haven’t been nor do I know anyone who has actually been to Watts Tower. The institution is awe inspiring and constantly popping up in media but a lot of people don’t make it out to see it because it’s too far or too this or too that. (Or maybe those are just my excuses? Regardless, I’m very guilty of not making it down to see it.) This little video is basically Aaron Rose reciting a sonnet on his love for Rodia and Watts Tower. It’s a reminder that we have so much creativity under our thumbs that we keep passing by day after day.