By Miyo Stevens

Medium: Screenprint
Year: 2015
Edition of 60
Image Size: 12 x 9 inches

Our collective memory of the Los Angeles River is a mixture of fact and fiction. Many of us have only a vague understanding of why the river was channelized with concrete, or no understanding at all.

This print was inspired by photographs taken in March 1938 by the U.S. Engineer office in Los Angeles.

"Los Angeles River Natural History: Los Angeles River, 1938 With Elderberry, Mugwort, and Mulefat" references 18th century botanical illustrations that often feature a landscape in the background. The plants depicted are native plants of the Los Angeles river area chosen for their medicinal use by indigenous people and references to folklore.