Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Save Monster Park!




Out here in the Los Angeles suburb of San Gabriel, there are plans to demolish some great concrete playground structures built by an artist named Benjamin Dominguez in 1965.


Although I don't think my mom ever took me to this particular park, I have fond memories of these type of cement play structures. I remember pretty vividly going down a dragon slide that seemed to go on forever!


The sculptures are less personal and esoteric (less face it, they were done for a public park) than say, E.T. Wickham's concrete sculptures, but they are still great forms and an awful lot of fun.


History professor Eloy Zarate has organized a movement to save the park, with over 1500 signatures so far.


Here is the online petition as well as more info.: http://monsterpark.eloyzarate.com/


NPR also did a story on the movement to save the park: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6683512


Photos courtesy of Eloy Zarate and Benjamin Dominguez family

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