Navy Blue Fabric Hardcover 
7 in x  9 in / 17.78 cm x 22.86 cm
274 pages
Numbered Limited Edition
 
“When the City Speaks” is both a book and the documentation of a life-changing experience. Inspired by our love for Los Angeles, our team of four artists set out on a journey to explore the beauty of this city, to hear the stories of the people who make it what it is, and to highlight the fact that this beauty, these people, and the fundamental well-being of the city are in danger.
 
For several months we traveled the L.A. area to meet folks and invite them to share about their lives, capturing portrait photos and audio recordings of conversations with each person. We connected with people from all over L.A. and from all walks of life and experienced a series of profoundly impactful encounters, which comprise the heart of this book. In its pages, the power and inspiration of these moments are juxtaposed with images of demolition and construction, portraying the continuous property development so prevalent throughout the L.A. area, and calling attention to the rampant displacement of people and the disruption of local culture.
 
The intention of this book is to show the beauty of this city and its people juxtaposed with this challenge in order to help us see how much is at stake, and how urgent the need is for a new definition of progress and new ways forward. The hope is that this project will inspire dialogue and support exploration around the importance of community, and the fundamental and indispensable value of people and the places they love.
 
Concept, Art Direction & Production by Walter Martinez
Photography by Kaid Ashton
Written by Matt “MATRE” Sawaya & Walter Martinez
Cover Design, Graphics & Layout by Joshua Temkin