Last Night She Dreamed of a Place Called Fat City

Last Night She Dreamed of a Place Called Fat City is a celebration of the history and present of the Fat City neighborhood. The collaged imagery is paired with a short story written by local writer James A. Reeves to form a fable that heightens the magic of the neighborhood. The story memorializes Fat City’s history (Trini Lopez’s shout out on the Tonight Show, the sno-ball stand from which Fat City perhaps derived its name, former local businesses) and inspires viewers to dream of its future and reflect on their lives. The original collage has been stylized so it is made up of vertical lines and dots. The effect is like a curtain of beaded rain that accentuates the dream-like quality of the image and encourages perspective by offering unique experiences at different distances from the wall. The result will be a grand mythology in the public realm to help us see the neighborhood with new eyes and to help us make sense of the beauty and tragedy of life with the people around us.