Many of West Hollywood’s gay institutions were forced out of business during the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting not only the businesses but also their staffs, families and the local gay community. Lost Hollywood will be a multimedia public art sculpture combining sound and neon, immortalizing the iconic bars and institutions that closed. It draws inspiration from two of Carl Hopgood’s other neon artworks, Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places and My Heart Is Open, currently on display at the Maddox Gallery in West Hollywood.
“I walk past the shuttered bars and restaurants and all I see are chairs and tables stacked up in the window. It has become a place I no longer recognize; it is like a ghost town. It makes me feel so helpless, but I know there is something I can do to memorialize these iconic places. I have started a kickstarter campaign to raise funds to realize this ambitious neon-and-sound public art for our community. The names of the iconic gay places we lost will be created in glowing neon lights seemingly falling from the sky from white neon clouds. Their spirit and memory will live on,” Hopgood says.
Lost Hollywood will literally give voice to the LGBTQ+ visitors and residents of West Hollywood who had experiences at the shuttered places. Recorded sound bites of their stories will be amplified from speakers below the installation. These were the places where we came out, made friends, went on dates, celebrated life, and laughed in the face of adversity. Lost Hollywood will be a memorial to the LGBTQ+ community, a clear message about preserving the legacy of these gay institutions and keep their spirit alive for future generations.
The location of the work will be at the legendary Circus of Books in West Hollywood above Chi Chi LaRue’s Circus. The location is opposite the Gold Coast, sadly one of the first gay institutions to close. The work will be on display for six months, after which time it will be donated to the Los Angeles LGBT Center, where it will be on permanent display.
To support this Kickstarter campaign please click on the link to find out more information and to donate.
Instagram: @carlhopgood
www.carlhopgood.com
