An ode to the flower sellers of L.A.’s Flower District

I always start with a photograph on my phone. Walking around the Flower District, there’s so much beauty, and I started to think about the people who make them. One of my uncles on my dad’s side also came to the U.S. a while back, and because he had the knowledge already, he ended up landing in the Flower District. He wears jeans because it’s thick enough to protect him from roses.” I used to make work a lot with vinyl, and because I used to work in the Fashion District, I was around all the fabrics there and it became a way for me to experiment. Erick Medel embroiders denim with an industrial sewing machine, making works that touch on everyday life in Los Angeles, particularly those living and working in Boyle Heights and the city’s Eastside.