Author and pop-culture humorist
Author and pop-culture humorist specializing in Americana
PROFILE
Charles Phoenix
Guest
FROM Charles Phoenix
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Clifton’s Cafeteria Set to Reopen An indoor redwood forest. Animatronic wildlife. More Jello than you could possibly imagine, and space for 600 diners. Clifton’s downtown cafeteria opened near the corner of Broadway and 7th street in 1935. It was family owned until 2010, when nightlife impresario Andrew Meieran bought the property. He closed Clifton’s in 2012 to revamp and remodel the interior. And the brand new Clifton’s is set to open on September 17 .
Design and Architecture
What Does the Instagram Sale Mean for Retro Culture? Last week saw an astounding billion dollars being paid for an app that can give a retro look to camera-phone photos. Instagram , a small startup, was bought by tech behemoth Facebook . Charles Phoenix, a cult figure who collects and builds performances around actual retro photos of Americana, helps to process the cultural significance of the Instagram deal. Charles has a few shows coming up next month like his Big Retro Slide Show at MOCA Grand Avenue and his Disneyland Tour of Downtown Los Angeles , and he gives his thoughts on Instagram and how the trend for retrofying snapshots compares with what he does. Frances' vintage Bugs Bunny sweater from a flea market photographed by Charles Phoenix with Instagram "Earlybird" filter. Top image: Photograph of Charles Phoenix by Chris Haston with Instagram "Nashville" filter.
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Art Talk
Sharon Ellis at Christopher Grimes Hunter Drohojowska-Philp talks about the Blue Hour and closing galleries.
The Business
Justine Bateman on her new book, ‘Fame: The Hijacking of Reality' What’s it like to be suddenly famous at 16? Justine Bateman found out when she was cast as Mallory in the hit NBC sitcom ‘Family Ties.’ More than 30 years later, she has a lot to say about fame--so much, in fact, that she’s written a book on the subject. 'Fame' explores having it, losing it, and the country's undying obsession with it.