Hopeful Homeless: Fighting homelessness through stories
Tasha, a local artist living on the streets of Los Angeles, California
Welcome to an article of “Hopeful Homeless”, a project currently in the making created by Noah Wali which will share stories and images of the houseless community in order to spark conversation about their treatment and role in our society. Though we all have donated to causes to help out the homeless, in my experience the most beneficial thing to do is to connect with homeless and make them feel cared for.
I plan to interview and truly connect with as many homeless people in Portland (and in other cities) as possible, and have real meaningful conversations with them about their living conditions, their past, and whatever else is on their minds. This will become a free-flowing photobook filled with happy, sorrowful, and often times frightening stories. The book is estimated to be complete by February 2020. I believe that for change to happen politically, we must first create human connections locally.
Story 1 (Sneak Peak)
It was a Tuesday afternoon on the bustling street of Hollywood Ave, however, there was one lady in specific who quickly caught my eye. A bright-colored lady painting a beautiful picture of the busy road with a compelling sunset shadowing the famous Hollywood Ave.
I approached her and offered her a few dollars to commend her exquisite work. I continued walking when it struck me: The hard-working painter had skills that were of a professional, yet, she was working on the street. I turned around and introduced myself. Why? I don't know. I felt inclined to know more, to know why. Her name was Tasha and she was 30 years old. She was a painter.
As I sat down with her I could tell she was nervous. Uncomfortable. I carried on as this was my first time too, just like her, speaking to someone about her life story who she didn't necessarily know.
She grew up just outside Los Angeles and dropped out of High School Junior year. Her family (2 other siblings and her mother) were surviving off their mother’s two jobs. For her 17th birthday, her mom got her a ticket to an “introduction to painting class”.
She went to the class and enjoyed herself so much that she saved up money from working her own job to buy supplies, and she painted daily.
Eventually, her mother passed away, and she lost touch with her two siblings after they moved away. She had apparently lost the family’s house as well. She took a bus to Hollywood avenue to mourn her mother’s death, and she has been living homeless near the area since age 19. She never stopped painting––she had the same supplies, and she would paint on cardboard boxes, etc. She hides her pieces where she sleeps, but she told me since about a year ago she was too scared to publicly show her art. Her work focuses on bright colors and unique shapes.
I asked her about her opinions on public art as a whole, and she responded that freedom of art has been very important to her over her years, making many political pieces about the conditions of homeless in America. She keeps up with the current news as much as possible, and she is not a fan of the current president. Her first pieces drawn in public were images of Trump with what I presume intriguing imagery surrounding his portrait.
Tasha believes that public art is meant to be offensive, but not necessarily in a bad way. “People be putting up different types of art that go against Trump, and I say go for it. Public art should make people angry, happy, sad, confused. Public art has to stir up controversy, you know? Art that is put on display for anyone to see supposed to make you feel a certain way, and it should strike up a debate. Public art can be powerful for people like me don’t have a lotta say in much.”
As for Tasha, she plans to continue making art and staying active in the public art scene, making sure her opinions are heard.
Hopefully, I will see her work out there online or in a museum one day.