Playing, conceptually at least, in the same sandbox as the famous Elmer's Bottle Ranch of Barstow, Randyland, or Phantasma Gloria, as it's occasionally known, is a bottle hoarder's paradise turned multi-colored art installation.
Anyone who's rolled down the quiet streets of LA's Echo Park has probably stopped and marveled at the magical display that radiates from the property on Lemoyne St. If not, I strongly encourage you to take the trip east and try not to get into a horrifically fatal car accident as you gawk at the creation set before you.
Akin to spending a summer afternoon staring at a spiderweb while tripping on a hit of acid, a first glance will yield more questions than answers: What does this all mean? Is there a real Randy? And if so, what drugs does he enjoy? Maybe I'm Randy?
Even the entrance wall is worthy of a blog post in its own right.
And just when you're ready to leave and chalk up the experience to another cool art installation in SoCal, you realize there's an actual purpose behind this wonderful madness: the glass is meticulously placed in patterns to create some incredible, and fairly hidden at first glance, designs once the sun hits and highlights them. Is that the Virgin of Guadalupe I see in there?
The man in charge here is named Randy (I know, shocker that his name isn't Frank or something), who has been crafting these glass masterworks in his spare time over the past 16 years. And with the support of some very forgiving neighbors--plus, a very lovable dog named Taco who lives across the street. Maybe Randy should've named this tacoland-- Randy doesn't plan on stopping the party anytime soon.
Another thing that makes Randyland far more unique from the other bottle-topia's of LA, is that every visit offers a different experience depending on what angle the sun is hitting the displays. Since the sculptures contain thousands of bottles that differ in shape, color, and size, the glass actually acts as a lens for the sun's rays to illuminate, thus allowing the various designs to really stand out at various hours in the day. I was told by Randy himself that 10 am is apparently the prime viewing hour, but I say make the trip regardless of time of day.
As for the pieces themselves, you've got the aforementioned Virgin of Guadalupe, plus a dolphin, shell and the sun, which all become pretty apparent when you look at them up close.
And if you're lucky, as I was the day we visited, Randy himself will be there to talk about his process and give you VIP access to the grounds. An artist by trade, he's a passionate creator who exerts a very infectious enthusiasm around the never-ending project. The tour also allows you to see some of the more unique items not visible from the street, like this creepy glass head!
And after the tour, Randy will leave you with some promotional goodies for the road, which is a pretty generous thing to do for complete strangers who you've just spent the afternoon showing your property to. On this trip, I got some magnets and postcards, which all show the various ways Randyland looks when the sun is hitting at different times/angles.
In all, a fantastic experience and great example of the DIY art spirit that makes LA such a hotbed for the unique (and also spotlights our obsessive love for recycling). But with all the talk of a big earthquake hitting the West Coast soon, I hope Randy keeps the place insured.
