V for Vendetta: Portfolio

Steffi Price

English 114B

May 1 2011 

V for Vendetta

In today’s society, it seems that corruption within the government is inevitable. This opinion of the government has been influenced and circulated by many outside sources. While some believe that the government is only looking out for the good of the people, others think differently. Just like in the court of law, a government may be considered innocent until proven guilty. In Alan Moore’s graphic novel “V for vendetta” the government is perceived as corrupt, but nothing is done about it until the people become conscious of the problems at hand when they are informed. Although those that oppose the oppression of the government may seem like radical revolutionaries to some, the values of anarchy versus order are in the eye of the beholder. Alan Moore also explores this in his novel through the symbolism of V and his identity or lack thereof illustrate how it is not important in comparison to the ideals of freedom that he upholds.

The character V is a direct example of symbolism throughout the novel. V himself is a man in a mask. He is never defined as a single person throughout the story. V is intended to be perceived as an idea. Although V’s identity is immensely questioned by readers throughout the story, the answer is surprisingly irrelevant. Evey shows understanding of this when she says “ If I take off that mask, something will go away forever, be diminished, because whoever you are isn’t as big as the idea of you”(250, Moore). She is trying to say that in the end it doesn't matter who V is, what really matters is what he stands for and what he embodies. In this way, the character V becomes a symbol himself as his goals are depersonalized so they are not merely personal opinions, but general ideas of freedom and rising against the power of government. V symbolizes the idea of freedom and rising against the power of the government. The meaning and purpose of V’s name changes consistently depending on the context that it is used in.  There are many references to the letter V and the number 5. In fact, the number 5 is V in roman numerals. The naming of the character as a seemingly random number and letter that is one of many further dissociates the character V from possessing a specific identity which allows room for the reader to perceive him as a symbol. The fact that the letter of his name is not truly random, but is connected to the roman numeral of the room that he was in when V was at Larkhill. Larkhill is the concentration camp he was tortured at that makes him resent the government so powerfully. He was kept in the fifth room. The room was labeled with the roman numeral for five, “V”. Every chapter title in the novel begins with the letter “V”. The saying “remember, remember, the 5th of November” is a symbol of foreshadowing what is going to eventually happen on the date November 5th. All of this buttresses the association between V and ideals of revolution for the greater good. He is characterized as a horrific past event directly correlated to the ideals of the upheaval of the totalitarian regime, rather than personified as a humanistic character. However, this leaves the reader with doubts of the validity of the government's actions versus V's campaign; if V's emotions and opinions are left out of the reader's decision whether his actions are right or wrong, but the factual story is included, the individual is able to take into account all aspects to decide for themselves without the bias of a main character's perception. Of course, the point is not to get the reader to agree or disagree, but to question the values of anarchy as justified actions or terrorism.

Throughout the story, V is never seen without his Guy Fawkes mask. In my opinion, the mask is supposed to prove the point that identity is irrelevant. V did not want the attention to be primarily focused on who he was but rather on the idea in which he was presenting to the people. In real life Fawkes was an oppressed Catholic during the reign of King James I of England. In the article Vagaries and Violence in V for Vendetta, it is stated that “Fawkes was tortured and executed (hung, drawn and quartered) for treason. This history is not investigated in V for Vendetta; rather, Fawkes is presented as a symbolic figure.”(Rjurik,1). This creates conflict for anyone who takes the story to the extreme literal level. To avoid all of this political conflict, the guy fawkes mask is worn to be seen as an idea. This is why he wore a mask, so that people would not  be so caught up in catching him, and pay more attention to the idea and political problems at hand that need to be resolved, but at the same time not interfere with real historic political issues. In the scholarly article, “A is for Anarchy, V is for Vendetta: Images of Guy Fawkes and the Creation of Postmodern Anarchism”, Lewis Call says “This book uses the image of Guy Fawkes to initiate a powerful anarchist critique of fascism.”(Call,1) Lewis call makes a significant point when saying this because the way that the mask is worn creates anarchy especially in the film when everybody starts wearing the mask at the end. It symbolizes anarchy through objectivity which is extremely insightful and interesting.

In the graphic novel “V for Vendetta” Alan Moore tells the story through the use of symbolism. There are many symbols in the book for the reader to easily pick up on, making the context of the story come together in the end. This also creates a sense of foreshadowing for the reader because they can anticipate what will happen next which makes the novel more thrilling to read. The symbolism of V and his identity or lack thereof illustrate how it is not important in comparison to the ideals of freedom that he upholds is what remains significant all along. It is important for the reader to be paying attention every step of the way while reading because if they miss out on an important context clue, they could also be missing out on an entire concept of the story. 

Goldstein, Richard. "The Erotics of Resistance." Nation, 282.15 (2006): 8

Kirkpatrick, David. "Candidate's Pleased to Remember This Fifth of November." The New York Times, 157.54120 (2007): A20.

Feigelman, Jennifer. "V for Vendetta." School Library Journal, 52.1 (2006): 170.

Call, Lewis. "A is for Anarchy, V is for Vendetta: Images of Guy Fawkes and the Creation of Postmodern Anarchism. (Undetermined)." Anarchist Studies, 16.2 (2008): 154-105.

Davidson, Rjurik. "Vagaries and Violence in V for Vendetta. (Undetermined)." Screen Education, 46 (2007): 157-162.

Venice Beach: Portfolio

Venice Beach

Although it is located in Southern California, Venice Beach is a well-known attraction to people all around the world. What many do not realize while visiting Venice is the significance behind it. In 1850 Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney. He created the idea of transforming an ordinary beachfront property into an area of culture. Venice has gone through many transformations and stages of development to become what it is today. For this reason, Venice beach is an important space because of the interesting history behind it’s venetian architecture, the concept behind the formation, and the cultural aspect that it is known for today.

In 1905 a beach resort town was created by Abbot Kinney and his partner Francis Ryan which is known today as Venice beach. They constructed this interesting beach resort town with two miles of oceanfront property that they had previously purchased in 1891. The beach resort was constructed on the North end of the property and was given the name Ocean Park. The name Ocean park was changed to Venice in 1911. After Abbot Kinney’s partner Francis Ryan died, Kinney started to expand and build on the South end of the property as well. Abbot Kinney envisioned creating a seaside resort designed like Venice’s namesake in Italy. This inspired him to build several miles of canals to drain the swampland in the area and put up Venetian style buildings. Kinney also built a pier for entertainment and made his visualization come true by building a long street with venetian architecture. There are many distinct features that the buildings in Venice possess. For example, the pillars and arch ways are very unique and a prime example of Venetian architecture and appeals to the setting Abbot Kinney envisioned creating. Venice beach officially opened on July 4, 1905. I always have admired the unique architecture at Venice beach but I never put it into perspective until I looked at it in depth and discovered the history behind it. Realizing that the Venetian architecture is an intentional factor because of Venice’s namesake makes me value it more than I did in the past.

The idea behind the formation of Venice was to create a place of culture. Abbot Kinney wanted it to be like a mini Americanized Italy since both of the cities share the same name. The population began to grow rapidly because of all the excitement taking place with all the new attractions being built around the town. A miniature railroad was built and even gondola rides were made available for people to tour the town. Rides were put up as well as an aquarium, racing derby, city hall, and competitive business districts. Kinney even hired aviators to do ariel stunts over the beach. Later on a fun house was built along with rides and roller coasters, making it become the best amusement park on the West coast. After a while, the roads, water, and sewage system in Venice all were in desperate need of repair and Venice became unmanageable. With the growing population and the popularity of the area, things needed to change for the better. This lead to the annexation of Venice becoming a part of Los Angeles in 1925. Once Venice became annexed to Los Angeles, things began to change drastically. Los Angeles had their own image of Venice that they wanted to create. They got rid of the canals and paved streets around the city. Los Angeles spent little money on improving Venice after the annexation, which led to low costs of rent and attracted mostly immigrants and young artists, poets, and writers. With that being said, the uprise of many famous and successful artists have come about over time because of their work that originated in Venice. In an article it is suggested that “Some artists create standards of local authenticity by prioritizing their attachment to the context of Venice Beach and immersing themselves into the neighborhood counter culture.”(Deener, 1). This suggests that their inspiration to create artwork has come from the culture of Venice beach. This is extremely significant because many artists have started out small, selling their work at Venice beach and have progressed over the years. Also, with Los angeles barely compensating for improvements of venice, competition between theme parks such as Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm increased as the years went on and the amusement park was eventually forced to be shut down because of bankruptcy.  Even though everything did not work out positively with the amusement park aspect of Venice, it still happens to be an extremely entertaining place within itself. Venice beach does not need rides and roller coasters to be amusing, it is still one of the most exotic places known to man and that is enough for it to keep it’s ongoing fun reputation. Today, Venice beach stands as a great place to shop, eat, tan, walk around, and even get body artwork done such as tattoos and piercings. Many people visit Venice beach because of it’s unique culture and space. I picked this space because I feel like it is the most interesting place in Southern California. Learning the history behind it makes it even more special to me. Throughout the years Venice has remained successful even without compensation from the city of Los Angeles. It may have been altered physically, but the concept of space will never change. 

Abbot Kinney can be recognized as indubitably successful when it comes to making Venice beach a cultural place. Today, Venice beach is notorious for it’s cultural aspects. The community of Venice beach within itself is filled with culture. From street performers, to homeless people sitting along the strip and constant pressure from people at the marijuana clinic’s to get a medical card, there is always something exotic and different going on at Venice beach that one will never be able to experience elsewhere. Since 1987 the Venice Farmers’ Market has been going on and takes place every Friday morning. Not only is there a beautiful beach to enjoy, but also handball courts, basketball courts, the infamous muscle beach, volleyball courts, a park, a bike trail and the boardwalk. A wide variety of shops are located along the boardwalk and there are stands with unique creations as well. Venice is a place of artistic inspiration and creativity. It gives artists the opportunity to expand their career by displaying their artwork in public at the random pop up galleries that take place. The graffiti around Venice is also very interesting to look at. While some people think graffiti is disrespectful and disgusting, I think that the graffiti at Venice beach is so appropriate and fits the scenery perfectly. I wouldn’t get the same vibes without it there. It creates a laid back mood with a sense of freedom. Going to Venice beach is much more than just going to an ordinary beach, each time you go it is an experience. 

In conclusion, Venice beach is an important space because of the interesting history behind it’s venetian architecture, the concept behind the formation, and the cultural aspect that it is known for today. Although there were many transformations that took place throughout it’s lifetime, Venice has turned out to be one of the most vibrant and exotic areas in all of southern California and is well-known world wide. Abbot Kinney’s idea of a cultural beach town was a phenomenal success and will forever live up to that image. 

Deener, Andrew. "Forging Distinct Paths Towards Authentic Identity: Outsider Art, Public Interaction, and Identity Transition in an Informal Market Context." Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 38.2 (2009): 169-200.

Affects of SOPA and PIPA: Portfolio

Affects of SOPA and PIPA 

The internet is a significant part of todays society because many have become dependent on the social aspects of it. Incorporating social life in the world of the web is very important because it creates a convenient way to keep in contact with friends, family, and acquaintances. Freely sharing information on the internet is what people love the most about it. However, at any given point when the majority of the population is putting something too extensive use, the government will always try to find a way to benefit from it. As a result, the United States purposes bills such as SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (The protect IP Act). These laws should not be enacted because they would result in no internet freedom. This would make it impossible to socially connect with one another through the internet because many sites will become blocked or completely taken down by the government. Not to mention it is unfeasible for these bills to ever be successful in any way.

SOPA is a bill that was introduced by Lamar S. Smith, a United States Representative. The purpose of this bill is for the U.S. law enforcement to gain more power over the availability Americans have of the internet. The ultimate goal is to prevent copyrighted intellectual property. This law is taken extremely seriously by U.S. government officials, and it imposes those who are caught streaming copyrighted content on the internet.  If caught, one can face up to a maximum of five years in prison. The doctor who killed Michael Jackson was only sentenced for four years of jail time. Yet, if one were to download Michael Jackson’s music “illegally” from the internet, the prison sentence for streaming copyrighted content has a greater penalty than manslaughter. If SOPA were to be passed, internet freedom would be extremely limited. Corporations would now obtain the power to censor almost any site on the internet. This is unjust because it puts a damper on the rights that we have been accustomed to having. This significant point is recognized in the article “Internet Freedom and Human Rights” when the author states “maintaining the practice of open communication and continuing the system of multi-stakeholder management of the internet can help advance the principles expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”(Clinton,1). If one obtains access to the internet, they are obviously paying a monthly bill for that usage. Why would people still pay corporations such as AT&T or Time Warner Cable if they cannot view every thing that they want to? If the government believes that it is acceptable to limit what its citizens can and cannot view on the internet, then they should not mind paying the monthly fees to use it as well. It is unjustifiable to pay for something that is not only a violation of freedom but completely limited of use as well.

The Protect IP Act (PIPA) is a proposed law that would give the U.S. government and copyright holders additional implements to restrict internet access. This bill would target non-domestic websites. In other words, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, and other sites containing freely shared information could be seen as an infringing site. Any site linked to the infringed site can be completely shut down by their web hosting company without having to go through the court system. Harvard law professor and author of a treatise titled American Constitutional Law, Laurence Tribe, argues that SOPA is unconstitutional because "an entire Web site containing tens of thousands of pages could be targeted if only a single page were accused of infringement" (McCullagh,1). This is a significant point because if someone were to mention something that has a copyright on it, not only would they suffer, but the entire site suffers as well. Every tweet and status update would have to be checked in advance before it is posted for copyright violations, rather than taken down upon notice of infringement. This would destroy the social networks that small businesses use to find new customers and members of Congress use to communicate with constituents. SOPA and PIPA would destroy American technology companies and social networking sites. For example, in the article “Library-Centric Sites Take Part in SOPA/PIPA Protest” it is stated that “Thousands of websites, from major sites like the social news website Reddit, the Internet Archive's main site, and the English-language version of Wikipedia, to small personal WordPress blogs, "went dark" on January 18 as part of a coordinated protest against the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), currently in committee in the House, and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA).” This poses an issue because these sites are used by the majority of the American people to receive vital information. Not only are these sites effective communicators to the public, but they are also vital in the sense that they create jobs for many people. If these websites were to permanently be taken down, jobs would become unavailable, and current employees would be let go. This issue is demonstrated when coming across the quote in an article stating “On November 15, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Zynga, eBay, Mozilla, Yahoo, AOL, and LinkedIn wrote a letter to key members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, saying SOPA poses ‘a serious risk to our industry's continued track record of innovation and job creation, as well as to our nation's cyber security’”(McCullagh). By incorporating the same internet censorship strategies as human right abusers including communist governments such as China, not only is the United States showing a prime example of hypocrisy, but also putting an end to all social media aspects of the internet as well. It can be argued that artists are negatively affected by digital distribution and the social media. Some artists are convinced that they are losing money because people are able to download their music for free on the internet. Nevertheless, Seattle rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot disagrees with this proposal and is a social media enthusiast. In a recent article from the Rolling Stones, Sir Mix-a-lot said that he thinks “social media is beautiful because it gives musicians something he did not have even at the height of his career: direct access to fans. New artists can now ‘skew’ their next project based directly on fan feedback, not the opinion of a select few record execs” (Raymundo,1). This is a notable quote because many people depend on the internet as a primary source of information, not only to find out news and current events, but also to discover new things. Think of how many musicians you have discovered on the radio in comparison to how many you have discovered on the internet. When listening to the radio, no matter how many times you change the station, the same songs are playing repeatedly. Having internet freedom is crucial when it comes to benefiting rising stars because people can share what they enjoyed hearing via their social networking sites and file sharing. 

SOPA and PIPA do not truly stop piracy of movies, music, and goods. If one is in search of pirated content, all they have to do is visit the IP address of an infringing site instead of its domain name. With the continuous advancements of today’s technology, people are bound to figure out alternative mechanisms to get around the barriers, especially since they are never going to be completely blocked. No matter what, the bills are setting themselves up for failure. By enacting SOPA and/or PIPA, a media monopoly is being created because the only people who will be able to obtain complete control over the internet is the government. Monopolies have never worked out in the past. For example, in the early 1900’s the only person who could legally have recognition as a film creator was Thomas Edison because he was the inventor of film making. Thomas Edison put patents on every type of motion picture making on the East coast, making it impossible for aspiring independent creators to even create film. Instead of participating in this monopoly that Edison created, those who wanted to create films migrated from the East coast to the West coast where they ended up in Hollywood, California. Once the independent creators successfully laid down a foundation in Hollywood, the country as a whole began to disagree with the Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC) as well. As a result, the MPPC was charged with antitrust by the government of the United States. “In October 1915, the courts determined that the Patents Company and its General Film division acted as a monopoly in restraint of trade, and later ordered it disintegrated” (Aberdeen). Eventually, the Edison monopoly failed, resulting in the rise of Hollywood and opportunities for creators everywhere. 

With everything said, the legislation of SOPA and PIPA would be equivalent to having a monopoly. If the strategy of the monopoly conception did not work out in the past, what makes the government believe it will work now? The only way to grow is by expanding, not limiting. When people were provided with legal content options through iTunes, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora and etcetera, the industry ended up growing and benefiting as a result. The only way to stop piracy is to expand legal online viewing, not restrict it by using SOPA or PIPA.

"Hypebot." Trent Reznor, OK Go, MGMT, Zoe Keating, Neil Gaiman, Others Join Anti-SOPA Fight -. Hypebot. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2012/01/trent-reznor-ok-go-mgt-zoe-keating-neil-gaiman-others-join-anti-sopa-fight.html>.

Raymundo, Oscar. "Sir Mix-a-Lot Talks SOPA and Social Media." Rollingstone.com. 20 Feb. 2012. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/blogs/gear-up/sir-mix-a-lot-talks-sopa-and-social-media-20120220>.

Partain, Adam. "Adam Partain." Adam Partain. 18 Jan. 2012. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://adampartain.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/how-sopa-effects-business-simplified/>.

"Growing Chorus of Opposition to "Stop Online Piracy Act"" Cdt.org. Center for Democracy & Technology, 9 Jan. 2012. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <https://www.cdt.org/report/growing-chorus-opposition-stop-online-piracy-act>.

"Don't Censor the Net - Defeat SOPA and PROTECT IP » Learn More." Don't Censor the Net. Creative Commons. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://www.dontcensorthenet.com/learn-more>.

"Library-Centric Sites Take Part in SOPA/PIPA Protest." Library Journal, 137.3 (2012): 16.

Clinton, Hillary Rodham. "Internet Freedom and Human Rights." Issues in Science & Technology, 28.3 (2012): 45-52.

Steffi Price

English 114B

May 1 2011 

V for Vendetta

In today’s society, it seems that corruption within the government is inevitable. This opinion of the government has been influenced and circulated by many outside sources. While some believe that the government is only looking out for the good of the people, others think differently. Just like in the court of law, a government may be considered innocent until proven guilty. In Alan Moore’s graphic novel “V for vendetta” the government is perceived as corrupt, but nothing is done about it until the people become conscious of the problems at hand when they are informed. Although those that oppose the oppression of the government may seem like radical revolutionaries to some, the values of anarchy versus order are in the eye of the beholder. Alan Moore also explores this in his novel through the symbolism of V and his identity or lack thereof illustrate how it is not important in comparison to the ideals of freedom that he upholds.

The character V is a direct example of symbolism throughout the novel. V himself is a man in a mask. He is never defined as a single person throughout the story. V is intended to be perceived as an idea. Although V’s identity is immensely questioned by readers throughout the story, the answer is surprisingly irrelevant. Evey shows understanding of this when she says “If I take off that mask, something will go away forever, be diminished, because whoever you are isn’t as big as the idea of you”(250, Moore). She is trying to say that in the end it doesn't matter who V is, what really matters is what he stands for and what he embodies. In this way, the character V becomes a symbol himself as his goals are depersonalized so they are not merely personal opinions, but general ideas of freedom and rising against the power of government. V symbolizes the idea of freedom and rising against the power of the government. The meaning and purpose of V’s name changes consistently depending on the context that it is used in.  There are many references to the letter V and the number 5. In fact, the number 5 is V in roman numerals. The naming of the character as a seemingly random number and letter that is one of many further dissociates the character V from possessing a specific identity which allows room for the reader to perceive him as a symbol. The fact that the letter of his name is not truly random, but is connected to the roman numeral of the room that he was in when V was at Larkhill. Larkhill is the concentration camp he was tortured at that makes him resent the government so powerfully. He was kept in the fifth room. The room was labeled with the roman numeral for five, “V”. Every chapter title in the novel begins with the letter “V”. The saying “remember, remember, the 5th of November” is a symbol of foreshadowing what is going to eventually happen on the date November 5th. All of this buttresses the association between V and ideals of revolution for the greater good. He is characterized as a horrific past event directly correlated to the ideals of the upheaval of the totalitarian regime, rather than personified as a humanistic character. However, this leaves the reader with doubts of the validity of the government's actions versus V's campaign; if V's emotions and opinions are left out of the reader's decision whether his actions are right or wrong, but the factual story is included, the individual is able to take into account all aspects to decide for themselves without the bias of a main character's perception. Of course, the point is not to get the reader to agree or disagree, but to question the values of anarchy as justified actions or terrorism.

Throughout the story, V is never seen without his Guy Fawkes mask. In my opinion, the mask is supposed to prove the point that identity is irrelevant. V did not want the attention to be primarily focused on who he was but rather on the idea in which he was presenting to the people. This is why he wore a mask, so that people would not  be so caught up in catching him, and pay more attention to the idea and political problems at hand that need to be resolved. In the scholarly article, “A is for Anarchy, V is for Vendetta: Images of Guy Fawkes and the Creation of Postmodern Anarchism”, Lewis Call says “This book uses the image of Guy Fawkes to initiate a powerful anarchist critique of fascism.”(Call,1) Lewis call makes a significant point when saying this because the way that the mask is worn creates anarchy especially in the film when everybody starts wearing the mask at the end. It symbolizes anarchy through objectivity which is extremely insightful and interesting. 

All in all, the graphic novel “V for Vendetta”  uses symbolism in every aspect to tell the story. The symbolism of V and his identity or lack thereof illustrate how it is not important in comparison to the ideals of freedom that he upholds is what remains significant all along.

Goldstein, Richard. "The Erotics of Resistance." Nation, 282.15 (2006): 8

Kirkpatrick, David. "Candidate's Pleased to Remember This Fifth of November." The New York Times, 157.54120 (2007): A20.

Feigelman, Jennifer. "V for Vendetta." School Library Journal, 52.1 (2006): 170.

Call, Lewis. "A is for Anarchy, V is for Vendetta: Images of Guy Fawkes and the Creation of Postmodern Anarchism. (Undetermined)." Anarchist Studies, 16.2 (2008): 154-105.

V for Vendetta Rough Draft

In the graphic novel and film, V for vendetta there are many significant themes that are behind the plot. The themes include symbolism, corruption, and fascism. 

The character V is a direct example of symbolism throughout the novel. There are many references to the letter V and the number 5. In fact, the number 5 is V in roman numerals. The saying “remember, remember, the 5th of November” is a symbol of foreshadowing what is going to eventually happen on the date November 5th. 

Corruption is a fundamental theme of V for Vendetta because V sacrifices himself to destroy the dystopian society run by the corrupt government that is attempting to commit biological warfare on their own people. Ultimately, he is trying to expose the officials and empower the people to know whats happening to foment an uprising that is supposed to turn into a revolution and ultimately an overthrow of the totalitarian regime. V deliberately brings in Evie because she works for the media and has the power to manipulate the government broadcast to society to expose their wrongdoings.

The theme of fascism is found throughout the novel because currently, they are living in a totalitarian regime. V trying to overthrow the government that they are currently living under is what makes this theme so relevant to the plot. This is quite contradicting considering that in the process of attempting to over throw the totalitarian regime, V is actually applying the control aspect of totalitarianism to Evie by deliberately torturing her so that she can truly understand why it is so important that they do this and what has happened in the past which might happen to everyone if they don't succeed. 

Goldstein, Richard. "The Erotics of Resistance." Nation, 282.15 (2006): 8

Kirkpatrick, David. "Candidate's Pleased to Remember This Fifth of November." The New York Times, 157.54120 (2007): A20.

Feigelman, Jennifer. "V for Vendetta." School Library Journal, 52.1 (2006): 170.

Venice Beach

        Although it is located in Southern California, Venice Beach is a well-known attraction to people all around the world. What many do not realize while visiting Venice is the significance behind it. In 1850 Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney. He created the idea of transforming an ordinary beachfront property into an area of culture. Venice has gone through many transformations and stages of development to become what it is today. For this reason, Venice beach is an important space because of the interesting history behind it’s venetian architecture, the concept behind the formation, and the cultural aspect that it is known for today.

In 1905 a beach resort town was created by Abbot Kinney and his partner Francis Ryan which is known today as Venice beach. They constructed this interesting beach resort town with two miles of oceanfront property that they had previously purchased in 1891. The beach resort was constructed on the North end of the property and was given the name Ocean Park. The name Ocean park was changed to Venice in 1911. After Abbot Kinney’s partner Francis Ryan died, Kinney started to expand and build on the South end of the property as well. Abbot Kinney envisioned creating a seaside resort designed like Venice’s namesake in Italy. This inspired him to build several miles of canals to drain the swampland in the area and put up Venetian style buildings. Kinney also built a pier for entertainment and made his visualization come true by building a long street with venetian architecture. There are many distinct features that the buildings in Venice possess. For example, the pillars and arch ways are very unique and a prime example of Venetian architecture and appeals to the setting Abbot Kinney envisioned creating. Venice beach officially opened on July 4, 1905. I always have admired the unique architecture at Venice beach but I never put it into perspective until I looked at it in depth and discovered the history behind it. Realizing that the Venetian architecture is an intentional factor because of Venice’s namesake makes me value it more than I did in the past.

The idea behind the formation of Venice was to create a place of culture. Abbot Kinney wanted it to be like a mini Americanized Italy since both of the cities share the same name. The population began to grow rapidly because of all the excitement taking place with all the new attractions being built around the town. A miniature railroad was built and even gondola rides were made available for people to tour the town. Rides were put up as well as an aquarium, racing derby, city hall, and competitive business districts. Kinney even hired aviators to do ariel stunts over the beach. Later on a fun house was built along with rides and roller coasters, making it become the best amusement park on the West coast. After a while, the roads, water, and sewage system in Venice all were in desperate need of repair and Venice became unmanageable. With the growing population and the popularity of the area, things needed to change for the better. This lead to the annexation of Venice becoming a part of Los Angeles in 1925. Once Venice became annexed to Los Angeles, things began to change drastically. Los Angeles had their own image of Venice that they wanted to create. They got rid of the canals and paved streets around the city. Los Angeles spent little money on improving Venice after the annexation, which led to low costs of rent and attracted mostly immigrants and young artists, poets, and writers. Competition between theme parks such as Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm increased as the years went on and the amusement park was eventually forced to be shut down because of bankruptcy.  Even though everything did not work out positively with the amusement park aspect of Venice, it still happens to be an extremely entertaining place within itself. Venice beach does not need rides and roller coasters to be amusing, it is still one of the most exotic places known to man and that is enough for it to keep it’s ongoing fun reputation.

Abbot Kinney can be recognized as indubitably successful when it comes to making Venice beach a cultural place. Today, Venice beach is notorious for it’s cultural aspects. The community of Venice beach within itself is filled with culture. From street performers, to homeless people sitting along the strip and constant pressure from people at the marijuana clinic’s to get a medical card, there is always something exotic and different going on at Venice beach that one will never be able to experience elsewhere. Since 1987 the Venice Farmers’ Market has been going on and takes place every Friday morning. Not only is there a beautiful beach to enjoy, but also handball courts, basketball courts, the infamous muscle beach, volleyball courts, a park, a bike trail and the boardwalk. A wide variety of shops are located along the boardwalk and there are stands with unique creations as well. Venice is a place of artistic inspiration and creativity. It gives artists the opportunity to expand their career by displaying their artwork in public at the random pop up galleries that take place. The graffiti around Venice is also very interesting to look at. While some people think graffiti is disrespectful and disgusting, I think that the graffiti at Venice beach is so appropriate and fits the scenery perfectly. I wouldn’t get the same vibes without it there. It creates a laid back mood with a sense of freedom. Going to Venice beach is much more than just going to an ordinary beach, each time you go it is an experience.

In conclusion, Venice beach is an important space because of the interesting history behind it’s venetian architecture, the concept behind the formation, and the cultural aspect that it is known for today. Although there were many transformations that took place throughout it’s lifetime, Venice has turned out to be one of the most vibrant and exotic areas in all of southern California and is well-known world wide. Abbot Kinney’s idea of a cultural beach town was a phenomenal success and will forever live up to that image.


Harvey, David. "Space and Culture." : David Harvey: Time and Space Compression. 30 May 2005. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. <http://spaceculture.blogspot.com/2005/05/david-harvey-time-and-space.html>.

Deener, Andrew. "Venice." : A Contested Bohemia in Los Angeles, Deener. The University of Chicago Press. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. <http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/V/bo13110973.html>.

"Venice Historical Society - Venice, California." Venice Historical Society. Venice Historical Society. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. <http://veniceofamerica.org/>.

Stanton, Jeffrey. "Venice, California History Site." Venice California History Web Site. Westland Network, 11 Nov. 2006. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. <http://www.westland.net/venicehistory/index.html>.

Stanton, Jeffrey. "Venice Construction." Venice History Articles. Westland Network, 6 Apr. 1998. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. <http://www.westland.net/venicehistory/articles/construc.htm>.

Venice beach

Venice beach is a well known attraction to people all around the world and is conveniently located in southern California. What many do not realize while visiting Venice is the signification behind it. In 1850 Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney. He created the idea of transforming an ordinary beachfront property into an area culture. Venice beach is an important space because of the interesting history behind it’s architecture, the conceptual idea behind the formation, and the perception people have on it presently. 

In 1905 a beach resort town was created by Abbot Kinney and his partner Francis Ryan with the two miles of oceanfront property that they purchased previously in 1891. The resort was built on the North end of the property and was called Ocean Park. After Kinney’s partner Francis Ryan died, Kinney started to build on the south end of the property envisioning a seaside resort designed like it’s namesake in Italy. Venice opened on July 4, 1905. Several miles of canals were dug to drain the swampland in the residential area. In addition to the canals, Kinney built a pier for entertainment as well as  a long street built with venetian architecture. 

The conceptual idea behind the formation of Venice was to create a place of culture. They originally wanted it to be like a mini Italy since both of the cities share the same name. The population began to grow because of all the excitement taking place with all the new attractions being created around the town.