It’s For You: Ephemeral Art & The Death of the Public Phone

August 9, 2024

Synopsis

Utilizing such varied materials as concrete, papier-mâché, and blown-out tires, disparate Los Angeles street artists give new life to the dwindling remnants of the city’s public payphones by repurposing them as canvases for unique expressions of a moment in time. With the streets as their gallery, our heroes defy vandalism laws, maintenance crews, haters, and history itself to deliver a moment’s levity to the right kind of passerby. By keeping its focus on the artists, the phones, and the ephemeral nature of both art and technology, this short documentary thoughtfully invites its audience to appreciate what’s being lost as the world moves on.

About the author

Ryan Steven Green

I’m Ryan Steven Green. I make documentaries. I was 14 when first I put a camera to my eye, and the list of films I’ve amassed since then betrays a penchant for, as one critic put it, “spicy banality.” I was born in Glendale, came up in Altadena, graduated from USC (Cinema-Television, emphasis on non-fiction filmmaking). Festivals and awards a-plenty have fueled a fruitful career in advertising, where I’ve had the pleasure of telling stories for some of the world’s most well-known brands. I am happily married to an endlessly gracious woman and am Dada to three spirited young humans.