

Project Description
For Cardenas, traversing by bus or train in a city known for its cars and freeways is a study of Los Angeles’s diverse cultures, people and neighborhoods. To create the photographs in Anonymous (2016), the artist roamed the city in all modes of transportation: bike, bus, train, car and foot. Inspired by the nuances of daily life, he discreetly captured distinct moments as they unfolded in front of him.
These artworks are part of the Metro Art Photo Lightbox Series, displayed in select stations between 2017 and 2020.
Artist Statement
“These images tell stories that are often overlooked as we move anonymously through the streets of Los Angeles. They speak to the smells, sites and sounds of the city, and the many individuals encountered as they head to work, play and home.”
About the Artist
RAFAEL CARDENAS (b. 1971, Jalisco, Mexico) is a self-taught photographer who chronicles the personalities and times in which we are living through intimate portraits and street scenes, primarily capturing the gamut of life in East Los Angeles where he grew up. His finds inspiration in local, cultural events that bring the community together. A limited-edition artist book of his photographs titled Mas Aca was published in 2016.
Locations: 7th St/Metro Center Station Wilshire/Normandie StationVermont/Beverly StationHollywood/Highland Station Universal City/Studio City Station
- 7th St/Metro Center Station
- Metro Center Station
- Pico Station
- Grand/LATTC Station
- San Pedro St
- Vernon Station
- Slauson Station
- Florence Station
- Firestone Station
- 103rd St/Watts Towers
- Compton Station
- Artesia Station
- Del Amo Station
- Wardlow Station
- Willow St
- Anaheim St
- Fifth Street Station
- First Street Station
- Downtown Long Beach Station
- Pacific Av
- Washington Station
- Pacific Coast Highway
- Willowbrook/Rosa Parks
- A Line
- LATCC/Ortho Institute Station
- Jefferson/USC Station
- Expo/Vermont Station
- Expo/Western Station
- Expo/Crenshaw Station
- La Cienega/Jefferson Station
- Culver City Station
- Expo/La Brea Station
- Farmdale Station
- Palms Station
- Expo/Sepulveda Station
- Expo/Bundy Station
- 26th St/Bergamot Station
- 17th St/SMC Station
- Expo Park/USC Station
- Westwood/Rancho Park Station
- Downtown Santa Monica Station
- Allen Station
- Chinatown Station
- Del Mar Station
- Fillmore Station
- Heritage Square Station
- Lake Station
- Memorial Park Station
- Sierra Madre Villa Station
- South Pasadena
- Southwest Museum Station
- Highland Park Station
- Indiana Station
- Maravilla Station
- Mariachi Plaza Station
- Pico/Aliso Station
- Azusa Downtown Station
- Gold Line Bridge
- Alignment, Sierra Madre Villa Parking and Bus Facility
- Arcadia Station
- Duarte/City of Hope Station
- Irwindale Station
- Monrovia Station
- Atlantic Station
- East LA/Civic Center Station
- Little Tokyo/Arts District Station
- Lincoln/Cypress Station
- Union Station
- Soto Station
- APU/Citrus College Station
- Norwalk Station
- Lakewood Bl
- Harbor Freeway Station
- Vermont/Athens
- Aviation/LAX Station
- Mariposa Station
- El Segundo Station
- Douglas/Rosecrans Station
- Redondo Beach Station
- Long Beach Bl Station
- Florence/West Station
- Florence/La Brea Station
- Aviation/Century Station
- Avalon Station
- Hawthorne/Lennox
- Crenshaw/Vernon Station
- Crenshaw/MLK Station
- Crenshaw/Expo Station
- Florence/Hindry Station
- Willowbrook/Rosa Parks
- Crenshaw/Slauson Station
- Crenshaw/I-105 Station
- North Hollywood Station
- Van Nuys Station
- Valley College Station
- Woodman Station
- Sepulveda Station
- Woodley Station
- Balboa Station
- Reseda Station
- Tampa Station
- De Soto Station
- Canoga Station
- Alignment Landscaping
- Plaza and Alignment Lead Artist
- Chatsworth Station
- Nordhoff Station
- Roscoe Station
- Sherman Way Station
- Laurel Canyon Station
- Pierce College Station
- 7th St/Metro Center Station
- Metro Center Station
- Pershing Square Station
- Wilshire/Vermont Station
- Vermont/Beverly Station
- Vermont/Santa Monica Station
- Vermont/Sunset Station
- Hollywood/Vine Station
- Hollywood/Highland Station
- North Hollywood Station
- Universal City/Studio City Station
- Civic Center/Grand Park Station
- Hollywood/Western Station
- Union Station
- Westlake/MacArthur Park Station
Select Slideshow by Artist
- Abeles, Kim
- Abramovic, Karl
- Acedo, William
- Adams, Lisa
- Adelman, Suzanne
- Adobe LA,
- Aguirre, Jose Antonio
- Aldrich, Lynn
- Alejandre, Abel
- Almanza, Eric
- Ambriz, Kristina
- Amescua, Michael
- Anderson, Jonathan
- Andres, Holly
- Antonakos, Stephen
- Appleton, Steve
- Argote, Carmen
- Arion, Katherine
- Askin, Walter
- Aspillera, Diana
- Asselin, Michele
- Atienza, Jazmine
- Baca, Judith F.
- Ball-Nogues,
- Barajas, Daniel
- Bell, Bill
- Benavidez, Roberto
- Beniston, Christie
- Bey, April
- Birk, Sandow
- Borofsky, Jonathan
- Botello, Paul
- Brailsford, Robin
- Brandt, Matthew
- Braunstein, Terry
- Brown, Karen Hochman
- Callwood, Dennis Olanzo
- Campbell, Joyce
- Cardenas, Rafael
- Carlson, Cynthia
- Carron, Lindsay
- Chang, Chusien
- Cheng, Carl
- Clarke, Lee
- (CLUI), The Center for Land Use Interpretation
- Cockcroft, Eva
- Comen, Sam
- Cosentino, Manny
- Cranston, Meg
- Davis, Michael
- Davis, Caryl
- Debora , Fabian
- de la Loza, Alejandro
- de la Sota, Raoul
- de la Torre , Jamex and Einar
- Delgado, Roberto
- Delgado, Roberto L.
- De Magalhaes, Nzuji
- Dickson, Charles
- Diehnelt , Franka
- Dierdorff, Christofer C.
- Diez, Paul
- Disselkoen, Alexis
- Divola, John
- Dobrowner, Mitch
- Doolin, James
- Dowell, Roy
- Dreager, Jacqueline
- Duffy, Ricardo
- Durazo, Martin
- East Los Streetscapers,
- Eatherton, Thomas
- Edmonds, June
- Elliott, Marco
- Erenberg, Sam
- Evans, Cynthia
- Evans, George
- Fedak II, Nicholas
- Fernandez, Patricia
- Ferraz, Cat
- Fine, Jud
- Flick, Robbert
- Flores, Elsa
- Freeman , Charles (Brother Boko)
- Frieden, Sarajo
- Fu, Colette
- Gale, Gayle
- Galloway, Stephen
- Gamboa Jr., Harry
- Garcia, Willie
- Garcia, Margaret
- Garten, Cliff
- Gaulke, Cheri
- Gil de Montes, Roberto
- Gillespie Pryor, Jane
- Gleaton, Tony
- Glickman, Andrew Z.
- Goin, Peter
- Gonzales-Day, Ken
- Gonzalez, Daniel
- Goodin, Robert
- Goodpasture, Lynn
- Gray, Colin
- Gray, Ja'Rie
- Green, Phyllis
- Grimmer, Mineko
- Groh, Paul
- Gruda, Larry
- Guyton , Tyree
- Hanami, Clement
- Heller, Danny
- Hernandez, Bodeck Luna
- Hernandez, Judithe
- Hernandez, Alepsis
- Hido, Todd
- Hollen, David
- Holliday, Hadley
- Hood, Walter
- Hsiung, Michael C.
- Hu, Iris Yirei
- Huggins, John
- Humble, John
- Huynh, Phung
- Isermann, Jim
- JoeSam.,
- Johnson, Eric Ernest
- Johnson, Torgen
- Johnson, Stephen
- Jordan, Chris
- Kahn, Ned
- Karlsen, Anne Marie
- Kay Wilson, Mary
- Keller, Lois
- Kim, Soo
- Kimura, Wakana
- Klein, Sheila
- Kobayashi, Kipp
- Korten, Noel
- Kosaka, Hirokazu
- Kozloff, Joyce
- Kruger, Barbara
- Kunce, Samm
- Kyong, Haeley
- LaBelle, Charles
- LaDuke, Tom
- Lazzari, Margaret
- Legrady, George
- Leicester, Andrew
- Lenihan, Terry
- Leonard, Gary
- Lere, Mark
- Letelier, Francisco
- Lewis, Joe
- Light, Michael
- Lipski, Donald
- Llanos, Ronald J.
- Logoreci, Susan
- London, Laura
- Lopez, Jose
- Low, Sandra
- Loza, José M.
- Lozano, Jose
- Lujan, Gilbert (Magu)
- Lusby, Cody
- Mackendrick, Matthew
- Maguire, Cindy
- Maisel, David
- Mallinson, Constance
- Man One,
- Marble, Tom
- Marlos, Daniel
- Martin, Walter
- Martinez, Daniel J.
- Martínez, Michele
- Massenburg, Michael
- McCollister, Kevin
- McCoy, Jessica Polzin
- McHugh , Jim
- McMillen, Michael C.
- Mendoza, Ricardo
- Merge Conceptual Design,
- Meyer, Diane
- Middlebrook, Willie Robert
- Millar, Robert
- Mohr, Patrick
- Montana, Star
- Motokawa, Emi
- Mueller, Nikko
- Muñoz, Paloma
- Myklebust , Andrea
- Nagasawa, Nobuho
- Nagatani, Patrick
- Neilson, Rob
- Nguyen, Christine
- Nicholson, Roy
- Nielsen, Margaret
- Niemi, Ries
- O’Brien, John
- Ohmit, Mary Ann
- Olabisi, Noni
- Opie , Catherine
- Ore-Giron, Eamon
- Orlovski, Stas
- Ortiz (Ms. Yellow), Nuria
- Outterbridge, John
- Pace, Sam
- Perlas, Marta
- Petropoulos, Renée
- Pinkney, Elliott
- Polubinskas, Paul
- Polzin McCoy, Jessica
- Ramirez, Ramon
- Ramos, Vincent
- Reiquam, Peter
- Reisenberger, Claudia
- Reyes, Miguel Angel
- Ringgold, Faith
- Rivera, Aaron
- Rockwell, Roxene
- Rodriguez, Samuel
- Rodríguez, Artemio
- Roloff, John
- Romero, Sonia
- Romero, Frank
- Ross, LP Aekili
- Rothenberg, Erika
- Rowe, Sandra
- Salas, Roberto
- Saldamando , Shizu
- Salzwedel, Brooks
- Sandoval, Teddy
- Schoenholz, Elon
- Schoonhoven, Terry
- Sears, Stanton Gray
- Shin, Kyungmi
- Shire, Peter
- Sjodin, Kajsa
- Spector, Buzz
- Sproat, Christopher
- Statom, Therman
- Stone, George
- Strayhorn, Robin
- Stromsoe, Dawna
- Stutz, Michael
- Sun, May
- Syrop, Mitchell
- Tang, Cha-Rie
- Tark, Soonae
- Thielen, Beth
- Torrez, Eloy
- Trevino, John
- Turner, Richard
- Tzanetopoulos, Paul
- Ulke, Christine
- Valadez, John
- Valdez, Patssi
- Vander Borgh, Matthew
- Van Patten, Dave
- Vaugel, Martine
- Vaughan, Stuart
- Waddell, Edith
- Warner, Pat
- Washington, Horace
- Weber, Sally
- White, Pae
- Willcocks, Angela
- Williams, Pat Ward
- Wilson, Stanley C.
- Wyatt, Richard