Street Art on Wheels: Food Trucks and Design

Gary Baum of LA Weekly has written a wonderful story about the exploding food truck phenom, from a design perspective. He writes: “What’s been lost amidst all of the gluttonous…

Gary Baum of LA Weekly has written a wonderful story about the exploding food truck phenom, from a design perspective. He writes:

“What’s been lost amidst all of the gluttonous hype and counterhype, however, has been the fact that the indigenous aspect of the movement isn’t just the fusion-fixated menus (sushi burritos, bánh mì–inspired meatballs). It’s how crucial the context of the city’s design traditions — from billboards and murals to hot rods and lowriders — has been in defining the sensibility of the food truck scene by informing the physical appearance of the trucks themselves. Brightly colored, strikingly patterned, aggressively logoed and sometimes gaudily accessorized by largely amateur designers, they’ve become icons of the cityscape, a fleet of optimistic small-business chariots, each attempting to make a microbranded go of it, the still-sluggish economy be damned.”

I’ll be talking to Gary on an upcoming DnA. In the meantime, KCRW and Evan Kleiman are hosting a food truck bonanza, entitled Global Street Food, at the Broad Stage on May 1. Evan, Jonathan Gold, Gustavo Arellano and others will riff on the delights of food trucks, sampling from hand-picked gourmet food trucks Mariscos Jalisco, Let’s Be Frank,India Jones, Piaggio Gourmet on Wheels and the Nom Nom Truck, Crepe’n Around, alongside the warm, organic Latin/African grooves of the Masanga Marimba Ensemble. And if you want to learn more about street art, without wheels, listen to this DnA.