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# A Photographer Who Documented the Eclectic Subcultures of Southern California
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/spot-glen-lockett-sst-cornelius-projects/
- Published: 2018-04-25T18:15:10.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T15:45:10.000Z
- Description: The photographer known as Spot will tell the stories behind the hippies of Hollywood, the skate scene in Hermosa Beach, and the origins of South Bay punk.
- Author: Matt Stromberg
- Tags: Art, California, Events, Los Angeles, Photography, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-18 14:37 (2018)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2018/04/cp_spot_04660026.jpg)

Spot, “Hockey skaters, cops and giddy girls on the Strand, Hermosa Beach, CA” (ca. 1977-78) (courtesy Cornelius Projects)

From the late 1960s to the early ’80s, photographer [Spot](http://spotinator.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com) (born Glen Lockett) documented the various subcultures of Southern California with an unflinching candidness and intimacy. Spot turned his lens on idealistic hippies and burnouts in Hollywood, the burgeoning skate scene in Hermosa Beach, and the origins of South Bay punk. In addition to being a photographer, Spot was an accomplished musician, and as a house producer for seminal punk record label [SST](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SST%5FRecords?ref=hyperallergic.com) he recorded some of the era’s most influential bands, including Black Flag, Minutemen, Meat Puppets, and the Descendents.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2018/04/spot_girl_in_the_air.jpg)

SPOT, “Laurie; Hermosa” (ca. 1979) (courtesy Cornelius Projects)

Now on view at San Pedro’s Cornelius Projects, the exhibition [*American Myths Violated & Realities Revealed*](http://corneliusprojects.com/american%5Fmyths%5Frealities%5Frevealed%5Fphotographs%5Fby%5Fspot?ref=hyperallergic.com) brings together a selection of his photographs, revealing a vision of Los Angeles far removed from the one-dimensional façade of Hollywood. In conjunction with the show, this Saturday the gallery will host [a “‘way-post’ punk rock cultural/ethnic conversation”](http://corneliusprojects.com/post/173252537143/a-way-post-punk-rock-culturalethnic?ref=hyperallergic.com) with Spot and associates, including SST co-owner[ Joe Carducci](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe%5FCarducci?ref=hyperallergic.com), veteran punk DJ [Stella Stray Pop](https://www.instagram.com/stella%5Fkxlu/?ref=hyperallergic.com), soundman Steve Reed, and [Mugger](https://www.vice.com/en%5Fus/article/vdyee4/mugger-nig-heist?ref=hyperallergic.com). They will also be screening the video “Sounds of Two Eyes Opening,” which features photographs from Spot’s [2014 book](http://spotinator.com/book/?ref=hyperallergic.com) of the same name, but goes off on tangents, telling more of the story behind the images.

**When:** Saturday, April 28, 7–9pm  
**Where:** Cornelius Projects (1417 South Pacific Avenue, San Pedro, California)

*More info at* [*Cornelius Projects*](http://corneliusprojects.com/post/173252537143/a-way-post-punk-rock-culturalethnic?ref=hyperallergic.com)*.*