The EL MONTE Drive-In Theatre

The EL MONTE Drive-In Theatre
( 1940 Ford Coupe & a 1950 Merc. Custom)
A friend of mine, Richard Freng ,took some pictures of the El Monte drive-in before they tore it down. His custom Merc.,is parked near the marquee. There is a bit of fictional gardening at play here to enhance the architectural majesty of this now extinct roadside Icon.
The El Monte drive-in and the Van Nuys drive-in shared the same architecture, down to the style of lettering used on the marquee. For me, it was the huge murals that captured my attention, they were often a bit on the cheesy side, but they were also perfect examples of what I call Promotecture, a combination of art and architecture designed to draw you in.
(Oil on canvas, 1999.....24"x36")