William Leavitt (born 1941) is a painter, installation artist, and theater director and one of the pioneers of the Los Angeles Conceptual movement.
In the 1970's when Leavitt was making experimental plays, he would hand-draw piles of flashcards, then shuffle and select some at random to generate an aleatory narrative for his imagined theater.
Alligator Maze Orchid compiles this extensive collection of flashcard drawings into a free-association sketchbook document. Fragments of popular and everyday culture flow together to construct playful storylines from environments familiar within Southern California and beyond. The title of the book reflects the randomly-chosen first three images on the cover.
Design by Lauren Kima Graycar.
Printed at Typecraft in Pasadena, California.
Softcover, Black and White, 162 pages, 7 1/4 x 8 1/2 inches, published by Ooga Booga, 2015.
First edition of 750.