The State of California — A Next Los Angeles Promo by Michael Ngo

California. The mind immediately spins at the utterance or even sight of the five-syllable word. The lands that eventually became the most populous state in the Union have been home to successive generations of people over the last 10 thousand years, which is to say its history is young by comparison to other regions of the world. Youth has long figured in the narrative of California, whose elasticity boasts an uncanny ability to absorb practically anything that is bright, shiny, and new. Newest this week coming from The Golden State is a luxuriously published volume promoting new faces of Next Los Angeles called The State of California. Photographer Michael Ngo was especially commissioned for the ambitious project, which features 43 new faces including Pyper America, who stars on the front and back covers. Printed on richly textured cardstock (15⅞ x 12 inches), each edition of 150 is hand numbered and features a cloth cover. This is an object to behold, one which speaks to the depth and breadth of talent of Next Los Angeles, which has been a mainstay for many years. California, no doubt about it. Music, “Wasteland” performed by Caroline Vreeland. Additional credits include: Publication, The State of California; Photography, Michael Ngo.