ADAM PAUL MASON

This work involved bringing a taco truck to the hillside campus of Art Center College of Design. Discretely secluded in the hills of Pasadena, seemingly far away from the nearby city area, the institution of Art Center sprawls across the landscape in sleek black steel and glass. While it functions well to cater to the appearance of an autonomous high-design institution, it unfortunately does not function optimally for the community of students and faculty who actually reside there. They are in essence cut off from the surrounding Pasadena community. Likewise, the individual departments of the institution are equally separated as very little interaction occurs among people from the various programs of study.

Food within the campus is regulated to the cafeteria, although there is some junk food available in the bookstore and a few vending machines scattered throughout. The social space of the cafeteria shares in the same disjointed community dynamic. While there are of course exceptions student’s predominately sit, eat, and converse only with other students within their shared program of study. The observation of this, along with the specific needs for a food source that went beyond the main cafeteria triggered the motivation to bring a taco truck onto the campus.

What started as a rather simple political gesture of bringing a taco truck from point a to b turned quickly into a convoluted dialog in an attempt to garner permission from the administration. Ultimately, the truck was forbidden to sell food due to a contractual monopoly held by the institution’s food supplier: Sodexo. Several days later the institution added an additional amendment to the original referendum. “...Food cannot be sold...neither, shall it be permissible for food from a taco truck to be given away for free on the premises of the institution, unless the facilitator is willing to pay the institution a sum of $2,000 to reimburse a loss of profits from the cafeteria for the allotted timeframe that the truck is present on school grounds...”

It was quite clear that the institution prohibited an outside source of food sold upon the grounds, but giving in to this additional payment option seemed equally unwarranted. It appeared that if such an option were to be taken there could be a very real potential to inadvertently place an innocent taco truck into a gratuitous shoving match between a frenzy of people wanting free food.

A different solution would need to be realized. One that could sidestep the specific linguistic issues that the institution placed and one that did not have such a ripe potential to create a burrito fueled melee. Deeming it important to still utilize a monetary transaction, ensured that the exchange would need to function on another set of terms.

The solution? Ticketed admission. Once the taco truck would arrive upon the grounds of the institution a perimeter of stanchions and chain link would be placed around the taco truck to facilitate a privatized zone. A monetary transaction would still occur. Patrons would simply pay a modest admission fee to enter into this zone. Upon entry all food would thereby be free to patrons in unlimited quantity. All profits from the ticketed admission would then be donated to the owner of the taco truck.

An account of Taco Truck, Night Moves,  the evening of November 21, 2007:

Located in the parking lot of a gas station in downtown Pasadena on the corner of Walnut Street & Fair Oaks Avenue, Antonio Chavo owner and operator of El Chavo Taco’s packs up his taco truck along with the help of his daughter and son-in-law. They lock up the taco truck’s hatch and flip on the headlights. The truck pulls away from the usual nightly site and leaves the downtown area. It treks up the lumbering Pasadena hills until arriving at the hillside campus of Art Center College of Design. Passing through the private gates of the institution the taco truck ventures where it has never been. The truck travels through the winding roadway and makes the way to the expansive parking lot. The taco truck parks as stanchions and chain link are quickly placed around a perimeter of the truck. Settling into this new environment the truck now overlooks the shimmering downtown lights nestled far below. Antonio opens his taco truck hatch and opens for business. Students and faculty alike travel in packs to the outer edge of the institution’s dimly lit parking lot and purchase tickets. Some people enter the cordoned off zone immediately after purchasing tickets. While some hover outside the barricades for several minutes before deciding to enter. The patrons awkwardly hand their tickets to the bouncer who guards the entrance. Food orders are steadily placed. Some patrons choose to order more than their hands can hold which results in a glutinous balancing act. Other patrons choose a far more humble approach. Hungry bellies quickly devour warm tacos, burritos and more. People who normally do not interact with each other begin to converse. The privatized zone densely fills up with hungry people. The sound of eating interspersed with constant chatter permeates the brisk night air. Hungry bellies steadily become full. After one hour of operation the proceeds from the ticketed admission in addition to a lump sum provided by the artist are given to Antonio and his family. They are thanked for their stellar food and service. The stanchions and chain link perimeter are removed. The truck leaves the confines of the private institution and travels back in the direction of the city lights below. Lingering patrons gradually disperse and the parking lot once again becomes silent.