Commissioned to document Downtown L.A. by the Los Angeles Public Library, Roth has ventured into the soul of the City of Angels and recorded images that at once point to its bright sides and its dark sides, its insides and its outsides. More than iconic palm trees and sunsets, these black-and-white photographs define Downtown Los Angeles, as only the work of an artistic genius can. Whether inside the homes of downtown residents – Roth sensitively depicts a woman praying at the Shinto shrine in her living room – or outside the Democratic National Convention – Roth captures demonstrators as they confront the LAPD – the pictures tell the many truths of a city. With lyrical text by award-winning author D.J. Waldie this is far more than a photo book – REAL CITY encapsulates a place in its concrete and human beauty. All its honesty and all its clear-sightedness, make REAL CITY the best sort of love-song a city can have. Real.