Los Angeles–based artist Steve Roden (b. 1964, Los Angeles, CA; d. 2023, Los Angeles, CA) worked across painting, drawing, collage, sculpture, video, music, and sound. He described himself as a ragpicker, someone who builds meaning from discarded things­­—an approach that began when, as a teenager, he went treasure hunting on the Los Angeles city streets. He also called himself a wanderer, one who walks, looks, listens, and, most importantly, spends time with his surroundings and with the objects he encounters serendipitously. Through these habits, Roden developed a deeply personal way of moving through the world, connecting elements that were never meant to be joined.