August 26, 2010
by Kelly Boyd
This Monday, Eli Broad formally announced the future location of his Broad Collection museum, bringing another cultural institution to the already busy area. His museum will be the first building in the Grand Avenue Project, an initiative to rejuvenate the downtown neighborhood that has stalled due to the ongoing budget crisis. The museum will be designed by the New York architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro, chosen by Broad after a private competition involving six firms. Of the decision, Broad is quoted as saying, “We didn’t want it to clash, but we didn’t want it to be anonymous either.” He is, of course, referring to the site’s close proximity to Frank Gehry’s Disney Hall. Keep reading →
August 10, 2010
by Kelly Boyd
The Petersen Automotive Museum recently opened a special exhibition titled Automotivated: Streamlined Fashion and Automobiles, showcasing the connection between early car design and fashion, covering the period from 1913 to 1938. The show is produced in partnership with the Phoenix Art Museum and was inspired by the 2007 Phoenix Art Museum fashion exhibition Automotivated.
In the early years of the car, the passenger drove in an open cab and was exposed to the elements, necessitating that one dress for the journey and not the destination. Floor length dusters in neutral colors accommodated the large skirts of the early 1900s and ensured that clothing was not damaged in transit. Keep reading →
July 29, 2010
by Caroline Newman
Weather is not just a temperature, it is also a signifier of emotion. Visit Saving Paradise, currently on display at the Irvine Museum, to experience the passionate connection many artists make to their natural surroundings. The Irvine Museum is known for its incredible collection of California plein-air paintings, yet this special exhibit emphasizes the non-tangible qualities of the landscape; light and emotion. Keep reading →
July 20, 2010
John Baldessari's "Tips for Artists Who Want to Sell," 1966-68. Image via The Los Angeles Times.
John Baldessari: Pure Beauty @ LACMA through 09/12/2010
This summer, LACMA has put together a long overdue retrospective of one the most influential American artists working today. “John Baldessari: Pure Beauty,” features more than 150 works spanning the artist’s career from 1962 to the present and includes works on canvas, photography, videos and books. Covering a career that spans from Conceptual Art in the 1960s to appropriation art in the 80’s and beyond, the exhibit is unified by Baldessari’s interest in language and the nature of communication. This is an exciting exhibition, and also includes a special installation that was created expressly for this retrospective. LACMA is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 8:00 pm, Friday from noon to 9:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm. Keep reading →
June 30, 2010
by Kelly Boyd
The problem of how to display art while minimizing damage to the work is one that is confronted by museums and collectors alike. The impulse share art with others is a common one that plays out on various scales across the world. From the largest museum to the smallest personal collection, people want to showcase those things they find to be beautiful. However, the desire to protect these same objects is nearly as strong. These conflicting urges create a certain tension that is inherent in the display of art. Luckily, there are steps that can be taken by both museums and collectors to ameliorate the potential harm. Keep reading →
June 17, 2010
by Kelly Boyd
Museum of Contemporary Art
Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective
The Museum of Contemporary Art has just opened a new show featuring the work of Arshile Gorky. This is a major retrospective of the man described by the LA Times as an “essential pivot in Modern abstract art.” The exhibition, the first to display his work in such depth since 1981, celebrates Gorky as a founder of abstract expressionism and includes some of Gorky’s most important drawings, sculptures, and paintings. This exhibit runs through September 20th, and is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue. The museum is open Mondays and Fridays from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, Thursdays from 11:00 am – 8:00pm and 11:00 am – 6:00 pm on weekends.
Keep reading →
Filed under Los Angeles, modern art, museums, photography
Tags: Gagosian Gallery, Arshile Gorky, Los Angeles museums, Getty Museum, MOLAA, Nancy Rubin, Gamble House, Felipe Ehrenberg, summer gallery shows
June 10, 2010
Andy Warhol, Heaven And Hell Are Just One Breath Away, 1985-86; Synthetic polymer paint and silkscreen ink on canvas; 20 x 16 inches
by Caroline Newman
Prism LA is currently featuring an impressive suite of Andy Warhol’s black and white paintings, highlighting his timeless critique of consumerism, politics, and religion. Approximately 35 black and white paintings by Warhol from the late 1980′s are on display. All works are done in Warhol’s signature high contrast style, but some contain text, some contain imagery, and some both. The focus turns directly towards the stark text or solitary image by leaving out all details.
Themes of consumerism, politics, and religion have always played a key role in Warhol’s work. This body of work demonstrates that not much has changed in the importance of these issues since the works were completed. Advertisements for apartment buildings, shoes, and food are all dominated by the image of whatever is being sold and over-sized text followed by exclamation points. Perhaps Warhol presaged the recent controversy in Los Angeles on over-sized billboards? “Missile Maps” (1985) contains a map of the U.S.S.R. covering most of the canvas with every missile base marked by an image of a missile. Keep reading →
June 8, 2010
Filed under Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, architecture, celebs, collecting, contemporary art, galleries, modern art, museums
Tags: Cherry and Martin, Jackie-O, Kurt Cobain, Yves Klein, Hirshhorn Museum, Lehman art, Priceless, FBI art, Paris Hilton, Tate Modern
June 7, 2010
Artist Joel Kyack’s first public project, Superclogger, debuts this month during evening rush hour on freeways throughout the Los Angeles area. The project is an L.A.P.D.- L.A. Public Domain project curated by Cesar Garcia and presented in collaboration with the Hammer Museum.
Kyack will present puppet shows to commuters stuck in traffic jams from the back of a white pickup truck. The performances will be broadcast on FM radio and commuters will be able to tune into the show to engage with the spectacle. The ongoing performance piece addresses issues of community and chaos, intercepting the mundane with an extraordinary shared public art experience.
According to ForYourArt:
Superclogger asks people, one carload at a time, to reflect on the structures of their daily routines and analyze how much they are built by their own resignations.
Superclogger runs through September 2010, culminating with a second special showing at the Hammer Museum on September 25th.
Follow Superclogger on twitter: twitter.com/superclogger
