-
The Broad: 3 Things I Love About LA.’s Newest Museum
Some people see things as they are and say, why? I dream things that never were and say, why not?”~George Bernard Shaw You know, some people may say it is unreasonable to charge a fee to attend an early preview of a museum that still doesn’t have operable indoor plumbing (especially when said museum will be free…
-
Artist a Day Challenge No. 18: Ann Lowe
As we reach the height of awards season with the Oscars, it is hard to imagine a time when the designer of a high profile individuals dress is NOT well known, but in 1953 when Jacqueline Onassis married John F. Kennedy, when she was asked who designed her gown she demurred and did not credit…
-
Artist a Day Challenge No. 17: The Kara Walker Challenge
Kara Walker’s art disturbs me. The first time I experienced her work, I was in Arcana Books in Culver City and I found a catalog from one of her cut out shows (I think it was at the Walker Art Center). I was drawn by the nostalgic look of the cutouts which on some cellular level tapped into fond memories. Then…
-
Artist a Day Challenge No. 16: Nile Rodgers
Of the hundreds of songs that are in regular rotation on my iPod, I am willing to bet that Nile Rodgers had something to do with over half of them. There was a period of time as a child when every record or tape I owned carried a Nile Rodgers producer credit. The man is a…
-
Artist a Day Challenge No. 15: Samella Sanders Lewis
Artist and historian Samella Sanders Lewis does not shy away from confrontation. As a child she found her voice through artistic expression and she was staunchly protective of her voice, fighting any force that tried to intimidate her into silence. Her career, particularly her art history education in the 1940’s was fraught with hostility and confrontation, but…
-
Artist a Day Challenge No. 14 “Art Is” by Lorraine O’Grady
One day I was sitting in my hair stylist’s studio where she has a small table with a dish of candy on it. A man in the studio, displeased by the offerings in the dish lamented, “Why don’t you have any black candy?”. “Black Candy?” A playful argument ensued, but I found the question absurdly random. Why must…
-
Artist a Day Challenge No. 13: Performance Art
Admittedly, one area of conceptual contemporary art that I infrequently explore and struggle to comment on is Performance Art. In 2014 the Walker Art Center curated a performance art exhibition that showcases black artists and their contributions to this unique creative medium. Radical Performance was the first large-scale retrospective of its kind. Curator Valerie Cassel Oliver…
-
Artist a Day Challenge No. 12: Naomi Sims
I don’t know how it is possible, but each picture I see of Naomi Sims is simply flawless. Designer Zac Posen posted some pictures of Naomi Sims today on Instagram, and this one was truly gorgeous. An original street style artist if there ever was one. Bonus: I am obsessed with capes but I live…
Colony Little, Culture Shock Art 