Last year I went to a meeting at the CleanTech Incubator near the L.A. river and I was surprised to see how much development has gone into the Arts District. Over the last few months I’ve been getting acquainted to L.A.’s latest gentrified, “it” neighborhood. Here’s what I LOVE about it: The energy is phenomenal (I … Continue reading Wandering: DTLA’s Arts District
Chris Burden’s work has become a permanent fixture in the creative landscape of Los Angeles. While writing this blog over the years, Burden was revealed to me in many different forms. The most obvious was from his signature massive installation of Urban Light, a sea of 202 1920’s street lamps that he sourced and refurbished since 2000 … Continue reading RIP Chris Burden
There is something so oddly compelling about Charles Gaines work. The first time I saw one of his pieces, it was a beautiful piece seen from a distance. When I looked up close I was hit with a puzzle I still cannot figure out. Up close was a pixellated mass consisting of uniform squares containing numbers. I … Continue reading Artist a Day Challenge No. 21: Charles Gaines
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 … Continue reading The Broad: 3 Things I Love About LA.’s Newest Museum
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 … Continue reading Artist a Day Challenge No. 17: The Kara Walker Challenge
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 … Continue reading Artist a Day Challenge No. 16: Nile Rodgers
One day, I will crack the code to Retna’s personalized alphabet that is a skillful fusion of Old English, Hebrew, Asian and Arabic calligraphy. In the meantime, I enjoy his work in abstraction. I love the symmetry and repetition in his murals. This particular one was painted for Jeffrey Deitch when he was at MOCA circa 2013. Continue reading Artist a Day Challenge No.5: Retna
I didn’t know what direction I should go into to describe Andy Warhol’s Shadows series. This single work composed between 1978-1979 is comprised of 102 paintings designed to take the viewer on a journey of light and space. While it is easy to simply write off this ambitious work as a single image painted 102 times, I found it … Continue reading Shadowplay: Behind Andy Warhol’s Shadows
While the thought of a snow day during the waning days of summer seems absurd, please indulge me in this post because I’m going to share the most charming snow day you’ll likely experience. The Skirball is wrapping up their 6 month retrospective on the art of Ezra Jack Keats. The Snowy Day is an homage to it’s … Continue reading The Snowy Day (in August…) in Los Angeles?
