Charles White, at our city’s artistic center LACMA
Charles White in his Los Angeles studio, 1970 photo: Robert A. Nakamura The Pacific Standard Time art extravaganza that blanketed Southern California in 2011 brought much-needed, new focus to the art currents that circulated in post-World War II Los Angeles. Those surveys, as fine as they were (there were some glorious shows), implored further explorations. ...
Forgive me, Annie Leibovitz 2
Feb
13
2019
annie leibovitz, hauser & wirth los angeles, feb 13 2019 Annie, hello. I’m a writer. I’m not a good photographer. I would be … but my hands shake slightly. It ruins the picture. Nonetheless, this morning when you led a press tour through your new show at Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles, I simply had ...
‘Wall art’ a child can understand
Jan
5
2019
“Enough with the memes,” griped Senator Charles Schumer to Donald Trump on Twitter. Luckily, Sen. Schumer did not tweet, “Enough with the arts memes.” That leaves us free and clear to share our collection of ‘wall art’ for the eggification, sorry! edification of America’s ‘Chief Egg-zecutive.’ Spanning the centuries, artists have illustrated the nursery rhyme ...
By day or night, ice or ammo: a tale told in imagery
Osceola Refetoff, “Stop-Liquor Jr Market, Mojave, California Los Angeles-based photographer Osceola Refetoff was named Photo Journalist of the Year by the Los Angeles Press Club in noting Refetoff’s work with KCET’s arts and culture series Artbound. Refetoff also took top honors in the Photo Essay category for the Artbound story in collaboration with Christopher Langley, ...
‘Eloise’ to reign over new home after Bonhams auction
Toting a history as lively as its inspiration, this portrait of the mischievous overlord of the Plaza Hotel, Eloise, was painted as a birthday gift by Hilary Knight for his Eloise co-creator, Kay Thompson, in 1956. After displaying the work during her appearance on Edward R. Murrow’s “Person to Person” on CBS, Thompson then loaned ...
Merce & Co. beautiful museum pieces @LACMA
They don’t make ’em like Merce Cunningham (1919 – 2009) anymore. And the dance world is the poorer for it. For those who did not have the distinct honor of face time with the great dancer/choreographer (I studied modern dance with ‘Merce’ as he was ubiquitously known in the dance world, and attended concerts by ...
Walk around LACMA … with Robert Rauschenberg
Oct
26
2018
No one walks in Los Angeles. Everyone knows that. Video artist and New Yorker Charles Atlas noted it in a chat at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) the day of a duel-exhibition opening. Atlas, who installed the museum’s video-rich Merce Cunningham exhibit, explained, “I’ve been here a few weeks. I walked to ...
O, Jackie! Mrs. K-O goes to the ballet
It is the stuff paparazzi’s dreams are made of: Jackie O, balletomane. Here we see Mrs. Bouvier-Kennedy-Onassis, posing, giggling, and shmoozing, on sidewalks, at banquets, and backstage with Rudik and Misha. Jerry Robbins is in there too. They are but a few of samples of the 50 works of the super “Rudolph Nureyev – Mikhail ...
Adieu ~ till we meet again, Jack Rutberg Fine Arts 5
Aug
27
2018
When you gotta go, you gotta go. But when you gotta come back, please send us your new address, Jack Rutberg Fine Arts! The estimable art gallery where we have enjoyed so many wonderful exhibits, opening receptions, chamber music concerts, lectures and art talks — all punctuated by learning and laughter — will close its ...
Message from Shepard: “Thanks for caring about climate change”
Aug
15
2018
Obey Fire Sale. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on cream Speckle Tone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 550. $55. Available Thursday, August 16, 10 am (PST) on ObeyGiant.com in Store under Prints. Limit 1 per person/household. Artist’s Statement My “Obey” print is a comment on the challenges any individual faces pushing ...