Art And Painting

The Frederick Weisman Museum: Los Angeles

[Photo: Sun-room of the Weisman house]

The Frederick Weisman museum in Los Angeles houses over 400 works of art, all by artists of the 20th century. However you will be surprised to know this museum isn't an ordinary museum in a building full of white walls- it is a house. A mansion in Hombly Hills to be exact. In fact it is the house Fred Weisman and his wife lived in. Even more interestingly is that they lived with these artworks exactly as they are shown today.

The house is open free to the public but only by appointment and guided tour. Inside the very 1980's mansion you will see art from the likes of Max Ernst, Andy Warhol (they have 10 Marilyn Monroe faces!!!), de Kooning, Rothko, Lichtenstein, Giacometti, Rauchenberg, Miro, Kandinsky etc etc. And don't be alarmed if you see oddly realistic sculptures of people throughout the tour. Possibly the weirdest encounter is the older lady in the foyer. If you didn't know any better, you'd think she was a straggler from the last tour. They are THAT realistic. Even weirder is that the Weismans collected so many of them and LIVED with them in their house that way.

[Photo: Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe]

This tour is a MUST see for any art lover. Instead of viewing art in the strict confines of a museum you get the chance to interact with artworks. And even more, you get to see how people lived with their art in such a personal way.

When you sign up to go on the tour they will fax you over pertinent information- such as the map and also a form you need to fill out and fax back. You are also not allowed to arrive any earlier than 5 minutes prior to your tour, since it is a house with limited parking.

Foundation Tour Hours
Days : Monday through Friday
Time : From 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM.

Advanced reservations are required.
Tel: (310) 277-5321
Fax: (310) 277-5075
Email: tours@weismanfoundation.org
Weismanfoundation.org

The New Order Mag release party at the Carmichael Gallery!

Release party for 'The New Order' mag at the Carmichael Gallery this Saturday afternoon!

Carmichael Gallery: 1257 N. La Brea Ave /West Hollywood CA 90038

Saturday, July 18th, 3-7pm

DJs: Sean Reveron |
Ro Blvd. + RDNP

'The New Order' is a genuinely international look at street culture encompassing Fashion, Art, Film and more. A quarterly publication created by some of the most talented writers, editors and photographers from around the world and sold in all corners of the globe. A magazine targeting influencers and aimed at those who make and breathe tomorrow's trends.

Issue Featuring: Takashi Murakami, KAWS, Marilyn Minter, Jose Parla, Swoon, Mark Dean Veca, Rob Abeyta Jr., Kate Gibb, Ron English, Adam Neate, Keiichi Nitta, Andrew Schoultz, Erik Brunetti, Kevin Lyons, Neckface, Martha Cooper, Rick Owens, Tetsu Nishiyama/WTAPS, Raf Simons, A.P.C., Martin Margiela, Acronym, Billionaire Boys Club, Dr Romanelli, God's Prey, UNDFTD, Nike NSW and more.

RSVP@carmichaelgallery.com

Celebrate The Art of Tuscany in NYC

As part of Toscana in New York, a week-long series of events celebrating Tuscan lifestyle, there will be a reception and art exhibit on Wednesday the 27th.

Shown at the exhibit will be original costumes from Romeo and Juliet, the 1968 film by Tuscan Franco Zeffirelli, which won an Oscar for Best Costume Design.

Called “Italian Art Codex,” the other part of this exhibit will showcase artist books and art works shaped as books on loan from The Center of Contemporary Art Luigi Pecci in Tuscany.

Tuscan wine and light food to be served

Time Warner Center, 2nd floor
Wednesday, May 27
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Space is limited so guests must RSVP at tuscanyart@themarino.org

If you cant make it to the reception- the exhibit runs from Wednesday, May 27 through Sunday, May 31 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Wednesday-Saturday)
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Sunday)

MADISON AVENUE GALLERY ART WALK

This coming Saturday, May 16th from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM, some of the most famous galleries will be hosting free tours and unique events for the public. Several activities will be lead by art teachers and specialists. Reservations are not required and tours will be starting on the hour at the Event Information Centers in the Fuller Building located at 41 E. 57th Street. A silent auction will be held and all proceeds will go towards organizations working to improve arts education in the New York City public schools. Each tour is approximately two hours and visits four separate galleries.

For a complete list of the participating galleries

CLICK THIS LINK!
IT'S TIME TO GET CULTURED!

Pompeii and the Roman Villa Exhibit at LACMA

Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples, is currently on view at LACMA in Los Angeles. The exhibit includes works of art from the imperial villa at Oplontis and from aristocratic villas such as the Villa San Marco at Stabiae and the Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum, as well as works from the opulent houses of the urban elite in Pompeii, whose very name conjures up ancient Rome and other towns along the bay of Naples. More about the exhibit when you click "Read More"

I found the exhibit to be very interesting when you think about the context of all these works. There were so many affluent Romans during the 1st century that they wanted to spend their money on commissioned works of art, gold jewelry and gorgeous interior decoration and architecture. Unfortunately in the city of Rome at the time- the wealthy were forbidden to flaunt their money and often lived in very austere homes. So just like many affluent people in today's society have a beach house in Malibu or a house at the Hamptons-- these Romans had Villas on the Bay of Naples. They were able to lavishly decorate their homes here and live in luxury.

Also interesting and kind of entertaining was the idea that artists would recreate ancient Greek statues and sell them as ancient works--which Roman buyers had to get their hands on.

The exhibit is on view at Lacma from
May 3–October 4, 2009

Get Rich Quick: Contemporary Art Exhibit

The "Get Rich Quick" exhibit opens Thursday May 7th with a reception from 7pm to 10pm at the Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art. The exhibit will show a selection of artwork from some of the strongest voices in the contemporary art world, including Adam Neate, Antony Micallef, Banksy, Barry McGee, Bast, D*Face, Dalek, David Choe, David Choong Lee, Faile, Herbert Baglione, Ian Francis, KAWS, Nick Walker, Paul Insect, Shepard Fairey, Sixeart, Skullphone, Space Invader, Swoon, and Will Barras.

RSVP for the reception to: rsvp@carmichaelgallery.com

Nick Walker

Banksy

Banksy's street art is really refreshing and funny-- check out his work here:banksy.co.uk
The exhibition will be open for viewing through Thursday, May 28th 2009 from 1.00pm - 7.00pm.

Carmichael Gallery

1257 N. La Brea Avenue
W. Hollywood CA 90038

Los Angeles Art Weekend 2009

Los Angeles Art Weekend started yesterday! It is a four day event highlighting the city's vast array of art, architecture, design and performance. It looks like a really awesome event that takes place all over LA. So check it out--and stay cultured :)

Tonight @ 9:00 pm:

Los Angeles Art Weekend After Party
Music by Artist/DJ Dave Muller
RSVP: royalt@laartweekend.com
Royal/T
8910 Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232

Check out the website for more details, including an events calendar:
www.laartweekend.com

Brooklyn Museum: Target First Saturdays.

This past Saturday I attended Target First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum. This was like no event I had ever been to before, and was truly a phenomenal experience. Aside from the museum being an amazing physical space with an impressive selection of art, this cross-cultural event brings in thousands of people from all the NYC boroughs. Every first Saturday of the month, the Brooklyn museum is free and there is a showcase of art and live music with a huge dance party in the ballroom. There is food, drink, and the museum is open to the public until 11:00 PM. This event which as explained in the title happens every fist Saturday of the month. During the colder months, it is indoors, however, during the summer it becomes a large scale outdoor festival.



The music playing in the ballroom was Afro-funk and the atmosphere was so energetic and positive. The crowd was unbelievably diverse with people of all ages, ethnic groups, and socio-economic backgrounds. The cafe was serving food and drinks which was the only thing about the event that required purchase. There were also various events that went on the entire week before at the Brooklyn Museum in conjunction with First Saturdays including free movie screenings, musical performances, and literary discussions.



We had an amazing time checking out the art, dancing, and people watching. Can't wait for next month!

P.S.1. Contemporary Art Center

P.S.1. is a division of MOMA which was originally a school that was abandoned, and in was converted to a space for art exhibitions. It housed a variety of performances and exhibits over the years from renowned artists all over the world. P.S.1. became affiliated with MOMA in 2001 and is truly a gem. It is a unique division which lacks the pretentious element often associated with modern art and welcomes a diverse array of people.

There is always something going on at P.S.1. so I decided to go there last weekend and check out the new exhibit. Honestly, I had not been there since New York was hot and sweaty, so it really had been a while. The exhibit which I found to be the most powerful was the video series by Yael Bartana. She is an israeli artist who focuses on peace and conflict in Israel. She had two video displays one showing the building of settlements pre-1948 and on the other screen there were images of bulldozers destroying Arab villages in the West Bank. This presentation of construction and destruction was very powerful.

It was the opening of Lutz Bacher, My Secret Life and there were djs spinning. All in all, aside from getting lost in Queens trying to find it, it was a fun and affordable afternoon!

LACMA exhibition: BMW Art Cars

Another interesting exhibit going on at LACMA right now are the BMW art cars. It is on view though tomorrow. So go stop by if you are in the area. The four cars are on display between the two buildings- near the BCAM entrance. The car seen above was done by Andy Warhol and was actually a performance piece because Warhol painted live before camera. He was inspired by the movement of a racing car and tried to imply wind blowing across the surface with the blurring of the multiple colors together. Click "Read more" to see pictures and more info about the exhibit.

Frank Stella took the most literal approach to his art car. His work is inspired by the cars blue print and technical drawings.

Roy Lichtenstein's car is clearly inspired by his usual art style (made up of Benday dots and flat blocks of color). But he was also influenced by the distance and area in which the car would be traveling, which includes a bright yellow rising sun on the horizon.


Robert Rauchenberg's inspiration for the car was as if it was a mobile museum. He painted the hubcaps as if they were antique plates and he reproduced two famous works of art, Bronzino's "Portrait of a Young Man" and Ingres' "Le Grande Odalisque"

Check out this exhibit at LACMA

The Art of Two Germany's Exhibit @ LACMA

The Art of Two Germanys exhibit at LACMA, is a fascinating look into post WWII and Coldwar era Germany. Following the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, the nation was divided into four occupational zones (The Soviet Union, The US, Great Britain and France each having a section). The political tensions of these zones ultimately lead to the Cold War, which manifested in the formation of 2 German States in 1949. These two states were: the Western liberal democracy (West Germany) and the Federal Republic of German (East Germany).


When the artwork produced by these two German states are shown together, it is a window directly through their eyes. East German artists painted in a socialist realism art style which served as propaganda for the Communist state. This is juxtaposed by the abstract expressionist style of West German artists (both styles shown below)


One of my favorite rooms is filled with works from the 1960's and 70's, where artists started to experiment with new forms, materials and technologies. When you walk into the room you are greeted by the unmistakable smell of chocolate. It turns out the pastry cart, on the left hand side of the photo, is full of cracking, molding, chocolate lion busts.

While this exhibit can be an emotionally heavy one at times, it is also full of surprises around every corner. It is very large, comprised of over 300 works from 120 different artists (so give yourself an hour or two). It will be at LACMA (in the new BCAM building) until April 19th.

Further Reading:
LACMA: Exhibition information
LAT: Great, extensive review
LACMA on Fire: LACMA Blogger scoop

Artist Spotlight: David Hockney

[Place Furstenberg, Paris, August 7,8,9, 1985 #1 , David Hockney]

One of my favorite artists is David Hockney. Born in England in 1937, Hockney received traditional training based on life drawing and produced figure studies, portraits and cityscapes. He studied at the Bradford school of art and the Royal college of art in London. He moved to Los Angeles in 1964 which greatly influenced his style and subjects. But it is not just his paintings that are ever inspiring to me, it is his use of photo-collage.

[Pearblossom Highway, 11-18th April 1986 #2]


Check out Hockney's Website to see more of his works, information, and upcoming exhibitions.

The Culturistas heart Aegis Apparel!

Truth be told, I am somewhat biased with my love of Aegis Apparel as they are near and dear friends...but even if I had simply stumbled upon their website I would blog about how awesome their gear is.

Aegis Apparel is an Los Angeles based company that has super creative and fun graphic tees. Their support of local art is clearly depicted in the caliber of images chosen and their overall message..."Protect life. Protect art. Protect your style."

Aside from these shirts being hip, edgy, and affordable, Aegis also donates $5 from every shirt purchased to grassroots charity organization Nothing but Nets.

Go check out Aegis Apparel's different shirts and their blog
which is a sister blog to the Culturistas (music, nightlife, fashion!)

A day at the Getty

The Getty is a great place to go to have a picnic, see the exhibits, walk around the rose garden and enjoy the architecture. It is free thanks to the Getty family (though parking is $8). The Getty museum is at 1200 Getty Center Drive. Los Angeles, CA 90049-1687. Phone: +1 (310) 440-7330

Two great exhibits there right now:

Carlo Cignani
Italian, about 1670–1680
Oil on canvas
39 x 39 in. (99.1 x 99.1 cm)
EX.2008.7.9
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

"This exhibition tells the extraordinary story of a small group of artists who changed the course of art history. In the decades after the deaths of the great Renaissance masters, such as Raphael and Michelangelo, the art of painting was thought to have gone into steep decline. But then, in the late 16th century, the Carracci family of painters from Bologna burst onto the scene with tremendous energy and vitality, raising art to new heights."

My favorite section is where they show three different artists painting the same subject: Joseph and Potifar's wife. It's very interesting to see how three different artists portray a subject very differently.

The Limbourg brothers create incredible illuminated manuscripts that are just amazing to see. There is so much detail on such a small page- they even have magnifying glasses at the exhibit.

Limbourg brothers
French, Paris, 1405–8/9
Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum
9 3/8 x 6 11/16 in. (23.8 x 17 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters Collection, 1954 (54.1.1, fol. 63)

LACMA exhibition: Vanity Fair Portraits

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr and Joan Crawford, Santa Monica, 1929, Vanity Fair, October 1929, © Condé Nast Publications Inc./Courtesy Condé Nast Archive.

One of my favorite photographs in the exhibit is the one above. Although it was taken in the 20's I feel like it is so timeless and classic. Plus I've never seen Joan Crawford look relaxed and not severe.

The Vanity Fair portrait exhibit is at LACMA right now- through March 1st. So you still have plenty of time to see it! The photographs run from 1918 to 2008. When you see them all together it is a chance to see how things have changed in terms of photography, celebrity, and history. All of the early photographs had authors and political figures as their covers. By the time we get into the 30's-40's we see the change to actors and celebrities.

Julianne Moore as Ingres’s ‘Grand Odalisque’, New York City, Michael Thompson
© Condé Nast Publications Inc. / Courtesy Michael Thompson


La Grand Odalisque by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. 1814

The photographers represented include Cecil Beaton, Harry Benson, Julian Broad, Imogen Cunningham, Annie Leibovitz, Man Ray, Mary Ellen Mark, Steven Meisel, Helmut Newton, Herb Ritts, Edward Steichen, Mario Testino, and Bruce Weber. All in all the exhibit was very interesting and enjoyable. Definitely a Culturista recommendation. Los Angeles is actually the only stop in the U.S.--after March 1st it continues on its international tour.

Have you ever wondered what's 'under the dinner table'?

Lady L and I went to see the "Age of the Imagination" exhibit at L.A.C.M.A last week. I am a huge fan of Japanese art--especially from the Edo period, which this exhibit boasted. But to be honest, I was sorely disappointed. There were a few noteworthy pieces, including-- a gorgeous kimono, an original samurai costume and a modern interpretation of the Tales of Genji, told in a series of photographs from a live theater performance. But the exhibition was very small- and while it did make use of the Japanese pavillion's round architecture--it didn't look very different from what has always been in there.


Since the exhibition took us only about a half hour or so-- we decided to pop on over to the new building (which is called the Broad Contemporary Art Museum). I must say- every time I drive by the museum on Wilshire and stare at those light posts- I still think they are under construction and are going to move them. But anyways- I was not disappointed with this collection of contemporary art at all. The rooms are full of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns, Jeff Koons and Robert Rauchenberg. Enough to keep you very well occupied, shocked, excited and amused. I especially enjoyed by Robert Therrien's "Under the Dinner Table," which is an oversize dining room table (complete with chairs) that the viewer can walk underneath. So if you haven't been already-- go check out BCAM! You wont be sorry.

LA vs. War

After our night out at Goa, getting motivated to partake in culture vulture Sundays was a bit of a struggle but well worth it. The Firehouse downtown was hosting the weekend long event "LA vs. War" which was part of LA art week. This event hosted a melange of projects and art forms all in resistance to this 6 year long war we have been in. There were posters from the Center for the Study of Political Graphics, individual works, graffiti art, mixed media projects, and some really good djs! It gave a bunch of local LA artists the opportunity to showcase their projects.



The caliber of pieces varied; some seemed simple and the product of amateurs, while others were quite impressive and sent out quite strong messages.

Along with that there was also a graffiti contest going on and we were able to watch the artists in action.

This event attracted a rather diverse crowd, however the majority of people there were under 30 which I was thoroughly impressed by. Our generation has really stepped it up. Go us!


This was one of my favorite pieces...its title is "The Little Dictator." Clever clever!

And lastly we have the fashion forecast:

Bag- H&M
Houndstooth headband- Forever 21
Leggings- urban outfitters
Suede wedges- Marko (Israel)

To see more pics from LA vs. WAR you can click on the picture link below and check out the album!

LA vs. WAR

Cheers to ending the war!

Downtown Artwalk

12 pm - 9 pm • Free Admission

The Downtown Art walk is tomorrow for all of you striving to broaden your horizons. I'm going to check it out- I'm always looking for some inspiration. You can start at MOCA in downtown: 152 N Central Ave, LA, CA 90012

Participating Galleries The Museum of Contemporary Art Gallery at REDCAT LA Artcore Center 2nd Street Cigars and Gallery deSoto Art Slave Morono Kiang Gallery Taller 410 Museum of Neon Art Crewest Dale Youngman Gallery LAMP Community Art Project Pharmaka Art Los Angeles Center for Digital Art El Nopal Press Bert Green Fine Art

Julie Rico Gallery Niche.LA Video Art Spring Arts Collective Gallery M. J. Higgins Bailey Gallery Art Murmur Grey Goose 626 Gallery Gallery Waugh Infusion Gallery Gallery 727 The Hive Gallery 01 Gallery City Center Gallery Dalessio Gary Leonard 7+FIG Art Space