Urs Fischer @ MOCA

I have two distinct reactions to exhibitions.  I either love it so much that I immediately come home to write about it, or I sit on the experience and let it ruminate in my mind for weeks.  I went to the Urs Fischer exhibit at MOCA a week and a half ago, and I am still thinking about it.

The artist  defies a cogent description.  All I knew of Fischer prior to the show was that he had a gallery show in NYC where he excavated the gallery space.  Within 2 seconds of walking into MOCA it is clear that Fischer likes to destroy and morph every aspect of his exhibition space.  From  slow melting wax sculptures and suspended fruit to  blown out holes in the gallery walls, Fisher eschews stasis.

Weeks later, I still struggle to mentally synthesize the raindrops in “Horses Dream of Horses” with the “Bread House” (yes it was a house made of bread which certainly curbed my craving for carbs for a day or two).  What I saw was quite remarkable.  Every inch of the gallery space provides an opportunity for commentary, from the slick black vinyl floors to the sloppily whitewashed walls.

MOCA’s triumph with this show is that they chose to go “all in” with Fischer and opened up the Geffen Contemporary to “Yes”, a collaborative project that transformed the Geffen into a claymaking studio.  Over 1,500 people were invited to mold clay in the museum with the results now on display.  Here’s a great video of the process.  This is one of the best curated shows I’ve seen at MOCA in a long time.

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Happy Birthday Yayoi Kusama!

When I was last at MOCA about 2 weeks ago I forgot that I had taken this picture of one of Yayoi Kusama’s works.  In honor of her 84th birthday yesterday, I thought I’d share.

And at the intersection of Art and Fashion, this is the closest I’ve come to owning some of Kusama’s art.  This was my Christmas gift from my husband who knew how much I love Kusama, and wanted me to have a little piece from the Louis Vuitton/Kusama collaboration last year.  I love to wear it but more importantly, I’m trying to figure out a cool way to display it.

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C’est Si Bon! Le Fooding Comes to Los Angeles

Photo Credit, Roy Choi

Chris Rock once said that women need three things: “Food, Water and Compliments”. Clearly the man hasn’t met me because I need art, good music and a fabulous handbag…  At a “Le Fooding” event you can get all of the aforementioned (minus the handbag–well, maybe they’ll be a swag bag… I digress.).

Ever since I saw Antohony Bourdain talk about Le Fooding on No Reservations I have had champagne wishes and francophile dreams of attending one of their events which can best be described as “Woodstock for foodies”. When Brooklyn hosted their own NYC version (Le Fooding Brooklyn Fling) last fall, I knew it would be a matter of time before the tribe headed west. Thankfully, I found out about the upcoming L.A. event after spotting a tweet and the above picture by Roy Choi.   The Le Fooding team has already met with the chef as they prepare for the two day festival on April 26-27. Choi will be joining Nancy Silverston, Ludo Lefebvre, Josef Centeno, Carolynn Spence, a foursome of legendary French chefs, DJs, and Graphic Artists who will all “feed” off of each others’ creativity during this food festival.  I desperately need to know the DJ and artist line up and will keep you all posted as I get details.

By day, MOCA’s Geffen Contemporary is world renown art venue, but for two nights next month MOCA’s alter ego “Le Grand Fooding Crush” will be an “anything goes, pan-sensual bazaar” (Arrested Development fans, that was for you).  I’m REALLY looking forward to this one.  The best part of the event is that some of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Los Angeles Food Bank.  J’aime anything that feeds your mind, body and soul, and Le Fooding looks like it will fit the bill.  C’est magnifique! (Pardon my French, I’m clearly getting caught up in delusions of francophilia).

For more on Le Fooding (and an interesting attempt by yours truly comparing chefs to Impressionists), click here.

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The Herb and Dorothy Vogel 50 x 50 Collection at MOCA

MOCA hosted a brief viewing of the Herb and Dorothy Vogel 50 x50 collection on Grand Avenue last week and on Friday I had the pleasure of checking it out

After falling in love with the Vogels in their documentary chronicling how a retired postal worker and librarian amassed an incredibly comprehensive collection of Minimal and Conceptual art spanning decades in New York City, I really couldn’t wait to catch a glimpse of the 50 works up close.

“Little Pinch”, Lynda Benglis

The bulk of their collection is housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.  The 50 x 50 Collection was set up to allow the Vogels to donate 50 pieces of art to each of the 50 states and there is a second documentary in the works that delves into this process.

After seeing the collection on Friday I had so many questions about how they chose their art that I decided to see the original documentary again.  I was particularly struck by their relationships with artists like Richard Tuttle.   In watching  their interaction with him and others it is clear that the Vogels thought like artists and sought to fully immerse themselves into understanding their process; as such their motivations were beyond monetary value and investment.  I think this is what endeared the couple to many in the art world.  They understood the evolution of an artist’s style and how their works connected to one another in a way that curators spend years trying to understand.

The Vogels never had children, and as I watched their dedication and commitment to artists and the community, I started to understand how they not only managed to collect over 4,000 pieces of art in their tiny one bedroom apartment, but also how they chose to pledge their valuable collection to the National Museum vs opting to sell it.  They truly had a love of their collection by cultivating it and watching it grow over the decades, almost as if it were a child.  The collection gave back so much more to them via relationships with artists and the NY art community, that when it came time to let the collection go, they were ready to let it leave the nest, confident that it was in the right hands with the National Gallery of Art.

“Dog/Decoy”, Joan Jonas

Untitled, Stephen Antonakos

If you haven’t had a chance to see the documenatary Herb and Dorothy I strongly encourage you to spend the time with one of the most delightful and profoundly inspiring couples I’ve ever seen.  For more info on the  Vogel 50 x 50 Collection, and to find the institution in your state that has been chosen to participate in this initiative please click on the link.

http://vogel5050.org/#

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Forecast Calls for “Media Showers” @ MOCA

Mark Kostabi, “Media Shower”, 1982

I couldn’t help but chuckle when I went to MOCA yesterday to see the Herb and Dorothy Vogel “50 Works for 50 States” collection and came across the above piece by Mark Kostabi.  It’s been a few months since we’ve had some consternation-induced MOCA news, and just when you think you’ve let just enough time go by without some MOCA drama something will always jump off to get us all in a titter.  All hell broke loose Thursday as the L.A. Times dropped a buzz worthy exclusive bomb that sent reactions flying on Twitter, and the media.  We usually only get this excited over celebrity marriages, not institutional ones.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in response to a RFP of sorts from MOCA trustees, proposed a merger between the two museums.  The overture was not unprecedented, as MOCA went down this road with LACMA in 2008, and at the time  in lieu of succumbing to acquisition, Eli Broad infused the institution with a $30M investment (or a conditional matching gift) with the hope that the museum could continue to remain independent and true to it’s original mission.  The mini-melodrama that preceded this failed 2008 merger led to some stings and bruised egos when in the same year Broad pledged $50M to build a contemporary wing at LACMA.  BCAM was supposed to house much of Broad’s personal collection currently held in Santa Monica.  Instead, on the eve of the grand opening of BCAM in 2008, Broad announced that only a fraction of his collection would be showcased there and the negotiations went off the rails. All of this eventually led to Broad breaking ground and building his own contemporary museum downtown, across the street from MOCA (to be completed in 2014).  So when Michael Govan, the director of LACMA offered to buy MOCA after the BCAM debacle, I’m not surprised that Broad rebuffed the overture.  Whew, I swear I feel like I’m writing an intro to “Soap” every time I talk about this…Back to 2013:  Yesterday’s L.A. Times Article sent shockwaves through the arts community and the theories were fast and furious.

I have to admit I was completely psyched that one of my Tweets got cited by HuffPo Arts!                Click on this pic to the link to their article)

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME- Another Trip Back in Time!

Of course a merger of this nature does one of two things: 1.  Eliminates the redundancy and competition for precious patrons/ visitors and their endowments and admission fees, and allows the new institution to gain a larger market share. 2. Creates operational efficiencies necessary for either institution to weather tough economic times.  I’m really oversimplifying things but when I look at what’s happened to MOCA in the last 9 months (culling of curatorial, educational, design and public relations staff, a focus on it’s stellar permanent collection, and a reliance on Jeffrey Dietch to do double duty as a Director and Curator), while they were attempting to establish some fiscal normalcy, I now see that they’ve culled and packaged themselves quite nicely for the taking.

MOCA Bake Sale c. 2008, Grand Avenue, Photo Credit: CultureShockArt

I couldn’t help but think about this bake sale from 2008 when MOCA was in dire straights and I asked myself, “what’s changed at MOCA?”  Lots.  What’s changed for the better?  Not much.  What hasn’t changed?  MOCA has suddenly found itself without fingers to point and it’s leadership is now forced to look itself in the mirror.  Another disruptive event is due within the leadership ranks. MOCA is no longer what we “wish” it could be, an institution as MOCA Mobilization noted in 2008,  that ”has attracted the admiration of internationally renowned artists and patrons of the arts. It is one of Los Angeles’s great cultural institutions”.  A big part of that equation is missing, and the Mobilization group is placing the responsibility square on the shoulders of Eli Broad and a board of trustees who have fallen short of their fiscal responsibilities.

The one person holding the cards in MOCA’s fate is Mr. Broad.  According to the L.A. Times, when he bailed out the museum in 2008 he won a stipulation that “MOCA could not be acquired for 10 years by ‘any museum located within 100 miles of MOCA’s Grand Avenue facility,’excluding ‘educational institutions or museums affiliated with educational institutions’.”  This stipulation opened the doors for the USC acquisition talks (and presumably shut down Govan), so I can’t help but wonder what’s up Broad’s sleeve here.  Does he view the LACMA offer as hostile?  Is USC primed to swoop in as the White Knight and re-engage MOCA in negotiations?

In reading Broad’s book, “The Art of Being Unreasonable”, there was an interesting section about persistence and knowing when to quit.  ”Sometimes you have to accept a loss so you can put all your energies, time, and money into the next project.  As in negotiation, it’s important to set a limit on what you’re willing to expend.”

Here’s another wise observation from the book:  ” Sometimes you walk away so that you can have a second shot down the line to return.  That’s something to remember when your loss stings the most.  There will be another day, and as long as you stay on the hunt it will bring its own opportunities.”  Wow, just let that settle in for a second!  I think Michael Govan studied this book.

And lastly, just ONE DAY before the Times broke that exclusive, Broad sent out this tweet (also from the book) that speaks volumes:

“I don’t recommend bowing out of something unless you’re becoming an obstacle to the very cause you want to support”.

As much as I would like things to stay the same at MOCA (as far as it’s curatorial integrity and depth of it’s collection), I am convinced that for MOCA, a radical change is overdue and in reading the tea leaves it looks like that’s happening.

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Back to the Future with MOCA

If you live in LA and appreciate Contemporary Art you are likely following the Schimmel/MOCA melodrama that is now being called “Schimmelgate”.  A resignation of this nature doesn’t happen without some people having something to say about it, so In the weeks following the announcement, we have had numerous interested parties weigh in on the issue.  Eli Broad decided to provide a historical context in his defense of MOCA and Jeffrey Deitch by using a business rationale in his Op-Ed piece in the Times on Saturday.

Then early this week a story surfaced about MOCA’s planned Disco Retrospective called “Fire in the Disco”.  Timing is everything.  When the art community is embroiled in a debate over the future of your institution, announcing an exhibit on Disco is either wildly brazen or naively suspect.  By mid-week I found myself engrossed in New York’s take on the whole situation, and I shared my tin-foil hat hypothesis on MOCA and Grand Avenue in comments on this blog post by Edward Winkleman.

Amid the chatter about the curatorial integrity of the museum, this morning we get a glimpse of the behind the scenes bifurcation of MOCA’s board of trustees in this letter from 4 trustees denouncing Broad, Deitch and the departure of Schimmel.  The dust barely settled on that bomb when the second one hit.  Artist John Baldessari resigned from the board in protest over Schimmel’s departure, bringing the total trustee resignations to 5.

The organizational schisms and dysfunction coming to the surface now should have been eliminated during the last board shake up in 2008.  At that time the museum’s endowment was depleted and Broad eventually offered MOCA a bail out.  Interesting how all roads lead to (and rhyme with) Broad.  In fact, a L.A. Weekly blog ran a piece on him today. When asked about his label as a Venture Philanthropist, Broad responded, “Yes. I believe in venture philanthropy. We don’t just do things that people come to us with requests for. There are things we believe ought to happen and we help make them happen”.

It’s a thorny issue indeed.  I agree with and ascribe to Broad’s business insights, however I think that the board of trustees must have a diverse representation in background and thought.  A myopic focus on the bottom line may prove to be a good business tactic, but not necessarily a viable survival strategy that will allow MOCA to sustain it’s reputation as a world class institution.  Well, until all this is sorted out I think I’ll set my flux capacitor to 25 years from now and maybe the board of trustees will have straightened this mess out by then.

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Friday Musings: An “Outsider’s” View of L.A.’s Contemporary Art Scene

On Friday during Happy Hour, instead of having cocktails, I became inebriated with the exuberance of my own verbosity”. This was the result.  Brace yourselves…

I was catching up on what I’ve missed in the Art world over the last couple of days by reading some articles primarily about the ouster/resignation of MOCA’s Paul Schimmel on Wednesday.  Since the news prematurely hit the blogosphere everyone has been busy chronicling their thoughts and positing on how the Chief Curator’s resignation impacts the city’s cultural milieu.  This story raised many questions in my mind:

Q:  Where does board oversight end and true museum leadership begin?

Q:  How do cultural institutions sustain themselves through an economic downturn?

Q:  Is L.A. truly demonstrating the global Contemporary Art prominence that it so desperately desires?

Q:  How many Contemporary Art institutions does L.A. need?

I don’t have answers to all these questions, but over the last 9 months I have tried to acquaint myself to L.A.’s Contemporary Art scene through following ambitious shows like Pacific Standard Time, the Hammer’s Made in L.A. biennial and the MOCA/Mercedes-Benz sponsored multi media extravaganza that was Transmission-LA .  I’ve been reticent to write about them because, well frankly, I haven’t been inspired to do so.  I AM, however fascinated by the behind the scenes drama that has been taking place with our museums.  Here are some articles that I think best articulate the issues that L.A. currently faces:

Cultural institutions have succumbed to the architectural equivalent of keeping up with the Jones’.  This New York Times article discusses a study that shows how some large scale re-development projects have struggled with sustainability.

“For Arts Institutions, Thinking Big Can Be Suicidal”, New York Times, section C1, June 27, 2012

This has been an issue that fascinated me when I first visited San Francisco’s MoAD after it was first built and again years later.  When it comes to building cultural institutions, it doesn’t take much to create a perfect storm.

This Hyperallergic article further explores the rash of firings and layoffs that have befallen LACMA, the Getty and MOCA recently.  The layoffs are nothing new; cultural institutions are the first hit when state funding dries up and endowments become anemic, however the author points out some interesting observations regarding how these same institutions are choosing to spend their ever-dwindling endowments. In the case of MOCA’s delayed announcement of this news 2 days AFTER it hit the internet suggests, perhaps a larger PR budget allocation is needed (hello, Olivia Pope?):

LA Museum Drama: MOCA Goes Full Deitch, LACMA Lays Off Staff, Hyperallergic,, June 29, 2012

And last but not least, I think Friday’s L.A. Times touches on the emotional nerve that this move has made.  In the case of MOCA L.A. we have one step forward and two steps back.  To art world critics and insiders, Schimmel was the “substance” behind the “style”.

Critic’s Notebook: MOCA’s firing of Paul Schimmel is a bad sign

The problem is museums can’t afford the substance, and with trustees at the helm (who are charged with maximizing returns) some difficult decisions must be made.  What I’ve seen in L.A.’s Contemporary Art scene is a fixation on getting bodies in the door.  MOCA boasts a steadily increasing annual visitor rate.  Curated shows with music, food, celebrities, fashion draws a consistent crowd.  It appears to be a short term survival tactic that suggest that philanthropic donors and memberships have decreased.

What museum boards need to ask themselves now is once you get these folks in the door, how will you keep them over the long term?  Catering to 20 somethings in a transient city with the hopes that they either become collectors or future benefactors may not be the winning formula for Los Angeles.  What is the winning formula?  Well, if I knew that, I’d be on a board by now, and part of the problem…or perhaps the solution.

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MOCA Fresh Auction 2012

Pae White, Photo Credit: MOCA

So, I get these songs stuck in my head…Every time I think about MOCA’s upcoming Fresh Auction this Saturday, this song pops into my head.  If you were born before 1975 you probably can guess it.  Now that the painfully tragic memory of that song is stuck in YOUR head (you’re welcome), let’s talk about the upcoming auction.

Since my art budget was blown the other day in Santa Monica, I decided to check out the free Preview of the works up for auction this Saturday.  Hundreds of works are beautifully curated and on display at MOCA’s Grand Av location.  There are some AMAZING pieces.

While surveying the lots up for auction I couldn’t help but dream of my fantasy collection (if I had Warren Buffett money, or won the lotto and opened a gallery). So here is my curated selection of works:

Top: Charles Gaines, Bottom: Shepard Fairey

I’ve been following Charles Gaines recently, and was really glad to see one of his works today.  Here’s a closer look:

What I liked about Shepard Fairey’s piece is that it had a Hokusai feel too it.  Very different from what I’m used to seeing from him.

Rena Small, "Mike Kelley for Artist Hands Grid Continuum"

I may be biased now, but after our come up of a Rena Small at Incognito on Saturday, I was thrilled to spot the above piece today.

Cindy Sherman

I really love Cindy Sherman, but after watching PBS’ Art:21 feature on her in the “Transformation” episode, I now absolutely adore this woman as an artist (despite the segment having an excruciatingly painful section of clowns…long story).  I was captivated by her creative process.  I plan to dedicate more to her in future posts.

Robert Rauschenberg

John Baldessari,Three Government Personal

Danny First

Aaron Kraten

Fred Tomaselli

Gary Baseman

Gregory Michael Hernandez

Olga Komondouros, "Elimination"

If you’re at MOCA Grand and looking for a restroom, just look for this piece by Olga Komondouros.  It was strategically placed by the loo… Cheeky. (pun intended.)

Pae White, "Fool's Gold"

That’s a wrap for me.  For more looks at all the Auction, click here.  Let me know what you have your eye on!

Fresh, for twenty-twelve… you suckas! (If you get that reference I am loving you right now)

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Grandma Graffiti-A Look at Yarn Bombing

December Mural at the Standard, DTLA, via Instagram

A new mural is going up at the Standard today replacing last month’s which was made out of yarn.  Yes, I said YARN.  I must say I was amazed at how long it lasted (thanks to no rain in December).  The mural got me thinking about an interesting street art phenomenon called “Yarn Bombing” which is a form of knit graffiti where street objects including stop signs, parking meters, random poles, subway cars, etc. are knitted and crocheted in colorful acrylic yarn.

Random Yarn Bomb on a Bus in Philadelphia. PhotoCredit-Wooster Collective

Turns out it’s a global movement that has been building momentum over the last 5 years.  The Standard mural was conceived by Magda Sayeg.  She started out doing guerilla yarn bombs in Houston Texas after she got a favorable response after covering the door knob of her boutique.  The random bombings expanded beyond her street into other areas of the city and from there it took off.

This is a fascinating collision between the subversive, clandestine world of traditional street art and Etsy enthusiasts seeking a broader audience beyond their Pinterest followers.  It turns out the phenomenon has become quite lucrative for Magda Sayed, she’s given up the noncommissioned work and now grosses between$25,000-$75,000 per project.  She’s also collaborated with the Sunglass Hut on a line of yarn adorned shades.  What’s next, yarn bombs in museums?  Already been done.

MOCA

I haven’t decided if this is a clever form of expression or a questionable waste of materials.  I loved the Standard Mural, and when I see this stuff I can’t help but smile.  I’ll say this:  The world needs to see a Portlandia skit on this!

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Abramovic Gives MOCA Patrons a Glimpse A”head”

Photo Credit: Los Angeles Times, Lawrence K. Ho

To say I’ve been traveling frequently is an understatement.  I’m about to leave for my 3rd trip back east in three weeks so I’m a bit weary for wear.  One of my arts goals for the year was to attend this year’s MoCA Gala.  Sadly, this was not to be due to fatigue and an exhausted arts budget (depleted by purchasing one too many handbags this month) and I was reminded of this sad truth yesterday as I saw the tents go up at MoCA Grand.

When I heard that performance artist Marina Abramovic is this year’s Creative Director I knew Gala attendees were in for an incredible evening.  Last year Abramovic stunned visitors to MOMA with her exhibition featuring the artist sitting motion-less and emotion-less across from museum visitors.  The interaction between visitors and the artist elicited a fascinating array of responses.  The images from “The Artist is Present” are still seared in my memory.  It was an incredible piece.

Flash forward to this evening.  You’ve got to read the LA Times Article about what’s in store for MoCA attendees this evening.  For tonight’s gala, guests will don lab coats and sit at tables with a hole cut in the center.  Performers will stick their heads through the holes which will serve as centerpieces.  To add some kinetic appeal to the centerpiece, the performers will be crouched down on lazy susans and will slowly rotate during the meal, thus giving diners a glimpse of the human head centerpiece at all angles.

This sounds a bit like a “Survivor”challenge because these performers 1. Must not talk or interact with the attendees 2. The attendees may in turn interact with the performers, and 3.  The performers must remain crouched down under these tables with their heads sticking out for three hours (no bathroom, water or dining breaks).

I can barely remain in a plane seat for 3 hours (see above) and I can’t go 10 minutes without water.

It’s also a Survivor challenge for guests, because let’s face it–a gala is all about the clothes.  To ask fashonistas to cover their strategically procured ensembles is akin to asking a celebrity chef to serve their prix fixe menu on a trash can lid. Abramovic’s concept to create a democratic, level playing field with the lab coats is a brilliant one and I am fascinated with how Angelinos will respond to this.  I couldn’t help but remember a 60 Minutes piece on Eli Broad where Morley Safer had the best quote about the 2010 MoCA Gala.  I’ve quoted it before…

“Just watch this crowd at the recent gala for the Los Angles Museum of Contemporary Art, which Broad bailed out 2 yrs ago for $30 billion dollars.  It was a scrum of culture vultures, fashion victims and art victims, dealers and collectors-  a night when skinniness was next only to godliness, when philanthropy and social climbing, self aggrandizement, and greed dissolved into one gigantic air kiss-all under the benevolent eye of that feared and admired dictator, Eli Broad.”

On second thought, I really wish I could have attended this. To only worry about shoes and a handbag would have been a no brainer.

Anyway back to these heads, there’s another reason why I don’t think I could have attended the event.  I’m quite confident that my husband would have remained at the bar opting for a liquid dinner.  As for me, I am too much a germaphobe to eat a meal with a rotating head in close proximity to my filet.  I don’t think I could eat, I would also be too busy looking at reactions.

And that really is the point.  So, I’ll be checking Twitter feeds tonight for updates and I cannot wait to hear the reports on the reactions to the gala.

I think attendees will be anxious to let off some steam on the dance floor after dinner, and Debbie Harry is guaranteed to bring the house down with her performance.  It’s shaping up to be a heady night…

(Want to groan?  Go a”head”–I can’t help myself!)

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