Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Art In LA

It's unfortunate that the image most people get of Los Angeles springs from shows such as Baywatch and 90210... Really, LA is a city that is rife with exciting exhibitions when it comes to art. Here are some shows I don't want to miss. UCLA's exotic Fowler Museum currently shows Korean funerary figures, wooden "dolls" that traditionally accompany the dead into their tombs and towards there hereafter. And the show is free! Also at UCLA (top picture), an upcoming dance performance by the Helios Theater.
Meanwhile at LACMA (LA County Museum of Art), the brand new red and white Resnick Pavilion, designed by Renzo Piano, offers Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915; I'm very eager to see those treasures.

Above are 2 irresistible ads for museums: with plenty of wit, the Getty Center parodies nutrition information boxes, while the Natural History Museum presents a toothy Angeleno.

17 comments:

Ren- Lady Of The Arts said...

When I think of LA I think of Art!

Love the street art, love the fashion, love the galleries, the people, the museums- THE GETTY!
LA is Art.

gracia said...

Ah! Sound like great, great shows... if only I lived closer and were not suffering from the highly-delightful and worth catching Gallery Fatigue.

Mary-Laure said...

REN - YES! I adore the Gettys as well, both the Center and the Villa.

carina said...

Love the Getty ad:-)

Kathryn Dyche said...

Looks like a great line up . . . have fun.

simon said...

Korean art works- well For me the best exhibition was the Korean and Japanese at the British Museum.

The works were sensational. I assume its the same in L.A.!

Mary-Laure said...

SIMON - oh, the British Museum is one of my favorite places in the entire world. I just adore it. The Fowler is a small museum so I don't think it can rival those treasures in London but it should still be interesting...

Laura in Paris said...

Yes, LA the city of many contrasts!

Keith said...

These are wonderful. I love them. I love art.

Mary-Laure said...

LAURA - yes it is, in terms of cultures, interests, income etc.

Aileen Kim said...

i love trips to museums and art galleries! Thank you for droppin by and leavin a sweet comment on my blog. Have a great day!

Pooch Purple Reign said...

i like your blog. i havent been to L.A yet... have a fun time
~laura

Giulia said...

Hello Mary-Laure--

Yesterday I checked out the Fowler website...it's really well done. Of course, here in the East we gnash our teeth when the Getty gets their hands on something we want but oh well, we can't have it all (I tell myself). This last summer I read an article in Vanity Fair about the machinations in LA art world. Did you read it? It started with Dennis Hopper (in Venice, of course) just before he died & ended with him--but in between it was about the politics of adding wings to things, architects, on & on. Nothing that doesn't go on anywhere else, of course. But it was fascinating to read. It definitely made some people think more about LA as a place of art--not only in museums but of art movements originating there. Oof. I could've edited this but it would take all day. Brain not working. Sorry.

Great photographs, btw. Like the toothy devil:)

Mary-Laure said...

POOCH - you really MUST visit LA some time, it's a great place!

GIULIA - no, I haven't read the article in Vanity Fair. It sounds very interesting. It's true that LA is really an art capital, among other things because there are so many very rich people who are passionate about art and fancy themselves patrons of some kind, as well as several great universities that boast wonderful collections.
Glad you like the toothy devil, as you call it - did La Gattina shiver with terror when she spotted it on the screen?

Emily said...

I'd love to visit L.A one day, although I'm ashamed to admit, I don't know much about the cultural life there so thanks for drawing my attention to that. Pity I can't visit these places soon, although I'll be returning to the British Museum later this year. It's a true favourite of mine too.

Giulia said...

Mary-Laure--One would think that GG would be afraid of toothy devils but she is a nervy cat. When I shrieked at Simon's Monty the Snake, GG was the picture of equanimity.

Speaking of British Museum...I love the room of cat mummies. Or the Vatican Museums. They both have them but one has quite a lot. And fish mummy, as well. That's at the British Museum. Off to find out who has more as the Earth will not keep spinning on its axis if I do not. ahem.

Sasa said...

I love dance too! Don't look great in hats though T_T I've never been to L.A but it IS a shame it has that image - my sister's girlfriend is from there and she's told me a lot about it and it doesn't sound much like the world of Baywatch ;P