lots of concept

Yesterday’s LA art run.

First the Hammer Museum to see Outside the Box: edition Jacob Samuel 1988-2010

Jacob Samuel started with the concept of inviting artists to collaborate on print editions, but not having them come to the print shop, instead the artists worked on the medium to  be printed in their studio. Then the piece would be designed and printed by Samuel. I found this to be so generous on the part of both parties and it worked very well as a collaboration.

As the exhibit progresses over time there is a shift where artists come to the print shop, and they are more involved in the design of the book. These I did not find as successful. It seemed as if they became more documentation of the artists work Nothing discovered by either.

I was delighted to be reintroduced to Tom Marioni and his piece The Act of Drinking Beer with Friends Is the Highest Form of Art (1970). Having studied art in the Bay Area I was aware of Marioni, his work, and his influence in conceptual art.

Although I have stopped drinking alcohol if I could get invited into this piece I would have a beer or two.

A video Sugar Water by Eric Baudelaire managed to captivate me. Not only in the subject matter of the piece but the process of the installation of the mural within the piece, layer by layer,by layer, by layer, in the Paris subway.

But watching it for a longer time period showed that the people in the subway where hired and the piece was not taking place in an space where the public was really interacting. This was a little disappointing to discover.

Then it was off the LACMA to check out John Baldessari: Pure Beauty.

I slowly went through the gallery spaces progressing through time and as I got to the work produced in the 80’s joy and delight became overwhelming.

I took a break, went back, sat more and stared.

This exhibit travelled from London, to Spain, LA, and will end in NY.  And as I was driving on the freeway on my way up to LA I noticed the LA freeway signs and thought, San Diego, art suburb of LA.

And I am fortunate that it is. This exhibit would have been one I could have visited often, but my suburb mixed with traffic is not that easy to get out of.

The Serra’s are still housed indoors and it is always fun to be thrown off balance.

My day in LA ended as we drove back talking art.