DAY TWENTY

Day Twenty
May 11, 2013

An art filled day today.  I've fallen off the pace of trying to get a hundred posts done by next October, but I may hit a streak later on.  

Finding free parking adjacent to Little Tokyo is an art, I must confess.  It also calls for some hiking, but my hike included this view of the MTA Building and some wispy clouds.  It's a summer's day.

First stop was to see Stephanie DeLazari's two animation videos at National Center for the Preservation of Democracy which is just across the way from the Geffen Contemporary.  Stephanie's entries won prizes and her work from my totally objective POV was head and shoulders above the rest. Very sophisticated work with strong graphics and obviously a lot of hours put in to create the films. She's been making videos for several years and will eventually wind up at Cal Arts where I see a bright future for her as a painter and film maker. 

The Urs Fischer Exhibit that covers the California Plaza MoCA as well as the big old barn, The Geffen Contemporary is extensive and challenging.  Fischer is a Swiss guy who has a lot of money behind him and it's all on the floor and the walls.  I've heard him called a 'Big Box' artist and am not all together sure what that means, but boy is he prolific and MoCA has pulled out all the stops  (as well as a few walls!) to accommodate Fischers installations. This is the kind of art that I find myself overwhelmed by. 

Uncredited Artist who obviously knows what she/he is doing.

At the Geffen over 1,500 working artists and locals were invited to make sculptures in basic grey water based clay.  The exhibit is huge, with contributions by obviously skilled artisans as well as more basic works  that are on display.  




This is a little embarrassing as I recently wrote a letter to the L.A. Times saying that MoCA was derelict in not making space for new, middle and more emerging local artists.  The pieces are strewn all over the northly part of the Geffen with little clouds of clay dust rising up as patrons roam the galleries.  I said hello to John Baldessari who seemed a bit bemused by the show. 

 This piece is made entirely of wax and is based on (I think) the Rape of the Sabine Women.  It started with one wick in the head on the top figure and expands into more wicks that will burn throughout  the exhibit.  The sculpture is perfect in its imperfection and will eventually become just a pile of wax by the end of the show in August. Other candle pieces, including a self portrait of Fischer (who had already lost its head) are found throughout the galleries.  

That MoCA opened its doors with literally tons of clay for artists to fill the space is admirable.  I suspect that it was all Fischer's idea.  

Check the MoCA website for closed days and Thursdays, which may be free late in the day.  For fans of art that totally challenges the aesthetic, this is a must see.