Murakami and Me I feel fortunate to live in a city with such a multitude of diverse and eclectic "art" venues. I enclose the word in quotes because what does that word mean? I was asking myself that very question while wandering and wondering through the Murakami exhibit at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA last Friday.
My Webster's New World Dictionary defines art as primarily the "human ability to make things; creativity of man as distinguished from the world of nature." The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy notes, "Whether art can be defined has also been a matter of controversy."
This is not an exhibit I would have chosen to go to on my own. It was GZ's idea and I went along. Sometimes I'm in situations where I am completely surprised at my reaction to artwork I did not expect to like. And vice versa. But in both cases there is an emotion invoked. Some feeling of, oh wow, this is tremendous. Or a visceral disgust. Either way, it affects me on some deep level.
The Murakami exhibit had neither effect. I am left feeling ambivalent. I admit, attempting to find a parking space downtown on a weekday was a mistake. A lot of my energy was used up driving around for an hour. The parking lot across the street, where I usually park, and was clearly signed as MOCA parking, was being used for restaurant parking only. We ended up at Union Station and walked back. I enjoyed the walk, but all that searching while behind the wheel was still whirling around in my head when we arrived at the museum. As driving in traffic is one of my top ten hatreds in life, perhaps it clouded my perception.
To start with, I am really not into cartoon "art." It doesn't appeal to me. I watched several of the videos on the MOCA website before and after viewing the exhibit in the hope I might glean some insight. But I have the same emotional response to and interest in this as I have towards "Hello Kitty." The rack I would pass by in a souvenir store.
As an illustrator, I think Murakami is fabulous. He certainly has a great imagination. And kudos to him for making his ideas into a multi-million dollar world-wide business. As if to emphasize that, our last stop in the exhibit was the Louis Vuitton gallery filled with the signature handbags. Evidently, Murakami teamed up with LV, embellishing the bags with vibrantly-colored motifs. Business seemed to be good. A mother with her own LV original was buying a Murakami bag for her ten-year-old daughter who was visibly excited. Another customer was a twenty-something, thin, artsy-looking girl. Okay, so I don't get this either. My favorite handbag I bought at the JC Penney outlet store for less than $10. And I get a lot of compliments on it. These LV-Murakami bags are in the hundreds (I saw one on ebay for over $600.)
Nevertherless, as an appreciator of art and all its weird and curious paths, I'm glad I saw the exhibit, if only to confirm that this kind of thing is not my cup of tea.

(Photo copyright Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles)

Los Angeles Conservancy City Hall Tour

BG and I ventured downtown on December 1 to take part in the Los Angeles Conservancy City Hall tour. I was a docent with the LAC for 16 years but unfortunately had to bow out a couple of years ago as it was just one more thing I couldn't fit into my schedule. But I miss giving those tours and recently have wondered if it would be possible to start leading them again. With that in mind, I decided to be a tourist on some of the tours I used to lead just to see if the excitement was still there.

So on a crisp Saturday morning we showed up on the steps of City Hall. I chose this tour as the building is one of my favorites, full of marble, tile and painted ceilings. Completed in 1928, this was the tallest building in Los Angeles until the late 1950s when a 150 foot height limit was lifted.

After the 1994 Northridge quake, the entire building was renovated and placed on stabilizers. I actually remember being in the building right after the quake. I paid a visit to the bathroom on one of the lower floors. The whole room seemed to be at an angle, there was a huge crack in the wall and the light was going on and off. I got out of there as fast as my bodily needs would let me! Soon after that the building was closed for earthquake repairs which took several years.

This was my first trip back since then. What is most noticeable is that the decorative plaster ceilings have been cleaned and repainted with the original colors. I last saw them when they were just beginning to be restored. What a difference now. The most spectacular part of the building is the rotunda with its gorgeous marble columns. This area is used often in movies to substitute for places such as the Vatican or the Capitol Building in DC. I always recognize it when I see it in a film posing as something else and have a little chuckle!

Enough said. The only way you can truly appreciate the building is it to see it for yourself. The Los Angeles Conservancy tour runs the first Saturday of every month at 11:00am. Treat yourself. Make a reservation. (A good place to park is in the Geffen Contemporary MOCA lot south of City Hall, splat in the middle of Little Tokyo where you can have lunch after the tour.)

So am I ending my hiatus as a walking tour docent? Not quite. Even though I admit I was itching to take the tour over from the docent, I need to focus all my energy on finishing school, then I'll decide.

From the Los Angeles Conservancy website:
City Hall First Saturday, 11 a.m.
This 1-3/4 hour tour explores the wonderful architecture and fascinating history of this beloved, and now fully restored landmark. Included on the tour are some of the building's important public spaces including the magnificent rotunda, City Council chambers, and Public Works session room. Request reservation.

(All photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Tuxedo Cat in the Plaka

I will be exhibiting my latest tile from my Places series, Tuxedo Cat in the Plaka (Athens) at the Culver City Art Group Holiday Exhibit, November 13, 2007 from noon to 6:00pm. See previous blog for information.

(Designs and photos are copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Culver City Art Group Holiday Art Exhibit

You are cordially invited to attend the 12th Annual HolidayArt Exhibit, a body of original artwork by members of the Culver City A.R.T. Group, Saturday, November 17, noon to 6:00 pm. Artists’ Reception: Meet the artists! Refreshments and awards 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm at the Veterans Memorial Building, Rotunda Room, 4117 Overland Avenue, Culver City (Culver Blvd. and Overland Ave.) We look forward to seeing you! For more information, please contact C.C.A.R.T. Group President Barbara Golbin 310.837.2600 or b.golbin@sbcglobal.net. Co-sponsor: City of Culver City Parks, Recreation and Community Services.

The Glass Blowers

Now I have a new place to visit next time I am on the east coast: the Corning Museum of Glass. I am currently taking a class at the Getty Villa on the ancient art in the collection, so I was there this past Wednesday when the Corning team of glass blowers arrived as part of the exhibit, "Reflecting Antiquity: Modern Glass Inspired by Ancient Rome." We watched as they showed us how they replicate ancient glass designs. Of course, I've seen glass-blowing many times before, but this was with a twist (so to speak). I was impressed with the teamwork involved, how many times the glass goes in and out of the kiln and the speed with which everything has to happen before the glass cools... no time for thinking. Apparently it takes six years of training to achieve this level of proficiency. You can watch this event Thursday–Monday, October 25–November 5, 2007, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.















The glass exhibit itself is also fascinating. I've seen it three times. I like it so much I'm tempted to buy the catalog (photography is not allowed in this particular exhibit). But do I really need another art book? And shouldn't I be focusing on tiles and mosaics? A couple of years ago I saw the exhibit at the Getty Center, "The Arts of Fire, Islamic Influences on Glass and Ceramics of the Italian Renaissance." I do own that book. (And now as I am flipping through it again, on page 94 there is a gorgeous ewer in enameled and gilded glass. I've had a bisque teapot sitting in front of me for weeks, waiting for inspiration before I start painting it. This gives me an idea.)

When I was in Boston ten years ago there was a splendid glass exhibit, "Glass Today, by American Studio Artists" at the Museum of Fine Arts. I bought that catalog because I was amazed by the extraordinary designs. It was my first introduction to glass as a pure art form. On that same trip, we visited the Sandwich Glass Museum, in, you guessed it, Sandwich, Massachusetts. Looking at the website, I believe they have expanded since my visit, but at the time I was intrigued by the collection of historical glass of that area.

I've always been fascinated by glass in one way or another. As a child I collected small glass animals, long gone now. One of the beauties of glass is the way it interacts with light (hence, the operative word "reflective" in the title of the exhibit) and photographs on the printed page can never do it justice. So, I recommend seeing the Getty exhibit in person, and in the meantime I'll cogitate on the pros and cons of adding this catalog to my collection.

From the Getty website: Reflecting Antiquity is the first major exhibition to examine the impact of the rediscovery of Roman glass on modern glassmakers. It features Roman vessels as well as modern glassmakers' reproductions of these ancient pieces, and vessels inspired by ancient ones.

(Photographs copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Music for the Masses: Illuminated Choir Books

TL and I enjoyed a beautiful day at the Getty Center today. Yes, I know, I can't stay away. Of course, I am intrigued by any kind of illustrative works from contemporary ads to ancient manuscripts, and this exhibit did not disappoint. The "masses" of the title alluding to religious services, these choir books were used by monks singing age-old chants they already knew by heart. The notations, it turns out, were there to guide them with the pitch, high or low.

While interested in the page as a whole, my main focus was on the illustration of the first letter. For instance, this example is the letter R. Having a one-track mind, I thought of these illuminations as being ideal for tiles! More inspiration...

Some of the examples on display were cut out from the rest of the page. I thought about how our ideas of conservation have changed over the ages, and even mere years. In times past, even recently, the more illustrative or figurative parts of mosaics were cut out and preserved in museums while the borders and fields were left to disintegrate on site. Today we realize the importance of context. Just as with these choir book designs, we understand the importance of seeing the page, or indeed the book, as a whole, no part being more important than the whole.

Although I admit to not having much of a musical ear, I enjoyed the audio of the chants presented with some of the items. It brought the pages to life, hearing the chants as they would have been sung by the monks as they viewed the choir books.

One point we both agreed on, why can't museums make it obvious where one should start viewing an exhibit. A simple "Start here, you idiots" sign would be helpful. We evidently started on the wrong side. When we found the side we should have started at (we didn't even realize there were two rooms at first), a lot of confusing elements became much clearer.

We also enjoyed Edward Weston: Enduring Vision. I've seen various Weston exhibits but this was about the best, with examples of the different periods of his life, and of course, the different women who inspired him! Another wonderful, and unexpected, treat was Recent History: Photographs by Luc Delahaye, images on a large scale. And the garden was in full bloom, nice to take our time strolling through.

The Getty Center is very pleasant on a weekday. Although it is very well attended at any time, my last visit at the weekend I said never again. I can't deal with crowds of people, at least not when attempting to view art.

Photo copyright J. Paul Getty Museum

Benaki Museum of Islamic Art

The Benaki Museum's collection of Islamic art, which includes examples of all its local variations from as far afield as India, Persia, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Arabia, Egypt, North Africa, Sicily and Spain, ranks among the most important in the world. Walking through the Kerameikos area of Athens along Asomaton Street, we almost missed the Islamic Museum as it is housed in a townhouse looking like any other on the street. Fortunately, this did not happen as the collection was well worth the long walk from our hotel just south of the Acropolis.

However, like the main Benaki Museum across town, photography was not allowed. I will never understand why some museums (for instance, the National Archaeological Museum in Athens) almost beg you to take photos of their collection while museums like the Benaki look at you like dirt if you dare ask if photography is allowed! Explain it to me, someone!! So, above is the ruler I bought at the museum shop showing some of the Iznik patterns on display in the museum. This is one of the best souvenirs I ever bought as it sits on my desk inspiring me with tile designs and will be used on a regular basis.

Grand Bazaar Istanbul

Obviously it's been a while since I posted to my blog. Mostly that's because I was out of the country visiting London, Greece and Turkey. And as soon as I returned home I came down with this fuzzy-brained virus and cough that will not let go of me. However, after nearly two weeks of unmentionable stuff oozing from my body, I am now feeling halfway human and able to resume some of my normal functions. But it's going to take me months to catch up with all the art and archaeology-related stuff that has taken place in my life in the past few weeks. So bear with me!

Just as an appetizer, here are the two hand-painted tiles I bought at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey. There were lots of tiles on my trip, but mostly touristy stuff that did not appeal to me. But these caught my eye, and other than the Grand Bazaar I did not see anything that I liked as much as these, so I was glad I bought them when I had the opportunity.
So, among other things that I learned and experienced on this trip, I fell in love with the Iznik style of tiles and pottery. Just what I needed, one more thing to be passionate about! Of course, I have seen this style of ceramic painting many times before but for some reason I was not ready for it. However, starting with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London which has a brilliant collection, I couldn't help myself from falling head over heels.

(Photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Queen Califia's Magic Circle

Another one of those places I've been meaning to visit forever is Queen Califia's Magic Circle in Escondido, CA. So on Saturday, August 25 KL and I drove the approximately 100 miles (and 2 1/2 hours of our lives in horrible, horrible traffic!) from Culver City to LE's house in Vista. We were greeted with a wonderful lunch and from there the three of us drove to Escondido.

From the website: "The only American sculpture garden and the last major international project created by Niki de Saint Phalle. Inspired by California's mythic, historic and cultural roots, the garden consists of nine large-scale sculptures, a circular "snake" wall and maze entryway, sculpturally integrated bench seating and native shrubs and trees planted within the interior plaza and along the outer perimeter."

If you have any interest in art, sculpture, mosaics or tiles, this is a must-see. So much more fun than I had imagined from looking at the website.

The best surprise is the golden egg inside the main Queen sculpture. But everything in the Magic Circle is delightful. I love playful, joyful art. This is an example of that at its best. If you are in the area, or if you have to make a special trip (hopefully in not so horrible traffic... Saturday morning was a bad idea), this is worth visiting for the sake of your children or your inner child.

(All photos are copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Your Chance to Support the Greening of LA

"Ballona Tryptich" (20" x 8" in alderwood frame) is one of three ceramic pieces I am donating to the Ballona Network for the Second Annual Art Auction to support the natural environment all over the Los Angeles area.

BALLONA NETWORK SILENT AUCTION, RAFFLE & DINNER
Culver Events Center 11934 West Washington Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90066
A unique chance for you to support Ballona and acquire art by top local artists
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2007 6 - 9 PM
$45 per person (Dinner, drinks and music)
Free preview of art prior to event: 2 - 5 PM
Art works include sculpture, painting, photography, mixed media, ceramics, prints and digital art. Many contributing artists participated in an extensive tour of the Ballona Watershed from Franklin Canyon to the Ballona Wetlands. They are donating their work in support of a Ballona Watershed greenway vision.
An integral part of this green vision is engaging both the public and elected officials in the challenge of creating an urban network of green trails, streams, and natural places - from the Santa Monica Mountains and the Los Angeles River to the Baldwin Hills, Ballona Creek and Wetlands, and Santa Monica Bay, while conserving, cleaning and restoring our water.
All contributions are tax-deductible.

For more information, contact Jeanette Vosburg at Jeanette@saveballona.org or 310-721-3512.

(All photos and artwork are copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Eclectic LACMA

You can't say LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) isn't eclectic in it's choice of exhibitions. Well, I can't. Last Sunday BG, KK and I viewed two very diverse exhibits... truly at opposite ends of the art world. Dan Flavin: A Retrospective (which ended that day). And The Arts in Latin America, 1492-1820 (until October 28).

Dan Flavin: A Retrospective
Dan Flavin was one of the founders of the minimalist movement, an art style I could never relate to as it does not touch me emotionally. This exhibit explored his creativity with flourescent light tubes. However, in his essay on the artist, Jay Belloli remembers that "all the fluorescent pieces carried some emotional charge for Flavin, because they were all dedicated, every single one of them. As far as I know, every fluorescent installation—every piece he ever did—was dedicated to somebody." I find that intriguing, as I cannot look at a flourescent light bulb and conjure up the image of anybody I know! It would be interesting to explore how he came up with these connections.

Nevertheless, as much as I have a hard time labelling this exhibit as "art" (but then I have trouble giving that attribution to a lot of things I see these days), it was still, at some level, fascinating. The exhibit was extensive, which was a good thing as if there had been only a few pieces, I would not have gotten to the point where I started to appreciate the overall effect. I began to see relationships between the colors and tricks of the brain and eye. For instance, in the "green" room, one entire room was dedicated to a fence-like flourescent structure... "untitled (to you heiner with love and affection)"... that divided the room length-wise in two. (Click on the slide show link on the righthand side of the Flavin page to see images of the exhibit.) As I stood in there in complete greenness, my brain began to perceive all the green as white and pretty soon I was seeing "normally." However, when I looked out the opening towards the entrance, everything outside was bathed in a pink glow. I knew it really wasn't pink out there but I couldn't stop my brain from telling me it was, indeed, pink. Even as I walked out of the room I was half expecting to see pink!

The reaction of one of my friends on walking into the exhibit was to leave immediately as she felt a migraine headache coming on from the flickering of the flourescents. I understand completely because I also have migraines, but mine have no pain. My symptoms are beautiful art deco designs in intense black and white with flourescent colors intermingled.... a lot like Dan Flavin's flourescent tubes! While I suffer no pain, my life has to come to a standstill for half an hour... I can't walk, I can't drive, I can't work... until the lightshow comes to an end. I have often wished I could make art out of these visions but nothing comes close in paint. Seeing this exhibit brought to life what I see in my head. Maybe Mr. Flavin was blessed with migraines too?

The Arts in Latin America, 1492–1820
I can't say I was terribly excited about the prospect of seeing this exhibit, and for me, my expectations were met. However, from an historical aspect, it is an extensive show with examples of portraiture, metalwork, ceramics, statuary, etc., showing the breadth and depth of art in those various cultures over 300 years. Of course, the fact that art always plays such an important part in the development of any culture, or at least, that it tells us the story of that development, is in itself, worthy of interest.

I have to admit a prejudice surrounding this time period, concerning the fate of the indigenous peoples at the hands of Spain, and more specifically the Catholic church. Many years ago I remember seeing an exhibit at a museum in Tijuana, it may have been the Tijuana Cultural Center, I'm not sure. It was a chronology of Mexican arts from the days of the Aztecs through more modern times. In that exhibition you saw, upon the arrival of the Conquistadors, a total and abrupt change in the art, as if one civilization ended one morning and the other replaced it in the afternoon. It was a disturbing notion and one I have never forgotten. So as I was viewing the LACMA exhibit I couldn't help thinking about all the culture that went before, that was totally wiped out. Not entirely because of the Spanish and the Catholic church, I realize, but mostly.

Several years ago I took a class on the Inca civilization. I was impressed by the fact that there was little remaining in the way of Inca decoration because a good deal of it was worked in gold which the Europeans took and melted down for use in their own religious buildings in Spain and Italy. I wouldn't have minded so much if they had stolen it intact so we could still see it in all it's original glory, but to melt it down because it was insignificant or sacreligious to the European way of thinking..... aaaghhhh.

I was impressed by the movie Apocalytpo (had decided not to see it for many reasons, but finally saw it out of curiosity and very glad I did). I won't write a review of it here, but I loved the ominous last scene where the Europeans are arriving (although wildly out of chronological context) as the Mayan couple flee into the jungle. (BTW, I didn't view that at all as the "Christian saviors" arriving, which I read in many reviews).

Well, that was my prejudice going into the LACMA exhibit... To set the record straight, I enjoy travelling through Europe and visiting the great cathedrals. I love all the artwork, architecture, costumes, exotic marbles, golden decorations... bring it on, I can't get enough... but that is in Europe (even though, as I stated above, a lot of that gold probably came from South America) and is appropriate for that culture. I have a hard time reconciling Aztecs, Mayans, the Inca, et al to the European artwork I saw in this exhibit. Enough said.

(All photos on this blog page are copyright the Los Angeles County Museum of Art www.lacma.org)

Boxes and Boxes and Boxes of Tiles

Sunday, July 22, KL, KJ and I visited Classic Tile and Mosaic, 3221 S. La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016 (between Jefferson and Washington) for the annual sale, open to the public. This is usually a to-the-trade-only showroom and I have been attempting to go to the sale for the past couple of years, but always seemed to be busy on that weekend. It was worth the wait. Hundreds of boxes of tiles lined the parking lot with plenty more inside. Some of the tables were labeled, "Take everything on this table for $1,000." It was tempting! KJ, who is in the process of tiling the steps at her front door, bought a ton of tiles. Really nice ones, I can't wait to see the final result. I limited myself to one $10 tile. I fell in love with its colors and art deco style.Even if you are not planning to redecorate your house in tile, just seeing all the available styles and patterns is fun. But don't forget your hat. The next public sale will be July 2008, so either check their website or jot down the phone number for next year. 310.287.0142.

(All photos on this blog copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Laguna Beach Festival of Arts

The last time I attended this art show was in 2001. I recall most of the art being too high end for my taste, nothing really appealed to me that much. So when GZ suggested we should go this year, I had some trepidation, but decided to go on the basis that things change and maybe this year I would be more interested.

Pictured at left is the delightful Tivoli Terrace restaurant where we ate dinner. I had a most wonderful shrimp entree... yum yum. Early bird special from 4-5pm (which we missed by minutes). I felt like I was back in Italy. Highly recommended, but a little pricey.

The festival runs from July 1st - August 31st. We picked Friday, July 20, and started with the Sawdust Arts and Crafts Festival down the street from the main event, which was okay, but could have been missed.

As soon as we entered the Festival of Arts I knew I was in for a treat. Exhibit after exhibit proved to be worthy of my attention. I could have taken many pieces home with me (except for the price tags, of course.) For this blog I picked five artists that I especially liked. However, there were more I could have chosen. I should also say there were many I didn't particularly care for, but on balance I felt this show had definitely improved since my last visit.

The following are in alphabetical order.

Marlo Bartels. Functional sculpture. Whimsical, magical ceramic mosaics. Absolutely charming and definitely my cuppa tea.

David P. Cooke. I almost left him off my list when I discovered he didn't have a website. Aaaagh, in this day and age how could a visual artist not have a web presence???? However, you can see one of his paintings listed on the Festival of Arts site here. I liked his bold images with dark undertones. These are not pretty pictures but have a sense of grinding real life. I often associate music with art and in this case I could hear a Tom Waits CD playing in the background of my mind.

W. Bradley Elsberry. I'm not usually a fan of landscapes, especially photographic/realistic ones. But I have to make an exception in this case. His paintings are almost surrealistic in their realism (you have to see them in person to understand what I'm saying). The painting that particularly attracted my attention was the one on his homepage, and it is huge. My only gripe about the gallery on his website is that the dimensions of the pieces are not listed and the images cannot be enlarged.

Molly Hutchings. Her website isn't terribly professional-looking but her artwork is amazing. I can't believe these are actually paintings and not collages. As I love Japanese Washi paper, how could I not love these?

Michael Situ. His painting of the Casino building at Avalon on Catalina Island caught my eye. This subject is a cliche, but the way he has dealt with it gives it a fresh look. Click on Paintings, then on #23. See how he has used the pier in shadow in the foreground to lead your eye to the Casino building in the background. Perfect!

Yachiyo Beck. Exquisite renditions of "still lifes" with wonderfully textured backgrounds. I'm attracted to architecture and these paintings are designed with an architectural quality which reminds me of the wall decorations at Pompeii.

We stayed for the Pageant of the Masters which you have to see to believe. It is incredible and worth seeing once. But as this was my second time in six year... and third over a lifetime... not something I need to do ever again.

(All photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Skateboarder Destruction
This makes me sick. The Culver Theatre (now the Kirk Douglas since 2005) has been around since 1947. One of its marvelous attributes is the wonderful marble terrazzo floors in pristine condition just as they were originally designed (except for one small patching job). They are a work of art and typical of the entrances to movie theatres of that era and earlier. I've always loved showing this terrazzo pavement to out of town visitors or on my architectural tours of Culver City.
But no more!
This is a recent photo of the pavement totally destroyed by skateboarders! No, I did not personally see skateboarders wreak this havoc, but I have seen them perpetrating similar damage on other public artworks and public spaces around Culver City and Los Angeles. When I see skateboarders in the process of tearing up public property I try to explain to them what they are doing, but they only come back the next day to further inflict their misery.
How could this terrazzo have survived for 60 years only to suffer this fate now? I am heart broken to see this.
The worst part is the skate boarding population seems to be exploding and I am seeing more of this kind of damage all the time.
(All photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Islamic Ceramic Tile Collection
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
I was cruising around on the LACMA website and came upon the online Islamic Ceramic Tile Collection. There are 91 tiles which you can enlarge in the viewer for close inspection. 11th Century to 19th Century. Of course, LACMA has other online collections you can look at. I'll be checking out other museum websites to seek out more tiles.

Friday in the Poppies

One of my latest tiles, this was inspired by a trip to the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve spring of 2005 to view the poppy fields. You can see this tile and the photo that inspired it, by clicking here.

Second Annual Culver City Art Walk
Although I had participated in the Culver City Art Group expedition of the Culver City galleries on Washington and La Cienega some weeks previously, I decided to go with a couple of friends on the Culver City Art Walk June 2 in the hopes of finding something new, different and exhilarating.
We met at MODAA (The Museum of Design Art and Architecture) which I had not visited before... a nice, large, open space, ideal for fairly large pieces. I liked the Brad Howe exhibit which reminded me of colorful beach towels.
Showing across the street at Lab 101 was my favorite artist of the day, Joshua Krause. All the time I was looking at the mixed media pieces I felt a very strong feminine vibe, quite a surprise when I discovered the artist was male. I really enjoyed the strong curves, curls and swirls he uses in his work, along with the connect-the-dots trails. His work would translate well to ceramic tiles... I was inspired. As Picasso said, Good artists copy but Great artists steal. Hmmmm.
I can't say there was any other artwork on Washington that appealed to me. But it was interesting to see the different sizes, shapes and styles of the galleries themselves, some just little holes in the wall, some quite spacious.
On La Cienega, at the George Billis Gallery, I fell in love with Josh Dorman's paintings on antique maps. What a brilliant concept. Obviously he has a love of maps and follows their contours and grids to give them new life with his designs.
We made it all the way to the end of the galleries at Venice Blvd. If you read my blog about the art group walk, you know the last time I did this trek was right after surgery. Thinking back on that, it was pretty stupid to do the walk so soon and I was in a lot of pain as the combination of drugs had affected my kidney area. So this trip was much more enjoyable.
I generally don't like to be in the midst of crowds of people. It was pretty much elbow to elbow out there on the street and we skipped a couple of galleries because they were jammed even at the doorway. But it was great to see so many people had turned out for this event. I doubt this is the kind of thing that generates revenue for the galleries as I imagine most of the walkers either couldn't or wouldn't buy artwork (I didn't see Donald Trump in the crowds...but then, I don't know if he buys artwork anyway), however, it does prove that the art scene is alive and well in LA, and for that the galleries must be happy.

Ballona Wetlands Artists WalkI am really behind with writing this blog, too many things going on, both unexpected and planned. It always seems like the less I try to do, the busier I get. Unfortunately, the opposite is not true!
Tuesday afternoon, May 29, a group of artists and environmental leaders met at Titmouse Park in Playa del Rey for a walkabout in the Saltwater Ballona Wetlands. I have previously walked through the Freshwater Marsh at Culver and Lincoln (including the areas behind the fence that the general public does not get to see) so I was curious to see what the Saltwater counterpart looked like. This area is pretty much "au naturel" in comparison to the Freshwater, part of which has been landscaped and planted.
I was able to get some good shots of cottonwood trees, lupins and other bushes and plants which I'll use for future tile designs in my Ballona Wetlands Series. As we walked around to the Ballona Creek side, we could see many White Egrets and Great Blue Herons in their habitat. There is nothing like seeing these graceful five-foot birds swoop through the air. I got a couple of good heron shots as they were wading and dipping in the water.
Like the bus trip I took a few weeks ago through the auspices of the Ballona Network, this was another attempt to motivate artists to contribute to the auction September 9. If you are an artist, and would like to use your creative talents to help with the "greening" of Los Angeles, contact Jeanette Vosburg at jeanette.vosburg@ballonanetwork.org. You can also take a look at the art gallery from last year's auction. Happy creating!

Hand-Painted Tile Class

Yes, I'm teaching again at Westside Extension at West Los Angeles College.

Decorative ceramic tiles have been in use for thousands of years and are just as popular today for a myriad of uses. Hand-painted tiles can be used for trivets, jewelery boxes, mirror frames, table tops and for installing on kitchen and bathroom walls.

Ceramic tile painting is easy, even if you have no artistic flair. I will show you all the steps and will provide patterns for those who wish to use them. Learn painting and drawing techniques and how to glaze the tiles. You’ll make one tile each week which I will fire for you in a kiln. Once fired, your artwork cannot deteriorate like a painting.

Returning students will learn more advanced techniques. Learn how to turn your favorite vacation photos or pet snapshots into lasting keepsakes.

Bring a container for water, a blow dryer (optional) and don't wear your best clothes!

Course #457 Hand-Painted Ceramic Tiles

Class fee $49 with $15 material fee payable to instructor first class

2 Saturdays: 9 am-12:30 pm , June 23 & 30

You can sign up here, my class is at the BOTTOM of the page!

Or call West Los Angeles College at (310) 287-4475

Forces of Nature: A Feminine Perspective Group Show of the Venice Art Forum

Exhibition runs from May 19 - June 8, 2007
Sparc Gallery is pleased to present new artwork by The Venice Art Forum Forces of Nature: A Feminine Perspective at SPARC Gallery is a a group show of the Venice Art Forum.The work in the exhibition explores the internal and external aspects of life force energy and how the inner and outer natures parallel one another.The exhibition includes thematic works that express mysterious nature abstractions, meditations on imaginary landscape, vivid realistic portrayals to spontaneous expression in paint & color.Venice Art Forum is a group of Los Angeles artists that share the values of inner exploration and spiritual transformation as an essential component of their art. The group of artists, facilitated by Linda Jacobson, share a desire to communicate their love ot the natural world and the mysterious life force energy that lies behind it.The show features the work of: Sepi Banibashar, Ciya, Lynn Dennison, Carole Garland, Barbara Golbin, Linda Jacobson, Michael Lande, Regine Legler, Melissa Reischman and Jean Wolff.The group has shown together in many exhibitions including previous shows at SPARC Gallery, Available Light, The Rose Cafe , and the Gallery IV in Downtown Los Angeles. For further information about Venice Art Forum please contact Linda Jacobson.

Okay, okay, enough of that. I went on opening night to support my friend Barbara Golbin. We have known each other since the day of the "Northridge Earthquake" of 1994. We live in Culver City but the quake reached that far (West Los Angeles). She was the only one in our condo complex (at least on our floor in our building) who had electricity, who knows why? Several of us congregated in her apartment. The first thing I noticed were the watercolors on her walls. Are you an artist, I asked, as I just knew they had to be her paintings.

To cut a very long story short, we became friends. I have since moved out of that complex but we still do a lot of art-related things together and I am an admirer of her artwork. I really liked her earlier work but as the years have gone by I see her improving immensely. Her current series of work is exquisite and definitely deserves a gallery show. Let me say, I really personally prefer more abstract or "mystical" types of artwork. But for the still life genre, especially her flowers, I cannot say enough about her work. This current French linen series reminds me of Matisse. I love it. Go see the show.

Tunisian Mosaics, Treasures From Roman Africa

My review of this wonderful book is now posted on Amazon!

Tile Store AdventureToday KJ and I, intrepid adventurers that we are, braved the treacherous rain-soaked streets of Los Angeles on our quest for the wild tile! For those of you who do not live in Southern California, or who have never visited here on a rainy day, let me explain that driving the rain slick streets of LA is not for the weak at heart. Southern Californians (that is, anybody who has lived here for a year or longer) DO NOT know how to drive in less than clement weather. Therefore, the decision had to be made, do we postpone our long laid plans to shop for tiles or do we take a deep breath and go anyway? As it is my experience that postponed plans quickly fall into the category of plans never realized, we decided to take the plunge.

I am so glad we decided to go to Mortarless Building Supply Company which was recommended by a friend of KJ's. At first glance I was not sure this was going to be the place to find any good tiles. I was expecting something a little more polished and organized. But when we stepped into the main room it was obvious we would find some treasures. After all, I feel more comfortable in places like this that tend to be on the ramshackle side, totally unpretentious (and totally dedicated to tiles).

KJ is tiling her back porch steps (for now). I have been contemplating ripping out my ancient and tattered carpet in the living room, replacing it with hardwood or laminated wood, and decorating the transitions between wood and tile floors (at the foyer and dining area) with threshholds of 4" decorative tiles. This turned out to be my day to make that decision with no turning back. I bought 36 tiles, no two alike. Now all I have to do is decide which tiles go where. When I arrived home I placed the tiles on the carpet, along with the wood samples that have been sitting there for weeks, and I already like the look. I've been told my place looks like an Alpine Chalet, so now it's Alpine by way of Mexico.

My friend was able to find several designs that, after a lot of back and forth between the two of us, look really good together. I don't know if I confused her or helped her, but I think the final project will look spectacular. The employees at the tile store were all very helpful. If you can't find enough tiles in the right pattern they will either search their inventory or order some (but that could be a long wait). We both left feeling happy with our purchases. I'm sure I will be back there for my next tile project.... maybe the deck?

Mortarless Building Supply Company
Handcrafted Ceramic and Clay Tiles
2707 Fletcher Dr, LA 90039
323.663.3291

(All photos on this blog copyright Roslyn M Wilkins and not to be used without permission.)

Tile Two Years in the Making

In 2005 I took a trip to Italy with my friend JM. Fortunately, she is a very adventurous lady and we were able to leave the group and find our own way around on many occasions. This was one of them. While the others paid an exhorbitant amount of money to visit one island at Lake Maggiore, three of us took off on our own and for much less money were able to get to three places, including Pescatori, where I took this photo. For two years I thought about this photo, and finally it all came together and I was able to paint the tile. So here is the tile and the original photo. I already see another version of this and can't wait to get started. But I have to clean up the house today so it will have to wait.

(All designs and photos on this blog copyright Roslyn M Wilkins and not to be used without permission.)

Latest Ballona Wetlands Marsh Series Tile

Just back from the kiln, my latest Ballona Wetlands inspired hand-painted ceramic tile. 6" x 6".

I may do a series with sunsets as the theme.

(All designs and photos on this blog copyright Roslyn M Wilkins and not to be used without permission.)

Pillow Talk: Small Comforts In Hard Times

I have known Linda Jacobson since the late 80s/early 90s when I felt the need to return to making art after an abstinence of over 20 years. I took several of her courses at UCLA on creativity and spirituality in art. At the time I didn't have a clue what "spirituality in art" meant, but after many years, I do have a tiny clue.

Last night a couple of friends and I attended the reception for Pillow Talk at the Ruth Bachofner Gallery at Bergamot Station Art Center in Santa Monica where Linda is exhibiting a painting. From the press release: "The term “pillow talk” refers to a private, often intimate, conversation. Much of art is a form of pillow talk – an intimate dialogue between the artist, the materials and the intent/concept of the work. This intimate conversation is then sold as a product. The private becomes public. “Pillow Talk” is in conjunction with the Southern California Women’s Caucus for Art’s celebration of the significant influence of women artists on contemporary art."

Or, as Linda put it: "How we as women and artists comfort ourselves in these difficult times."

As I have stated on many occasions, I feel the purpose of viewing art is not necessarily to like what you are looking at. It is always amazing to me the variety of thought and creativity that comes out of different artists' visions of a singular subject. Some of the artists took the subject literally and created interpretations of pillows, others, anything but. I can't say there were many pieces that grabbed my attention. Nothing to which I had an emotional response. I liked Linda's contribution, "Sacred Altar," which is by the front door of the gallery and probably my favorite piece in the exhibit. Maybe because I am familiar with her work and therefore, in my comfort zone. As with all her paintings, it is "Other-worldly." Ah, I've said that about Katherine Kean's work too, but I identify with that. Their work is totally different, yet I make that connection between them, which I will call the physical manifestation of the spiritual.

There were 87 artists in the exhibit which may have been a mistake. If each artist invited ten friends... well, you get the picture. It was SO crowded and SO noisy, I did one spin around the room and left the cacaphonous gallery for the peace and fresh air outside. I don't do well in crowded situations anymore. Perhaps if I went back another day with an empty room I might view the exhibit in an entirely different way. But I won't have that luxury, so this is my memory.

We wandered over to the Track 16 Gallery. I was interested by the work exhibited by Mondongo, an Argentinian art trio, comprised of Agustina Picasso, Manuel Mendanha, and Juliana Laffitte. The best pieces were the Red Riding Hood tales which looked like mosaics but, as it was pointed out to me, were actually made with plasticine, one of my favorite play things as a child. I am always fascinated when artists use materials I would never think of using to make art. All those hours, days and weeks I spent molding objects with plasticene... I should have taken photos of my creations.

Ballona Network Bus Tour

I just returned home from the second annual Ballona Network bus tour of the Ballona watershed organized by Jeanette Vosburg. The purpose of the tour was to see and learn about our unique Ballona Watershed and efforts to restore and recreate nature in Los Angeles. The invitation for the tour was extended to elected officials, artists, activists and all nature lovers. For those of us who are artists, the idea was to inspire us to create art influenced by what we see and hear during the day. As well as the views from the bus window and the places we visited, we were treated to guest speakers working on various environmental projects around LA.

I have been an avid environmentalist for most of my adult life, have been active in several Sierra Club groups for 30 years as newsletter editor, hike leader, bartender, table sitter, etc etc etc. and I am an artist. What better way to use my artwork than to let it work for environmental issues? Last year I was able to donate four tiles to the art auction held for the benefit of the Ballona Network (see end of this blog).

One of Jeanette's themes is that we have to help the politicians understand what is important to us, the voting public. If we don't speak up, how can they know what we want? Makes sense to me. Do you want more natural areas or do you want more concrete? The developers want more concrete and have no problem letting the politicians know with nice contributions to their campaigns. Those of us who care about keeping the environment green, need to be more vociferous so the politicians will have to take notice.

As you may know, there is a lot of activity these days focusing on the revitalization of the LA River, discussions and plans about parks, trails, recreation, nature areas, neighborhoods, community development, tourism, civic pride, etc. because of Councilman Ed Reyes. We need another Ed Reyes to champion Ballona Creek. I used to bicycle along Ballona Creek regularly. I was really apalled by all the styrofoam cups, shopping carts, plastic bags and other debris in the channel. I really don't believe 99% of the population realizes that if they throw trash in the street it will end up in the creek, and then the ocean. And probably don't care... that's the sad part.

But back to the bus tour. We drove up the 405 freeway to Franklin Canyon off Mullholland Drive. We visited here last year and of course my vows to drive up on my own during the year did not come to fruition. A truly beautiful and peaceful spot. As soon as I got on the bus I checked to make sure I had brought the new battery for my digital camera, and oh no, I had brought the battery but left the memory card sitting in my computer at home! Devastation! Fortunately I was able to borrow a film camera from a friend who came on the trip. But in the meantime, here is a photo of Franklin Canyon from last year's trip.
Later we stopped along the LA River. (As an aside I'll have to post some photos of the storm drain caps painted as cat faces under the direction of Leo Limón, from a walk I did with the Sierra Club some years ago, but that's a whole other story.) It was a break in the concrete channel as we know it, with trees, plants and ducks... a vision of what the LA River could look like if enough people cared. Just a little way down at the bend is the area where there could possibly be a wetlands area in the planning stages. As if on cue a Great Blue Heron flew above the trees on the opposite bank of the river. But I was not fast enough with the camera. What I learned was that instead of trying to restore the entire river, it makes more sense to do small areas like this one.

We visited several other areas including driving by the reservoir in Silverlake, stopping in Kenneth Hahn Park, driving along the new construction of the Baldwin Overlook off Jefferson (I can see that progressing from my deck), walking along the path above the Ballona Freshwater Marsh, viewing the last remaining dunes at Playa del Rey (these are threatened with development???? How crazy can things get?) and driving alongside the Ballona Saltwater Marsh.

The bus trip ended too soon.

Last year I took the excellent interpretive walking tour of the Freshwater Marsh which is offered by the Friends of Ballona Wetlands (a different organization) on the second and fourth Saturday of each month. My photos from that walk inspired the tiles I donated to the Ballona Network auction.

This year I have promised myself to take the Saltwater Marsh tour offered on the second Sunday of each month.

The art auction for Ballona Network will be on September 9th. I will be cruising the sparkling waters of the Aegean Sea then, but still intend to donate artwork for the event. Anybody can participate, and later on I will give details.

(All photos on this blog copyright roslyn m wilkins and not to be used without permission.)

TAG (The Artists' Gallery) in Santa Monica

Saturday evening we attended the opening reception at TAG (2903 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404) for a friend, Katherine Kean. Also exhibiting were Anne M. Bray and Carol Kleinman.

I always enjoy Katherine's work which she describes as "memories, dreams and visions." Her paintings have an other-worldly quality which take me on journeys of the imagination... disquieting, yet peaceful and safe, all at the same time. The photo here shows Katherine in the center surrounded by her paintings.

The inset painting of the field of sunflowers (which I couldn't quite squeeze into the photo) is my favorite from this exhibit. I have always loved sunflowers. My mother is from Argentina and made sure we always had sunflowers growing in our garden in England. Of course, Van Gogh's sunflowers have a special appeal for me. Katherine, as always, has her own spin on this subject, not the bright, sunny scene we might expect, but one of mystery. I was especially taken by the one sunflower that refuses to conform and turns its back to the viewer, either out of mischieviousness, or perhaps saying to the other sunflowers, hey guys, let's make a run for it! Or perhaps just wanting to drink in the view for itself.

One of the other artists, Anne M. Bray, showed some landscapes in pastel. I was particularly interested in the sunset over the Nevada desert. Rough, dark storm clouds contrast with the smooth sweep of the foreground hills depicted in rich browns. A line of blue/grey mountains divides the foreground hills from the sky which occupies three quarters of the landscape.

Unfortunately, the TAG website, which is supposed to be at www.tagtheartistsgallery.com, is not currently in operation. But give it a try anyway, maybe it will be back one of these days.

(All photos on this blog copyright roslyn m wilkins and not to be used without permission.)

Tim Hawkinson at the Getty Center

Whether you are a Tim Hawkinson fan (I am) or have never heard of him before, it's worth the effort to see his Überorgan installation in the atrium lobby at the Getty Center. This is a wondrously organic conglomeration of balloons, hoses and horns which floats about your head as you walk in the entrance. We were fortunate enough to arrive (on Saturday around 2:00) just as the "music" started (for five minutes on the hour). I put the word music in quotes for a reason which you will discover when you hear it. The piece of art itself and the music puts a smile on everybody's face.

After enjoying the organ, we went in search of the rest of the exhibit. We found it in a small room in the basement. Having seen the immense show of his work at LACMA two years ago, this was a little disappointing, but I realize this was just a sideline to the main event.

We also drifted into "A Place in the Sun: Photographs of Los Angeles" by John Humble. I've seen a lot of photo exhibits of LA and after a while they all look alike, after all, how many times can you photograph the corner liquor store and the LA River. But this was pretty good. With his artist's eye he looked at some pretty awful landscapes and made them spectacular. Truly, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Another great day at the Getty. The only downer was the parking. Just making a left turn off Sepulveda was a major achievement, only to face the traffic jam snailing its way to the kiosk. With all the engineering and design resources available to the Getty, how did they end up with this mess? We expected to see a mob of people at the museum but it was not that bad once inside. Next time, we just have to arrive earlier.

I believe now I am Getty'd out for a while, I don't need to visit either the Villa or the Center for the next few months.

Stories in Stone at the Getty Villa: Visits 2 and 3

I attended the gallery course at the Getty Villa on March 21 in conjunction with the Stories in Stone exhibit which I had previously seen. In the morning there were three speakers on different topics including a general history of mosaics (while interesting, I could easily have delivered this talk myself), current mosaics (with Lillian Sizemore, a working mosaic artist herself), and some insight into the conservation of mosaics in Tunisia and how the exhibit was brought to Los Angeles. A real treat was a visit to the conservation lab where the head of the department was preparing a new backing for a large mosaic using techniques and materials used in the aerospace industry. Similarly, in the exhibit there is a display of dental tools which are used in conserving the mosaics on site... next time my dentist is invading my mouth I'll just try to think of myself as a mosaic... As it was, I did have a dental appointment that afternoon so after listening to a docent's talk on the exhibit, I ended the day stuck in traffic on Wilshire Blvd. in a desperate attempt to get to Beverly Hills on time. That certainly spoiled the tranquility of another day at the Getty Villa.

But I was back that Sunday with another friend in tow. Everybody's favorite mosaic in the exhibit seems to be Oceanus (third century). It is an amazing mosaic, more so everytime I have seen it in person. More amazing is seeing the photograph of it in context with the mosaic work that surrounded it. As I have mentioned elsewhere, until recently archaeologists thought the right thing to do was to remove the figurative portions of the mosaic for safekeeping in museums, leaving the surrounding, usually more geometric designs, to rot. So in the museum, not only do you not see the mosaics intact but totally out of any kind of architectural context. Fortunately, the light bulb went on some years ago and now the policy is to leave mosaics in situ as much as possible, sometimes even covering them with the local soil to bury them for posterity after documentation.

This exhibit closes April 30 and the mosaics return to their homeland. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to see them three times.

Culver City Art Group Walks the Culver City Art Galleries

Seven members of the Culver City Art Group met at The LAB 101 gallery on March 17 for an informal walk along Washington Blvd and La Cienega to visit the art galleries that have popped up in the last couple of years. (Much has been written about this area recently, so I won't go into that, but a good article can be found here if you are so inclined: Art of the new. How a previously industrial area in Culver City morphed into the latest gallery hotspot.)

I was still feeling a little woozy from oral surgery a couple of days before, but decided to go anyway, rather than spend the day on the sofa. Whenever I push myself to do something I have made a commitment to do, I always feel better that at least I gave it a try! And this try turned into visiting at least 15 galleries along Washington Blvd. and La Cienega Blvd. The thing I enjoy about visiting galleries is not the satisfaction of seeing a lot of artwork that I necessarily love and admire, it is more the variety of creativity on view.

At Lab 101 I was fascinated by the work of Andy Howell. I am always attracted to collages and I liked the juxtaposition of grotesque faces with the fancifully-patterned backgrounds in the exhibition “I Wish I Was Here.”

At Corey Helford the walls of the showroom were eerily decorated with rubbery arms extending out of swooping black drapes. This was appropriate for the David Stoupakis exhibit, "Sheep Will Follow." Paintings of dead children or just ghastly dolls? Creepy in a wonderfully amusing way. And beautifully framed. I am always aware of the choices of framing, as the right or wrong decision can enhance or detract dramatically from a piece.
We visited a few more galleries with nothing particularly interesting to me (which doesn't mean it wouldn't strike someone else's fancy).

Then at d.e.n. contemporary, Carlos Estrada-Vega's "About 4,000 Paintings" caught my attention. Each painting is comprised of tens to hundreds of individual squares or rectangles of varying depths, made of different colors and hues from his own mixture of limestone dust and pigment. At first it seems like a simple concept, one of those, "why didn't I think of that," ideas. But really quite complicated when you look at each piece closely.

At Blum & Poe, we walked into Sam Durant’s “Scenes From the Pilgrim Story: Myths, Massacres and Monuments.” Yep, that’s right. We couldn’t decide if it had been stolen from the Natural History Museum, was a put on, or somebody was serious about it being a work of art. Think a 70s presentation of what it meant to be a Pilgrim in wall plaques and vignettes, and you got it. Well, at least I remembered it.

At the George Billis Gallery, I was particularly struck by one painting of a 76 gas station with a dried-up palm tree in the foreground and a dinosaur in the background, everything suffocating in thick brown smog. Unfortunately there is no artist attribution on the website so I will never know who painted it. Interestingly, as a nod to the sudden hipness of Culver City, they have their address listed as Culver City with an LA address. Although the galleries along La Cienega are actually located in the city of Los Angeles, it is now considered part of the “cool” Culver City gallery neighborhood.

I believe it was about here the lack of Vicodin and antibiotics caught up with me. End of tour, to be completed another day.

I would encourage anybody who is an artist or has an interest in art to make the effort to stroll around current art galleries, whether it be in Culver City, the Melrose area in West Hollywood, downtown LA, etc. Take a friend and have a conversation about the art you are seeing… good or bad, it’s always interesting and stimulating.

(All photos on this blog copyright roslyn m wilkins and not to be used without permission.)

Los Angeles Conservancy March Mosaic Tour

The LA Conservancy is partnering with the J. Paul Getty Museum to celebrate mosaic in Los Angeles in conjunction with "Stories in Stone: Conserving Mosaics of Roman Africa." (See previous blog.) Among other activities, LAC is sponsoring a self-driving tour on Sunday, March 25. the tour will include Watts Towers, St. John's Episcopal Church and the Birth of Liberty at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. For more information go to the Los Angeles Conservancy website.

Another event, which was sold out to the general public when I attempted to sign up initially, is the Wednesday, March 21 Gallery Course at the Getty Villa. As a Conservancy member I was able to sign up for that today. Oh joy!!

I was a docent for the LAC for 15 years and enjoyed every moment of it. Unfortunately, when I decided to go back to school and devote more time to my artwork, along with still working fulltime and other obligations, some things had to go, and this was one of them. I'm hoping some time in the near future I can once again put on my tour-giving hat for the Conservancy...

Sister City Tiles at Vets in Culver City

Culver City has a plethora of Sister Cities, at least five, including: Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico; Kaizuka, Japan; Iksan City, South Korea; Lethbridge, Canada; and Yanji City, Jilin, China. The first four of these were honored on March 3, 2007, with the unveiling of ceramic tiles painted with scenes relating to those places. The tiles were painted by Lori Escalera, who was the founding president of the Culver City Art Group and has other public artwork around the city. The tiles are being installed at the Veteran's Building (at the corner of Culver Blvd. and Overland) on the doors of rooms named after these sister cities.


At left: Artist Lori Escalera with Mayor Gary Silbiger and the Uruapan tiles.

As a tile painter/artist myself, I really enjoyed the speech Lori gave about art as function. Here are a few snippets:

"I would like to address the idea of some that “Artwork may be diminished by its relationship to function.” History proves that art and functionality go hand in hand. It has provided artists with gainful wage, and survival - beginning with cave art, which functioned as a practical method to focus society on a fruitful hunt. In the Renaissance, artwork was a guild business as religious leaders communicated to the masses of spiritual interests and wealthy patrons needed portraits to record and exhibit their prestige. In the 17th, 18th and 19th century artists were hired as illustrators for secular business advertising.

However following the Industrial Revolution there was a clear understanding that artists needed to relate aesthetics to ugly massed produced goods. A true movement of function integrated with art emerged by the 20th century... Work again emerged for artists as they were hired to progandize modern war and politics. I wonder if anyone realizes in the 21st century, how “Public Art Ordinances” service the artist as a viable business [as a] functional reaction to damage caused from urban development. Proving again, combining art with function enhances the world humans inhabit. Art that is remembered throughout history IS tied to function.

It is only a very contemporary idea that art may exist without function – as a sole means of human creativity. But if we look at modern life we see that mankind finally has the leisure time to contemplate his naval - for the sheer fact that it is there. Man is not constantly consumed by survival mode.

...enjoy artwork. Do not shy away from controversy over art. Do not think that art can only be an emotional experience or an intellectual one. We are humans given two separately functioning brain hemispheres that may work together for different reasons at different times. The more art stimulates us in passion and intellect the more successful it is."

(All photos on this blog copyright roslyn m wilkins and not to be used without permission.)

Skin + Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture

This afternoon BG and I visited the Skin + Bones exhibit at MOCA. I have wanted to see this since it first opened in November of last year. Living in LA has one giant disadvantage (everybody knows about the traffic so that doesn't count anymore): There Are Too Darn Many Things To Do! Yesterday I remembered this exhibit was closing imminently (next weekend to be exact). I don't mind doing things like this on my own, but it's always nicer to have company. So I emailed BG who works in the fashion industry, and as I have a background in architecture, what better combination to view this exhibit together.

I am a MOCA member and as I am not a big fan of much of their art, every year I threaten to cancel my membership. But just as I decide to do that, something like this comes along and I realize why they need my support. So, okay MOCA, you suckered me for another year, just in the nick of time, as usual.

From beginning to end this exhibit is well-designed, thoughtful and fun. I was hooked at the entrance with several mannequins (or is that womannequins, maybe not...) in a circle dressed in ever-increasingly covered-up outfits, the final mannequin looking like her head was popping up out of a sofa. In fact, many of the styles looked like people wearing sofas. Hey, this would be fine with me and I could probably get a discount as I already have the padding.... One video display showed models removing chair covers and turning them into dresses as they put them on. Very clever.

I was particularly impressed with the idea of showing floorplans of buildings alongside patterns for clothing. As BG noted, it's all about engineering. One theme in the exhibit is how much modern architecture (in particular) is akin to fashioning a dress with all the tucking, pleating and pinning of the architectural materials. Of course, Frank Gehry's Disney Concert Hall (across the street from MOCA) is front and center with that comparison.

This exhibit is large, visually overwhelming and not for the faint of heart. Two-thirds of the way through I felt dizzy and wondered if my vision had suddenly changed. I took off my glasses in the hope that not seeing everything so clearly might help, and strangely, it did. (Note to self: remember I am not in my twenties anymore and weird things happen!) So I made it through to the end and happy I did, although I did not see one dress made out of ceramic tiles which I thought was clearly a missed opportunity.

So now my question is, which came first? Did the early humans start making shelters first (and I don't mean diving into a cave when it rained or standing under a tree to get out of the sun)? Or was a piece of clothing the first item of industry? I feel as though it must have been the latter, and once they got the hang of making clothing, extended it to housing. Perhaps starting with a patio right outside the cave for a summer barby???

So much art makes one hungry so we drove back to Culver City and stopped at the Cafe Brasil on Venice Blvd. just west of Overland across from Culver Center (and officially in Los Angeles, I believe, although Culver City and Los Angeles do the tango for several miles along that stretch, so it hardly matters). There is a nice blog here about Cafe Brasil which says it all as well as I can. BG ordered the flank steak and I had the Picante Catfish. Whenever catfish is on the menu there is no other choice for me. Catfish is really good or really bad, there is no in between. Fortunately, this restaurant happens to do catfish excellently. Along with everything else, including a good cup of Brazilian coffee with a crystallized sugar swizel stick that I can't resist.

So, another day, another adventure, comes to an end.