ATM: Art, Tiles, Mosaics... an adventure in creativity

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.