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)
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