Art Talk

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Up Close and Personal: Your Only Chance May 12, 2010

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One of the guilty pleasures of being an art critic is having the chance to visit artists in their studios, ask questions, look at art closely, hear the stories, and - yes, smell the paint. When an artwork leaves the studio, the proverbial umbilical cord is cut; seen later - in a gallery or museum exhibition - the work continues to be appealing, but something is missing. And that something is the unique intimacy that only can be experienced by seeing the artwork in the midst of the creative chaos of an artist's studio.

If You Happen to Be in Manhattan or Santa Barbara May 05, 2010

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If I had the chance to be in New York today, the Christie's saleroom in Rockefeller Center would be the place I'd try to sneak into, to watch the high-profile sale of the outstanding private collection of Los Angeles philanthropist and collector Frances Brody. In spite of the state of the economy, this collection, with its truly amazing works by Matisse, Picasso, Braque, and Giacometti, among others, is expected to fetch at least $150 million....

On a Merry-Go-Round of Sacred and Profane Apr 28, 2010

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As expected, last week's program titled "Let Me Confess..." about the three churches I went rather spontaneously to on Sunday afternoon generated more responses than usual. One listener wrote: "Edward, you should do this sort of urban landscape confessional thing more often." And indeed, I'm planning to do just that. In response to my asking for your favorite house of worship here in Los Angeles and beyond - one you like for its art, architecture, and interior design - I received some very interesting suggestions and do hope to get even more, along with photographs you've taken. So in the weeks and months to come, I'll continue to travel around our City of Angels, following up on your suggestions, and then we can all participate in choosing LA's three most visually appealing houses of worship...

Let Me Confess... Apr 21, 2010

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Let me start by admitting that last Sunday I did something very...hmm, shall I say...unusual? It's not just that I went to church, but that in one afternoon I went to three churches. And I must confess that I went there not to pray or to hear a sermon, but just for the pleasure of it. It all started rather innocently...

From Chicago, with Dance and Art Apr 14, 2010

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The past week turned out to be challenging and very hard on some of my friends. It brought a trifecta of bad news, affecting them and their friends. I would probably still be singing the blues if not for the generous dollop of art and culture that I got last weekend...

Hidden in Plain Sight Apr 07, 2010

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Last week was special indeed. Most of my friends were busy celebrating either Passover or Easter, so I felt compelled to do something for my spirit as well. As my luck would have it, American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre was showing Andrei Rublev, the famous movie by avant-garde Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky telling the story of the 16th century Russian monk and artist whose frescoes and icons are among the most cherished treasures of Russian spiritual culture...

Expecting the Least, Getting the Most Mar 31, 2010

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For me, going to see an exhibition or a movie or a new play, it's always the same: the biggest surprise comes when I have no expectations, and the biggest disappointment occurs when, for whatever reason, I expect quite a lot. So when I went a couple of weeks ago to see selections from the private art collection of Greek billionaire Dakis Joannou at the New Museum in Manhattan, I thought I was in for a treat. After all, the exhibition was curated by none other than Jeff Koons...

Heaven and Hell in New York Mar 29, 2010

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It was a hell of a trip, at least the beginning of it: my morning flight to New York was delayed for three hours because of the storm there, and then...the flight was simply cancelled. Great. The only choice was to fly the next day or wait for another nine hours for a very slim chance at flying standby on the red-eye...

President Lincoln Speaks Again Mar 10, 2010

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Week after week may pass without any surprise while I'm dutifully visiting numerous gallery and museum exhibition. So you can understand why last week turned out to be particularly rewarding – I stumbled upon four good exhibitions, each appealing in its own way...

'American Stories' Beats Renoir's Tired Nudes Mar 03, 2010

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When I went to New York last December, I rushed to the Metropolitan Museum to see the exquisite small exhibition of 18th century French painter Antoine Watteau. It was the closing day of the show, and I expected it to be packed, but luckily for me, that was not the case. There was another show at the Met that Sunday that drew a big crowd: a sprawling display of American paintings telling stories of everyday life here, in this country of ours, from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries...

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