Art Talk

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What a Shame Feb 13, 2008

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Every time I see an artwork appear on the front page of the newspapers, my heart sinks, because I know: the news, most of the time, is not good. Today's headlines announce the brazen theft of four priceless works from a private museum in Zurich, Switzerland...

The Oscars, Hollywood and Art Jan 23, 2008

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This morning, when the Academy announced the Oscar nominations, all other front-page news -– the stock prices plunging, the gas prices rising –- seemed less important to me. Hey, after all, I live in LA, in close proximity to the gods and goddesses of Hollywood who, for almost a hundred years, have kept us enthralled in dark theaters across the world. They are the objects of our worship, inspiration, gossip, and ridicule. I can't resist quoting Frank Sinatra: "Call me irresponsible... tell me I'm impractical... throw in undependable too..." But today, I feel it would be appropriate to mention their less celebrated role as patrons of art who in the past have generously donated numerous artworks to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art...

Who Calls the Shots at LACMA? Jan 16, 2008

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It's been a week since the New York Times broke the story about Eli Broad's decision to retain permanent control of his foundation's art collection instead of gradually transferring its governance to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The arrangement between Mr. Broad and LACMA has always been rather vague...

I Wanna Wish You an 'Artsy' Christmas Dec 26, 2007

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What would A Christmas Day Art Talk be without Mr. Scrooge? His latest misdeed is a royal screw-up of a major cultural exchange between Russia and Great Britain. A few weeks before the opening in London of a blockbuster exhibition from the Hermitage and three other major museums, the Russians called it off...

Photos to Intimidate and Fall in Love With Dec 19, 2007

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There are a number of reasons why the remarkable photographs by Graciela Iturbide probably would not be used in an advertising campaign to lure tourists to Mexico. She works primarily in black and white, and neither the landscapes nor the people in her work appear to be particularly genteel. On the contrary, her powerful images tend to rattle and put you on guard, as if you had stumbled into a not yet explored physical and emotional territory connected to the ancient past...

The Very Good and Irresistably Kitschy Dec 12, 2007

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Surrender was the only option I had upon entering the festive photo installation by Jenny Okun at Craig Krull Gallery in Bergamot Station. Close to two hundred photographs cover the walls salon-style, from floor to ceiling, creating an enchanting visual equivalent of a merry-go-round. Most of the compositions are comprised of overlapping images of architectural and sculptural monuments, which the artist reassembles into dynamic and whimsical narratives. For my money, this is the jolliest exhibition of the holiday season, and one would be a Scrooge not to appreciate its charm and generosity of spirit...

China on My Mind Dec 05, 2007

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It's been more than three weeks since I returned from Beijing, but thoughts and impressions of it resurface on a daily basis. Friends and colleagues keep asking all sorts of questions about China, as if I had become an expert on the subject after being there for only nine days; but certainly, I did my best to keep my eyes, ears, and mind open as wide as possible. These days, the coverage of the Chinese contemporary art scene has spilled over from the pages of art magazines to such mainstream publications as Vanity Fair (December issue)...

Artists That Slash, Crash and Cuddle Nov 28, 2007

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If you've seen Gordon Matta-Clark's artwork -– even once -– you will remember the rush of adrenaline it sends through your veins. After all, this is an artist who loved to display the results of violence he perpetrated habitually against the objects of his desire. Think of all the gory scenes from Hollywood movies: knives plunging, bodies falling in slow motion... That's exactly what Gordon Matta-Clark did to abandoned buildings -– carving huge holes in their walls or slashing them with mind-boggling vertical cuts that plunge from top to bottom...

Chinese Lessons Nov 21, 2007

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Though the invitation to travel to Beijing came up only a couple of months ago, I was preparing myself for this trip – without even realizing it – for almost a year...

Art Explosion Inside Chinese Munitions Factory Nov 14, 2007

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Eight days in Beijing. Never been in Asia before. It's my first trip to China. Always felt slightly intimidated by the huge span of its history, by the intricacy and "otherness" of its culture. But here I am, among several dozen journalists from around the world, invited for the opening of the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, an ambitious and impressive undertaking, privately funded by Belgian collectors Guy and Myriam Ullens....

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