“LIT A.F., DUDE! “: SEEING THIS ICONIC L.A. ARTWORK NEVER GETS OLD!

Artist Robert Irwin’s wall of multi-colored fluorescent tube lights at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art serves as post-modernist … More

TRANSPARENT THINGS: THE MINIMALIST GLASS CUBE THAT TURNS THE WORLD RED!

Artist Larry Bell’s red, glass cubes at MOCA Los Angeles are a masterful use of color, materials and space. The … More

SO VIRAL IT’S SICK! VIDEO OF THE LINDA LINDAS PERFORMING “RACIST SEXIST BOY” DINGS INTERNET!

By now you may have heard of and seen the Los Angeles power-pop indie-punk band the Linda Linda’s. A YouTube … More

TRUE GRIT: SURFER-MUSICIAN’S VINTAGE, STICKER-FIED STATION WAGON

Would you drive this stickerfied vintage station wagon? We spotted this car parked along a remote stretch of Pacific Coast … More

CRYPTIC: HIPSTER-BEVERAGE GUERRILLA MARKETING AS STREET ART!

We saw this wheat-pasted poster on an electricity utility box on Fairfax Avenue in Hollywood on Monday. And we thought … More

BACK TO THE MUSEUM!: WE VISIT OUR FIRST EXHIBITION IN OVER A YEAR! PANDEMIC BE DAMNED!

On Monday we went to our first art exhibition in over a year. Our first since the start of the … More

STREET ART: SPEAK NO MONEY, SEE NO MONEY, HEAR NO MONEY!

This wonderful mural in Downtown Los Angeles is a visual play on the age-old proverb “Speak no evil, See no … More

LA LA LAND: INTERACTIVE DRIVE-BY PHOTO ARCHIVE OF EVERY BUILDING ON EVERY BLOCK OF SUNSET BLVD IN L.A.!

The Getty Museum has launched a website called 12 Sunsets that is a fascinating interactive archive of 65,000 photos taken … More

WTF!: YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHERE WE SPOTTED AN INFAMOUS NYC STREET ARTIST’S GRAFFITI TAG!

“Wow!” Just “Wow!” That’s what we exclaimed as we approached the stop at the T-intersection in our car. We were … More

KICKIN’ IT “OLD SKOOL”: GRAFFITI’S GRAFFITI IN DOWNTOWN L.A.

This gem of graffiti art references old-school graff writing style and tagging. It is striking and unusual with its combination … More

GOING BIGGER: “LOVE BERTO” DOMINATES FAUX-URBAN LANDSCAPE IN L.A.

Here’s another one of these abstract, geometric murals by the artist Berto, who usually signs his work “LoveBerto.” His massive … More

CATCHING THE “WAVE OF MATERIALS”: VIEWING ZHU JINSHI’S EPIC PAPER TUBE, DUDE!

Chinese artist Zhu Jinshi’s massive art installation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (or LACMA) is a giant, … More

THE ANTHONY BOURDAIN MURAL

The much-beloved American writer, television show presenter, foodie and former chef Anthony Bourdain passed away in June last year in … More

EPIC! MARK BRADFORD’S “160 PORTRAIT TONE”

This epic painting is by Los Angeles-based artist Mark Bradford. Its title is “160 Portrait Tone.” LACMA is showing the … More

ADDICTIONS: NEON SIGN PERFECTLY EXPRESSES COFFEE VICE

But first, coffee! Absofuckinlutely! Before anything, we need our espresso. In the summer, preferably four shots over lots of ice. … More

IS TAKASHI MURAKAMI ON DRUGS?

This massive hanging canvas by Takashi Murakami is like nothing else the Japanese artist has exhibited before or that we’ve … More

ARCHITORTURE: GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY, WHERE TOURISTS AND NERDS BEAUTIFULLY COLLIDE!

One of Los Angeles’s great landmarks is the Griffith Observatory, an architectural gem that mixes art-deco and Mayan aesthetics. It’s … More

SPRAY AND DESTROY

A massive collection of various brands and types of spray paint — tools of the trade for artists and creators, … More

STARSTRUCK: ALEC’S INEVITABLE MARILYN MONROE MURAL

The artist ALEC has made a career of street art and massive murals with images of pop-culture icons and celebrities … More

“IT’S JUST A ROCK” … REVISITING “LEVITATED MASS”

Artist Michael Heizer‘s awesome, infuriating, confounding and beautiful installation-art master work “Levitated Mass” on the north-side of LACMA in Los … More

CLOUDY: SKYWRITING “#AMERICA”

Look up in the sky! It’s … it’s a … it’s a hashtag! Yes, right there, in the air, under … More

WRIT LARGE: “PLZR” AT YOUR PLEASURE

This massive “PLZR” graffiti art across a row of roller-shutters is probably the only graffiti art or genuine street art … More

VEHICULAR: THE COBRA SNAKE VAN

Wait … what? The Cobra Snake van is parked on ultra-luxe Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, in Los Angeles? Actually … More

SUBLIME: MADE OF HAGOP

The street art of the artist who goes by the moniker Made of Hagop never ceases to impress us with … More

SNEAKERS : ARTIST DUMPS USED KICKS ON FLOOR, INSTANTLY CREATES CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED MASTERPIECE

Hey, you! Yes, YOU! You, the savvy reader of this blog. In case you did not know it, you are … More

SPACES: HIPSTER-MEXICO SURF CHIC

Salt Fish Surf Co is a surfy boutique in Venice, in Los Angeles, run by the effusive and friendly French … More

FASHION: BOXING PANDA T-SHIRT’S GOT GAME

Our colleague L. showing off a graphic t-shirt with the image of a boxing panda bear. How can you not … More

SHEPARD FAIREY IS EVERYWHERE YOU WANT TO BE

We were in Silver Lake, in Los Angeles, stopping by a popular espresso bar for a quick coffee, driving around … More

STREETSY: ARTWORK ON A BILLBOARD – WHEN CAPITALISM AND ART MAKE A BABY

Capitalism and art. They’re not the best of friends. Sometimes they look at each other with roiling contempt. The fact … More

SO EXTRA! SUPER STREETSY ALL-STAR STREET ART

Talk about piling on. We snapped this pic in the back alley (are there other kinds?) than runs behind row … More

ARCHITORTURE: WHEN DESIGN WENT GOOGIE-EYED

Architectural styles are subject to the tastes, fashion and trends of a given era. Some architecture stands the test of … More

QUIZZICAL: ART MUSEUM OR HOME DEPOT?

It’s quiz times once again, savvy readers! Look at these photos. Is this a Home Depot or an art museum? … More

LOLS: WILL FERRELL & JOEL MCHALE VISIT CONCEPTUAL ART EXHIBITION, HILARITY ENSUES

This is brilliant. In this short promotional video for the Hammer Museum of Art in Los Angeles, actor-comedians Will Ferrell … More

STREETSY: IS NEW BLACK-AND-WHITE PHOTO STREET ART BY JR OR JR WANNABE?

Hey, you know JR, right? The French street artist who has become something of a worldwide phenom over the past … More

NEEDS: A PALM TREE WEARING SUNGLASSES, RIDING A SKATEBOARD

Needs. We all have them. And who doesn’t need a “shady palm.” That is, a palm that just doesn’t provide … More

PUMPIN’: STREET ART WITH LOTS OF HEART

We love coffee. You probably do too. But we REALLY love coffee. It’s actually kind of a problem, and, though … More

UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS: AWESOME “BUMBLE BEE LOVES YOU” INVADES OFFICE

We stumbled upon this commissioned mural by the Los Angeles-based artist who goes by the moniker “Bumble Bee Loves You” … More

PRINTED MATTER: THE RETURN OF THE AWESOME CRAPPY ‘ZINE

“Can’t Steal Our Vibe” is a lo-fi, black-and-white ‘zine published by Lone Wolfs (sic) Objets de Surf, a surf brand … More

APPROPRIATION: CLOTHING STORE MINES ‘80s L.A. SURF CULTURE TO HELP SELL DENIM

Junk Food Clothing and Levi’s, the iconic purveyor of denim jeans, had collaborated on a pop-up concept store in Venice, … More

SIGN OF THE TIMES: LAIDBACK SURFER HAND GESTURE GETS A SPICY UPDATE

“Shaka” or “Shaka, brah!” Maybe you’ve heard this expression. Maybe you’ve uttered those words in earnest salutation or ironically. Maybe … More

KICKS: GIANT FOOT STICKING OUT FROM ROOF OF HOLLYWOOD STORE “TOO INSTAGRAMMABLE”

Can something be too Instagrammable? That is the question, savvy reader. Our initial thought is, “Yes, yes something can be. … More

SIZE MATTERS: EPIC 82-FOOT LONG MURAKAMI PAINTING STEALS SPACE FROM OTHER ARTISTS

This massive painting by Japan’s most successful and well-known contemporary artist Takashi Murakami is displayed in the primest spot of … More

PAINTERLY: SARAH CAIN’S MASSIVE MURAL AT ICA FILLS EMPTY DEAD SPACE

“Now I’m Going to Tell You Everything” is the title of this site-mural at the recently opened Institute of Contemporary … More

LOVESICK: ANOTHER “BLEEDING HEARTS” MURAL REMINDS US THAT LOVE IS … BOTH RAPTUROUS MUSE AND A MONSTROUS BITCH?

DRIVEN TO ABSTRACTION: THE INCREDIBLE DEPTH OF ELLEN GALLAGHER’S “BLACK” PAINTINGS

These paintings by artist Ellen Gallagher speak to us in deep, immediate, profound ways. The black abstractions of these canvases … More

HAIRY: WHEN YOUR PERSONAL MODE OF TRANSPORT NEEDS A HAIRCUT

You are looking at this photo and you’re thinking “WTF?” Maybe you’re even mouthing the letters as you think them, … More

CITY LIFE: BIRD MURAL RUINS OTHERWISE COLD, SLEEK, OVERPRICED MINIMALIST CONDO & PERFECTIONIST LIFESTYLE

Text by Van Corsa Imagine. You’ve made it. Went to school. Got a job in a tech start-up. Paid off … More

LUST: A VISIT TO “LONE WOLFS’” LOS ANGELES MUSIC STUDIO

The hyper-aesthetically single-minded and stylistically dialed-in guys who started Lone Wolfs (sic), a surf shop and brand in Los Angeles, … More

LOVE: ELI BROAD’S DECADES-LONG LOVE AFFAIR WITH BASQUIAT

Among the vast art collection of billionaire businessman, philanthropist and art collector Eli Broad is a large collection of artworks … More

GRAPHIC DESIGN X MATCHES — LIT AF!!!

Our annual New Year’s ritual of doing some house cleaning and organizing, throwing things out and making room for all … More

RETAIL DESIGN: WHEN YOUR “SHOPPING EXPERIENCE” IS A WORKING GARAGE FOR MOTORBIKE REPAIR

The idea is genius, if maybe accidental and gimmicky to the extreme. HWY is a shop on Sunset Blvd. in … More

NOSTALGIA: STREET ART HAS NO SHAME FOR MEMORY LANE

The British jazz-pop singer Sade can be counted in the Pantheon of 1980s music icons. Her music videos for songs … More

TROPE-A-DOPE: STREET ART IMAGE OF DOG IN VENICE INSANELY UNORIGINAL (OR STREET-ART TROPES: A PRIMER)

There is street art. There are cliches. And there are street-art cliches (SAC). That said, we think “trope” is the … More

ART OF OUR TIME: “MERELY DECORATIVE”? JAPANESE ARTIST YAYOI KUSAMA’S BALLOONS

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s current exhibition at the Broad Museum in Los Angeles is a sensation. It’s a huge bona fide … More

OBEY: THE WABI SABI OF OLD SHEPARD FAIREY STREET ART POSTERS

Like a vintage wine, some street art ages remarkably well. Others not so well. Take for example most wheat-paste street … More

ADVENTURES IN NEON: HOW “DOUBLE AMERICA 2” IS THE PERFECTLY SYMBOLIC ARTWORK FOR THE TRUMP ERA

Artist Glenn Ligon‘s “Double America 2” is among the most profound works of contemporary American art, and it is profoundly … More

SEEN: MASSIVE CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITION AT MOCA CREEPY AF! AND WE LOVE IT!

Some will hate it. Some will love it. Many will be confused. More to the point, it’s creepy AF! But … More

PINKISH: PORTRAIT OF ROBED ELEPHANT-HUMAN STREET ART BEFUDDLES PASSERSBY

Street art often provides many unanswered questions, not only about the artwork itself, but also who created it. There’s seldom clear … More

CONFUSION: “ART-NOT-ART” STREET ART

A funny thing about “art.” Sometimes the happiest of aesthetic accidents happen as a consequence of totally non-artistic impulses. Take … More

TECHNOLOGY: STREET ARTWORK LITERALLY “PHONY”

An electric utility box along Sunset Blvd. in Silver Lake, in Los Angeles, has been painted as an old-school public … More

CULT OF KAWAII: WHEN STREET ART “GETS CUTE” WE ALL SUFFER

Look, savvy reader! Look at the photo above! See that tiny wheat-pasted street artwork of a poodle-like canine waltzing … More

PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE: STENCIL STREET ART ATTEMPTS WRY SOCIAL COMMENTARY ON SMARTPHONE USE

We were were recently walking down the street in the Arts District near Downtown Los Angeles (a.k.a., DTLA). We … More

CONFESSED: WE WENT SURFING!

… And it looked like this.

RADICAL: ARTIST SELF-PORTRAIT REVEALS POSSIBLE IDENTITY CRISIS

When you hear the words “self-portrait” you think painting or image by an artist or photographer of him or her … More

Mysterious: Why “Judith” is Painted on an LA Warehouse Door

The “Judith” in question here is artist Judith Bernstein. The roller shutter with her name painted on it in a … More

Revealed: Pablo Picasso was “Bad Hombre”

There’s that famous song by every hipster-music-nerd’s favorite band the Modern Lovers with the remarkable observation that Pablo Picasso, one … More

Here Comes the Neigborhood: Mural of Basquiat Ups Real Estate Values in Hip Gentrifying Hood

There’s a pattern of tell-tale signs that indicate that a once-undesireable neighborhood is undergoing gentrification. One of these signs is … More

Street Art Begs Passersby to “Stop Making Stupid People Famous” – We Disagree!

On the surface, the sentiment seems straightforward, sensible and pleasantly righteous enough: “Stop making stupid people famous.” That sounds like … More

Ridiculously Instagram-Friendly Street Art by Kelsey Montague Causing Sidewalk Traffic Jams

The crowd of people snapping pix on the sidewalk along fashionable Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice, in Los Angeles, seem for … More

Fierocious Whimsy in “The Gundo”

The kind of perfectly executed and whimsically cute mural is the kind of “street art” the local community would think … More

Precious Contemporary Artwork Practically Invites Art Museum Newbies to Damage It

Pity the beleaguered museum gallery attendants who get assigned the shift to keep watch on the art installation by artist Carmen … More

Shocking: Street Art is Possibly Portrait of Late Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein

We recently stumbled upon some awesome street art work (see pic below) by the talented “Decisions and Review.” The work … More

Bed, Bath & Beyond or Art Museum? You Decide.

Take a look at the photo below. Well, the answer is pretty fucking obvious, right? This colorful selection of curtains … More

“Transparent Migrations”

The LACMA exhibition “Home – So Different, So Appealing” is turning into something of a landmark show with all the … More

Unbearable Cuteness x Freakishness: Artwork at a Venice Beach Surf Shop

Mollusk is the wonderful name of a wonderful surf shop in Venice Beach, Los Angeles. It’s one of three such … More

The Giant Rose in Downtown LA

German artist Isa Genzken’s “Rose III” giant rose sculpture at the Los Angeles outpost of the Hauser & Wirth gallery … More

The Otherworldy Furniture of Designer Rick Owens

“End White Supremacy”

The artwork of Los Angeles-based American artist Sam Durant has often addressed social, political and cultural issues in bold ways. … More

The Crusher

Hyper-Instagrammable installation artwork comprised of hundreds of pitchforks hanging from the ceiling. The artwork is titled “The Crusher” and one … More

“Clear Air Turbulence”

“Clear Air Turbulence” is Hong Kong-based British artist Simon Birch’s monumental sculptural installation at his “14th Factory” exhibition in Los … More

Calvin & Hobbes Mural at Dangerbird

Pictured here is artist David Flores’s super-Instagrammable and super-cute mural depicting the classic comicstrip characters Calvin and Hobbes at the … More

Dumpster Cactus

Cacti, like the illustrated tri-color cactus pasted onto this dumpster, dot Southern California’s natural desert landscape from Coachella to Mexico … More

“Death Rider”

In her body of work, Los Angeles artist Liz Craft has created some fascinating and evocative sculptural objects that have … More

Things Will Be Fine

Bright and cheery “Things WIll be Fine” installation artwork made of yarn, neon light, and googly eyes on the wall … More

The Awesomeness of the Pacific Design Center

The collection of buildings that make up the Pacific Design Center is a bold, massive landmark of West Hollywood, in … More

Shepard Fairey Does Ronald Reagan

The ever-gentrifying Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles is home to lots of large-scale street art, including this classic Shepard … More

“Skull Phone” Street Art by Spazmat

For years we would see the wheat-pasted artwork of artist Spazmat posted around downtown New York City. His posters were … More

The Electrifying Installations of Artist Jason Rhoades

We’re posting a few pix here from the sprawling and electrifying “Jason Rhoades Installations, 1994-2006” exhibition at the massive Hauser … More

Massive Street Art in L.A. Arts District

We love it when artists create street art that incoporates the architectural elements of the building, like the epic-scaled artwork … More

Yoko Ono’s Grapefruit

Last week, we stumbled upon this vintage copy of Yoko Ono’s influential 1964 conceptual-art book “Grapefruit.” It was in a … More

Pop-up for David Hockney

Maximalist German publisher Taschen, producer of epic coffee-table books devoted to all things art and design, has recently given its Los … More

Bicycle-Shaped Bicycle Rack

There must be a word in the English language for when a thing is designed to look like another object … More

Tiger

EPIC mural by artist Chris Saunders in the Ocean Park area of Santa Monica, in Los Angeles, created as part … More

The Vista

A classic example of Los Angeles movie-theater architecture from the early days of cinema, the Vista on Sunset Boulevard in … More

“Create” Mural by Ruben Rojas

Dumpster Graffiti by “Sickid”

Los Angeles graffiti artist-writer “Sickid” decorated this dumpster along Sunset Blvd. in Silver Lake.

Bernie Sanders on a Van

British-born artist Jules Muck (a.k.a., “Muckrock“) painted a portrait of recent U.S. Democratic presidential primary candidate Bernie Sanders on the … More