Los Angeles has always been allergic to other people’s narratives. It hates being summarized. It hates being tidy. That’s why … More
Tag: modern art
Barry McGee: The Street Poet Who Turned Graffiti Into Gospel
If graffiti ever earned a philosophy degree, fell in love with geometry, and still smelled faintly of Krylon, it would … More
PRETTY IN PINK: SAVORING THE “MUTE FLESH” SHOW IN L.A.
In the latest “Houseguest” series installment at the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts at the Hammer Museum in Los … More
DREAM A LITTLE SURF DREAM: THE MESMERIZING SWEET AND SOMBER PAINTINGS OF ARTIST PANDORA DECOSTER!
The paintings of French artist Pandora Decoster read like a love affair with the forms and shapes of waves, surfboards … More
LOS ANGELES, I’M YOURS: ARTIST ED RUSCHA RETROSPECTIVE SHOW IN L.A. IS MIND-CRUSHINGLY GOOD!
Ed Ruscha’s “Now Then” retrospective, now lighting up the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), is nothing short of … More
IN IT FOR THE MONEY: JAPANESE ART STAR YAYOI KUSAMA FINANCIALLY KICKED ASS IN 2023!
Contemporary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama kicked financial ass in 2023, outshining former leading revenue-maker David Hockney in total art sales! … More
RIDDLE WRAPPED IN A MYSTERY INSIDE AN ENIGMA: THOSE PESKY MONOLITHS STARTED POPPING UP AGAIN!
In an era where the mundane is often met with apathy, a series of enigmatic monoliths have emerged from the … More
DEEPFAKE ROYALE! ARTIST CREATES CREEPY FILM WITH ALL THE JAMES BONDS!
It’s simultaneously creepy and hilarious. And it’s definitely brilliant. Using AI video technology tools and filming herself on a green … More
WALL OF COATS: ARTIST’S INSTALLATION ARTWORK IS … WALL OF COATS!
The artist is Ann Hamilton. The artwork is titled “side by side.coats.” The location is the Los Angeles County Museum … More
OUT OF HARMONY: THE UNBEARABLE HEAVINESS OF FILMMAKER HARMONY KORINE’S DISTURBING DYSTOPIC PAINTINGS!
Harmony Korine is better know as one of the leading figures to emerge from the New York City independent film … More
THE BIG DRAW: CHECKING OUT THE MASSIVE KEITH HARING EXHIBITION IN L.A.
We dropped in on the massive retrospective exhibition of the late, great pioneering artist Keith Haring at the Broad art … More
CONTEMPORARY ART ON VIEW: ARTIST TRNZ CAPTURES CHILDHOOD IN ITS PRECIOUS MOMENTS OF PENSIVITY AND PETULANCE!
The new show by the artist TRNZ at Thinkspace in Los Angeles is filled with paintings that evoke children’s storybook … More
MUST-SEE TV: OUR LATEST VIDEO IS FIRST EPISODE OF NEW SERIES CALLED “ARTIST IN RESIDENCE”!
We recently released a new video we produced on the Australian artist Lincoln Mayne. It’s the first in a series … More
CONTEMPORARY ART ON VIEW: ARTIST RAY DUNLAP’S DEEPLY PERSONAL VISUAL CHRONICLES OF AN INTER-GALACTIC DREAM TIME!
“Diary of an Abductee” is the title of artist Ray Dunlap‘s latest solo exhibition currently on view at the East … More
SLEEPER HIT: MUSEUM VISITORS NOT-SHOCKED AT SIGHT OF MAN NAPPING ON THE GALLERY FLOOR!
Patrick Jackson’s two life-size, realistic human figures lie supine on the floor of two separate galleries in the Hammer Museum … More
ARTWORLD EN REGALIA: GUESS WHAT BUILDING THIS IS! THERE’S A HINT IN THE TITLE OF THIS POST! WINK WINK!
Did you guess? Did you guess that it’s the Marciano Art Foundation (MAF) museum building and home to one of … More
NEW PROJECTS: ART IS LIFE – AN INDISPENSABLE VISUAL REFERENCE TO AN ART CRITIC’S BOOK!
“Art is Life” is a collection of essays and articles by New York magazine’s art critic Jerry Saltz. The book is … More
SOUND AND VISION: AT TECHNO PIONEER CARL CRAIG’S RADICALLY THUMPING, MINIMALIST EXPERIENTIAL ART INSTALLATION IN L.A.!
Last week we went to the exhibition of Detroit Techno pioneer and artist Carl Craig at MoCA in Los Angeles. … More
ART 101: THE ART WORLD’S MARVELOUS, MIRTHFUL PIED PIPER – WHO IS JEFF KOONS?
In the grand spectacle that is the art world, few artists can command attention quite like Jeff Koons. With his … More
SHOW ME THE HONEY : STREET ART SWEETENS THE HYPER-SHOPPING MECCA OF TOKYO’S SHIBUYA!
It was a sweet surprise to see the street art of San Francisco-based artist Fnnch (pronounced “finch”) in Tokyo a … More
FAR AWAY, SO CLOSE : JAPANESE ARTIST’S TOWERING HEAVENLY “SURF ANGEL” STATUE IS AN INDELIBLE EPIC DREAM!
Japanese artist Motohiko Odani’s massive, fantastic, classical-style neon and plaster sculptural object “Surf Angel (Provisional Monument 2)” towers in a … More
EVERYBODY HATES PUBLIC ART, EXCEPT WHEN THEY DON’T : THE INCREDIBLE, INEDIBLE AND POPULAR “TOKYO EGG”!
It seems almost axiomatic that most public art is bad. Like really, really mind-blowingly f*cking bad. And though it is … More
CONTEMPORARY ART 101: FROM “SUPERFLAT” TO SUPERSTAR – WHO IS ARTIST TAKASHI MURAKAMI?
Takashi Murakami is perhaps the best-known among a handful of Japanese contemporary artists who have over the past couple of … More
FROM THE STREET TO THE WHITE CUBE – WHO IS THE ARTIST KNOWN AS “KAWS”?
The work of KAWS, the pseudonym of American artist Brian Donnelly, has been taking the art world by storm for … More
STREET ART 101: IN PRAISE OF SUBVERSION — WHO IS BANKSY?
Banksy, the elusive street artist, has become a legend in his own time, carving out a unique niche in the … More
ART 101: THE POLKA-DOT PRINCESS OF CONTEMPORARY ART – WHO IS YAYOI KUSAMA?
Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese artist who has captivated the world with her mesmerizing polka dots and psychedelic installations, is nothing … More
“GOTHIC FUTURISM” : THE BLOCKBUSTER ARTWORK OF PIONEERING HIP-HOP ARTIST RAMMELLZEE!
We went to Deitch Projects gallery in Los Angeles on Saturday for the last day of the blockbuster “Gothic Futurism” … More
AT THE MUSEUM: INCREDIBLE NAVAJO-INFLUENCED ART OF ERIC-PAUL RIEGE!
We’re blown away by the artwork of Navajo artist Eric-Paul Riege. His current show at the Hammer Museum in Los … More
VAN LIFE: YET ANOTHER VEHICLE PAINTED BY KENNY SCHARF!
We spotted yet another vehicle adorned with artwork by the artist Kenny Scharf in Los Angeles. This one was on … More
POST-MODERN CLASSIC: REVISITING ANDY WARHOL’S “MAO” PAINTINGS!
Between 1972 and 1973, the late great pop-art pioneer Andy Warhol created 199 silkscreen paintings of the notorious Chinese revolutionary … More
LONG GAME : LEGENDARY 95-YEAR-OLD “PAINTER’S PAINTER” PREPS FOR HIS NEW SHOW AT GUGGENHEIM!
The New York Times had a great article on the artist Alex Katz last week. The artist is a giant … More
STREET ART P.S.A. : HOUSTON GRAFFITI GIVES IMPORTANT HEALTH REMINDER!
Here’s an important message we should all heed: “Breathe.” A lovable and small graffiti artwork on the side of a … More
POST-MODERNISM IN THE PARK : CONTEMPORARY ARTWORK AS PLAYGROUND
Dubbed the “post-modern playground slide” in the park across the street from my in-laws’ home near Roppongi in Tokyo. The … More
BEYOND “SUPERFLAT” : AT THE MIND-ALTERING TAKASHI MURAKAMI SHOW IN L.A.!
We finally made it to the landmark Takashi Murakami exhibition at the Broad Museum in Los Angeles. We posted about … More
UN-CONTAINABLE : AT THE OPENING OF THE BRILLIANTLY-CURATED “VESSEL” ART SHOW IN LA LA LAND!
On Saturday we went to the opening of a new group show at Hashimoto Contemporary in Los Angeles. It’s called … More
STREETSY : BAFFLINGLY ABSTRACT MURAL CONFUSES VENICE BEACH LOCALS!
The Venice Beach area of Los Angeles, its fashionable neighborhoods and adjacent districts, is home to a lot of street … More
BRUSHED UP : HOW A GIANT COMB SCULPTURE BLEW OUR MIND!
The first time we saw Latvian artist Vija Celmins’ giant plastic comb at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art … More
FLIP MODE! SHREDDED BANKSY RE-SOLD AT AUCTION FOR MORE THAN $25 MILLION!
We’re in the wrong business. We should be in the business of flipping infamous Banksy artworks. Especially the kind that … More
“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
ULTIMATE PAINTING: ARTIST SARAH CAIN PAINTERLY PROVOKES ART WORLD GATEKEEPERS!
The New York Times arts section has turned a deservedly keen eye towards Los Angeles-based painter Sarah Cain. Cain’s paintings … More
STOP MAKING SENSE: NEW WORK FROM TEXAS ARTIST RAY DUNLAP DIVES DEEPER INTO GLORIOUS ABSTRACTION !
Houston, Texas-based artist Ray Dunlap has unleashed a new series of paintings dubbed “American Made Witchcraft.” This new work delves … More
INEDIBLE EDIBLES: ARTIST CROCHETS PASTA!
Somebody’s got a lot of free time on their hands. They’ve got vision. They’ve got yarn. They’ve got a crocheting … More
PHOTOGENIC : NEW SHOW REVEALS DEEP TIES OF TWO JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERS!
A new exhibition at the European House of Photography in Paris (Maison Européenne de la Photographie or MEP) showcases two … More
EXHAUSTIVE : NEW DOUBLE EXTRA-LARGE BOOK OF EVERY FRIDA KAHLO PAINTING EVER!
Taschen’s new XXL-size coffee table book contains the entire set of artworks by the late great artist Frida Kahlo. Aptly … More
TOUR DE FORCE: OBAMA PORTRAITIST AMY SHERALD’S BRILLIANT “THE GREAT AMERICAN FACT” EXHIBITION IN L.A.!
It’s a small show, but one that packs a punch. Amy Sherald’s collection of five new paintings manage to fill … 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
LIGHT LINES: THE STUNNING IMMERSIVE SPACES OF BRAZILIAN ARTIST BLOWS OUR MINDS!
Last weekend we went to the new exhibition of artwork by Brazilian artist Lygia Pape at Hauser and Wirth Los … More
EXPLODED VIEWS: ARTIST SLICES UP EVERYDAY OBJECTS!
Artist Fabian Oefner’s Heisenberg Objects is a collection of sculptural works created by slicing objects — sneakers, a clock, a … More
THE UNLIKELIEST ART STAR: HOW KAWS WENT FROM GRAFFITI-TAGGER TO GLOBAL ART WORLD MEGASTAR!
The New York Times has published an excellent profile of artist Brian Donnelly. Who is Brian Donnelly you ask? He’s … More
FUZZY LOGIC: CULTURE OF MISAKI KAWAI!
Artist Misaki Kawai‘s current exhibition of new work at the Hole Gallery in New York City could at a brief … 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
LIVIN’ LARGE: WHAT A HOME FILLED WITH MINIMALIST ART LOOKS LIKE!
The MoMA dives into what it’s like to live with some amazing minimalist artwork in the home and workplace. In … More
STARS, STRIPES, POST-MODERNISM: HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, AMERICA!
It’s 4th of July and in the United States this date is America’s Independence Day holiday. It marks the nation’s … More
ARE LUXURY BRANDS CO-OPTING PROTEST ART FOR THEIR OWN GREEDY SELF-INTEREST?
Amidst the recent protests and Black Lives Matter movement in the U.S. following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis … More
ARTIST RAYMOND DUNLAP’S STUNNING “AWAKE OF THE WHALES”
Raymond Dunlap’s “Awake of the Whales” is a high-water mark in the Houston, Texas-based artist’s two-decades of output. It’s one … More
HAS L.A. ECLIPSED N.Y.C. AS THE NEW GLOBAL CAPITAL OF CONTEMPORARY ART?
Yeah, probably. That the question is even being asking is telling in and of itself. It’s still early days in … More
ARTWORK BY BARRY MCGEE
Artist Barry McGee’s work has been a fixture in our memory and imagination for close to two decades now. We … 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
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
LEGENDARY: GODDAMMIT DON’T ASK ARTIST JASPER JOHNS WHAT HIS ARTWORK MEANS — NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS!
One of modern art’s greatest painters and arguably America’s greatest living artist, Jasper Johns is a giant of the contemporary … 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
CAPITALISM: JEFF KOONS AND LOUIS VUITTON MAKE A BABY BUNNY
The unthinkable has happened. Yes, savvy reader, bona fide post-modern rockstar artist and art-world darling Jeff Koons has collaborated with … 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
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
Art Installation of Giant Cigarette Butts Elicits Barely A Remark at Whitney Museum
News flash, kids! Times change! What was shocking once, now evokes a weary “Meh!” When that crushing realization is made, … More
What is Miracle Mile?
We never tire of revisiting this minimalist masterpiece by artist Robert Irwin at LACMA in Los Angeles. The colorful installation … More
“HOT MESS!”
“Hot Mess” is the title of an artwork by Doug Aitken that features a beautiful photograph showing an aeriel view … More
Entrance to MOCA / Geffen Contemporary
We’re not religious. But museums are our cathedrals, our churches and temples, our shrines. MoMA may be the modern art … More
The Amazing Drawings of Toba Khedoori
The artwork of Australian-Iraqi artist Toba Khedoori leaves a distinct impression. Her works are primarily finely detailed, photo-realistic pencil drawings … More
Awesome Minimalist “Untitled” by Dan Flavin … San Francisco MoMA
This colorful flurourescent-light sculptural object at San Francisco MoMA is a minimalist classic by the late artist Dan Flavin. Regular visitors … More
“256 Colours” by Gerhard Richter at SFMoMA … San Francisco
We’re fans of German visual artist Gerhard Richter, perhaps best known for his “capitalist realism” and his photo-realistic and “blur” paintings. … More
Untitled Painting by Minimalist Painter Agnes Martin at LACMA … Los Angeles
Massive Adobe Bricks Art Installation by Artist Rafa Esparza at Hammer Museum … Westwood, Los Angeles
Massive “Seascape (with Moon)” Painting by Silke Otto-Knapp at the Hammer Museum … Westwood, Los Angeles
“Mind Pipeline” Art Installation by Oscar Tuazon … Hammer Museum, Los Angeles
Minimalist Masterpiece by John Maughlin at LACMA … Los Angeles
“Walk, Don’t Walk”by George Segal … Whitney Museum, NYC
Sculptural installation artwork by American artist George Segal at the inaugural exhibition of the new Whitney Museum in the Meatpacking … More
“Ideal” Painting Jean-Michel Basquiat … Brooklyn Museum of Art
There are many definition of the word “ideal.” One of these is “an ultimate object or aim of endeavor.” Another … More
Street Art Memorial to Andy Warhol … New York
This mysterious memorial to the late artist Andy Warhol appeared last week on on facing walls along a stretch of … More
“Portrait & Dream” Paintings by Heidi Howard at Nancy Margolis Gallery … New York
Massive Animals Mural at Muchmore’s Cafe … Williamsburg, Brooklyn
“We Love Art” Skyline Mural … Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The Beautiful Cafe at Toby’s Estate Coffee Roastery … Williamsburg, Brooklyn
This is one of our favorite third-wave coffee joints in New York City. Toby’s Estate is in the heart of … More
Street Art Mural by Crash, Bio & Nicer … Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Classic graffiti-art mural on a roller-shutter in Williamsburg, Brooklyn by the graffiti artist Crash, Bio and Nicer.
New Mural by Artists Sheryo & The Yok at Pilgrim … Williamsburg, Brooklyn
“Untitled” Lightbulbs Installation by Gonzales-Torres at MoMA … New York
On the Scene … Revisiting A Matisse Classic at MoMA, New York
We stole a few minutes on a recent visit to MoMA to duck into the permanent collection galleries to view … More
Giant Futuristic “Rocking Mammoth” Sculpture by Kenji Yanobe at Tokyo MoCA
Why the Museum of Modern Art Chose to Exhibit a Helicopter
The galleries of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York are not someplace you’d expect to find a … More
“Infinity Nets” by Yayoi Kusama at Frieze NY
Yayoi Kusama is one of Japan’s foremost modern and contemporary artists, and it’s been a treat to witness her re-emergence … More
On the Scene … Viewing “Penetrable” by Artist Jesus Raphael Soto at LACMA, Los Angeles
The late Paris-based Venezuelan artist Jesus Raphael Soto made a career of painting, sculpture and optical and kinetic art. It … More
Fresh Mural Art by RETNA in New York
Epic new mural by the street-art superstar artist RETNA next to the On Stellar Rays Gallery on Rivington Street in … More
WTF Awesome … The “RGB Colorspace Atlas” by Artist Tauba Auerbach
A couple of weeks ago, we stumbled upon the magnificent “RGB Colorspace Atlas” (Volumes 1, 2 & 3) by New … More
Andy Warhol’s Portrait of Brazilian Soccer Legend Pele
In the late 1970s, the artist and pop-art superstar Andy Warhol created a series of iconic famous celebrity silkscreen portraits, … More
At MoCA L.A. … Artwork by the Late Great Artist Mike Kelley
“Welcome to ______” by Mike Kelley at MoMA P.S.1
The late American artist Mike Kelley created a huge body of influential artwork — more than enough to fill all … More
Street Art … Epic Mural by “The London Police” Artist Duo in Amsterdam
Epic street art mural by the international renowned street-artist duo known as the London Police (TLP) in Amsterdam’s Jordaan neighborhood. … More
On the Scene … At Isaac Julien’s “Ten Thousand Waves”
On the Scene … Viewing Artist Tom Fruin’s “Maxikiosco” at Art Basel Miami
We went to Miami and popped by the SCOPE contemporary art fair in South Beach as part of Art Basel … More
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