The Director’s Roundtable Garden at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Nothing is simple, and the above picture takes simplicity into the realm of the exquisite. The picture above is nothing short of electric in how it seizes your senses with its sheer attention grabbing eccentricity, elegance, and wittiness.
Entitled “Urban Lights” by Chris Burden, this sculpture incorporates more than two hundred vintage street lights from Los Angeles County. Installed in January 2008, it still creates a buzz whenever anyone sees it. I went to see it in the daytime, but it has a totally different feel at night. To view it during the evening, two other local bloggers have pictures of it here and here.
On the southwest side of LACMA is a small walkway that leads to larger public art pieces. Here, made out of reinforced concrete is “Untitled (for Leo Castelli)” by artist Donald Judd. Simple in its design, the idea of 5 strong blocks standing next to each other creates a space to fill, one to remain empty, or one to look through. The possibilities for interpretation and to enjoy its meanings are endless. Leo Castelli was the legendary art dealer and sponsor of many famous artists:
In 1957, he opened the Leo Castelli Gallery in a townhouse on E. 77th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues in New York City. Initially the gallery showcased European Surrealism, Wassily Kandinsky, and other European artists. However the gallery also exhibited American Abstract Expressionism. Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Cy Twombly, Friedel Dzubas, and Norman Bluhm were some artists who were included in group shows.
In 1958 Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns joined the gallery, signaling a turning away from Abstract Expressionism, towards Pop Art, Minimalism and Conceptual Art. From the early 1960s through the late 70s, Frank Stella, Larry Poons, Lee Bontecou, James Rosenquist, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Morris (artist), Donald Judd, Chryssa, Dan Flavin, Ronald Davis, Bruce Nauman, Ed Ruscha, Salvatore Scarpitta, Richard Serra, Lawrence Weiner and Joseph Kosuth joined the stable of Castelli artists. In the 1970s Leo Castelli opened a downtown SoHo branch of the Leo Castelli Gallery at 420 West Broadway. In the 1980s he opened a second larger downtown exhibition space on Greene Street also in SoHo. Source: Wikipedia
“Decoy” is made out of cast-iron, and it was created in 1990 by artist Martin Puryear. Labeled a “Minimalist” by many in the art community, Pupyear once said, “I looked at it, I tasted it, and I spat it out.” Funny yet brilliant commentary put into sculpture. Pure bliss to be enjoyed, too.
Who knew solid steel could create such an effect? Artist Anthony Caro’s piece entitled “Saddle,” causes feelings of wonder. I wonder how much it has changed since its installation in 1976.
Above is the sculptor and artist Alexander Liberman, who also created“Sisyphus” in Beverly Hills. “Phoenix,” is a 15 ft. high and 11 ft. wide sculpture, comprised of ten bias-cut tubes made of steel, painted orange. It’s dynamic, breathtaking, and visually stunning.
I’ll be showing and bringing you more art from LACMA’s Director’s Roundtable Garden, in the future. Great art is not only inside museums; but on the outside as well.
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