Showing posts with label Los Angeles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Angeles. Show all posts

Sunday, 10 January 2010

A STOP AT THE AMERICAN APPAREL WORKSHOPS AND OUTLET SHOP IN LOS ANGELES






I've allways been a big fan of American Aparel, not only because they've made possible the publication of Pablo Internacional Magazine (and of other independent magazines) through their advertising , but also because they are sweatshop free and are very strong supporters of Homosexual and Immigration rights, plus at their factory store you can buy their clothes with a 30% discount!
American Apparel Factory and Store, 747 Warehouse St., Los Angeles, CA 90021
http://americanapparel.net/

Saturday, 9 January 2010

A VISIT TO FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S 1921 HOLLYHOCK HOUSE IN LOS ANGELES WITH STUART COMER AND WILLIAM JONES






artist Bill Jones, Tate Film curator Stuart Comer and David Waddington

After visiting the Eames and Schindler house during past visits to LA, this time, during our stay in Los Angeles we visited Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House, originally built in 1921 for Aline Barnsdall and thought by her as part of an art's community utopia that would also include two secondary residences, a theater, a director's house, a dormitory for actors, studios for artists, shops and a motion picture theater. Only the house and the two residencies were built. The property was later donated to the city of Los Angeles, and now forms part of the compound of Barnsdall Art Park, the compound now includes the quite sad Los Angeles' Municipal Art Gallery, a theatre and art workshops for the citizens of LA, these were not designed by Lloyd Wright. The house was the first of Lloyd Wright's 5 mayan style houses in Los Angeles. We were not allowed to take any photos of the interiors of the house, and were guided through the house by a 'friendly' guide with a high pitched voice which made the visit almost unbearable.
http://www.hollyhockhouse.net/

Actually we wanted to visit Lloyd Wright's Ennis House, which appears in Blade Runner, but it is not open to the public anymore, and is for sale for US 15 million, it probably needs another 15 million in repairs!
http://www.ennishouse.org/

You can see more of Bill Jones very intelligent work in his website:
http://www.williamejones.com/

Friday, 8 January 2010

A VISIT WITH BRANDON HERMAN TO THE BEVERLY HOT SPRINGS



Last Tuesday I visited my favorite hot spring in LA, it's the Beverly Hot Springs Korean baths, it costs 30 US dollars to enter, they have a piano and a rock wall with a waterfall on the entrance, a sauna, a steam room, and a hot springs pool. There's a section for men and another for women, so it's not like the Russian baths in NY where everybody is mixed, and there's always the right amount of people, no more than 15, and everybody is in silence which makes it a very enjoyable experience.

Originally discovered by an unknown oil wildcatter around the turn of the century and "rediscovered" in 1931, the well's contents sold for drinking water at 10 cents a gallon. Now, many years later, the area boasts a beautiful facility where the public can relax and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of the only natural mineral thermal spa in Los Angeles. The balmy waters of the Beverly Hot Springs gush from a natural artesian well 2,200 feet beneath the earth's surface. The water issuing from the hot spring is heated by geothermal heat, essentially heat from the Earth's interior. Hot springs contain various minerals and elements such as alkaline, radium, sulfur, sodium and alkaline sodium chloride, which have healing properties and health benefits!

You can see Brandon's very cool work in his website
http://www.brandonhermanland.com/

MEETING FRANCAISE MASCHIC, ONE OF MY FAVOURITE BLOGGERS IN LOS ANGELES!


Francaise Maschic, the mysterious French-LA blogger photographed in an America Tropical landscape, banana plant and parking lot!
I wish I was as articulate, critical and intelligent as her!
Check her blog at:
http://frenchybutchic.blogspot.com/
and check her post on my visit to LA:
http://frenchybutchic.blogspot.com/2010/01/pablo-leon-de-la-barra-in-los-angeles.html

Thursday, 7 January 2010

JORGE PARDO'S CARMEN MIRANDA/TROPICANA STYLE GROTTO DISPLAY FOR LACMA'S PREHISPANIC COLLECTION


Diego Rivera's 1931 portrait of real estate developer John Atkinson Dunbar





the only thing that's missing is Salma Hayek dressed as Carmen Miranda dancing around the exhibition!

LACMA'S CONTEMPORARY LATINAMERICAN ART COLLECTION


an Helio Oiticica 1979 penetrable, of which I didn't know of its existence, edition of 3, with warning sign next to it in case you decide to go inside it.


Raul Lozza, Untitled, relief, 1953


Carlos Mérida, Geometric Forms, (Cubos), Painting, 1936


Jesús Rafael Soto, Almost Immaterial Vibration (Vibración casi inmaterial), 1963-1964


Mathias Goeritz, Message, 1967


Eugenio Dittborn, Airmail Painting No. 40, 1985


Cildo Meireles, Webs of Freedom, 1976-1998


Francis Alys, Man with Chair, 1993-1997


Gabriel Orozco, Lost Line, Sculpture, Plasticine and cotton string, 1993-96

I visited LACMA's small but interesting room dedicated to Latin American contemporary art, the expected artists were there (only one small work by a woman Valeska Soares). There was also no Chicano art. I would have expected a room in LACMA dedicated to Chicano-Latino art, but there was none, or I couldn't find it. With Latin American collections, there is always the problem of how to deal with the Chicano-Latino distant cousins, are they Latin American, or North American, or Southern California Artists? Anyway, it would have been interesting to see some work by art collective ASCO, or Daniel Martinez, or even the younger generation Mario Ybarra Jr, Los Super Elegantes, Juan Capistran...

One can only hope that in the near future Los Angeles museums become aware of the importance, because of their location, history and population, of including Latin American and Latino artists within their collection, and hopefully in dialogue with the collection and without segregation.

To view the list of contemporary Latin American artists in the LACMA collection click here.