open the storeroom: let’s put on a show · 9/24/2016 the new season art in los angeles, the...
TRANSCRIPT
9/24/2016 The New Season Art In Los Angeles, the Museum of Contemporary Art Digs In to Its Own Collection NYTimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/arts/design/13finkel.html?pagewanted=print 1/2
This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can order presentationready copies fordistribution to your colleagues, clients or customers here or use the "Reprints" tool that appears next to anyarticle. Visit www.nytreprints.com for samples and additional information. Order a reprint of this article now.
September 13, 2009
THE NEW SEASON | ART
Open the Storeroom: Let’s Put on a ShowBy JORI FINKEL
LOS ANGELES
WHEN the financial crisis at the Museum of Contemporary Art here made headlines last year, many in theart world questioned why the museum was spending so much on temporary exhibitions while the bulk ofits impressive collection languished in storage. It’s not just a budget issue but also one of museum identity:if a museum is known for organizing big but shortlived surveys and staging shows on loan from New York,is it giving visitors enough to feel proprietary excitement about and inspire them to keep coming back?
So there was clearly a silver lining when the museum announced this year that to save money it wouldcancel several exhibitions and for the first time devote both its buildings — some 50,000 square feet — toits permanent collection. This installation will run from Nov. 15 through May 2010, when some gallerieswill make room for an Arshile Gorky show. Until then, expect to see about 500 works handpicked by thechief curator, Paul Schimmel, which is less than 10 percent of the museum’s overall holdings but promisesto speak volumes about the history of contemporary art.
Last month Mr. Schimmel showed me models in progress of the installation, for which he has largely takena chronological approach, mixing California artists with New Yorkers and Europeans who worked at thesame time. Early on, the New Yorkers clearly outpower their West Coast counterparts.
The show begins with a gallery featuring eight of the museum’s 11 paintings by Mark Rothko, acquiredmainly from the collection of Count Giuseppe Panza. Another early gallery has 8 of the museum’s 11combines by Robert Rauschenberg, also from Panza.
But as you enter the 1960s, you see the Los Angeles art scene take root, and you discover one of the reasonsit remains so vital today: Many of its most inventive pioneers are still alive and active. Robert Irwin (now inSan Diego), John Baldessari (still in Santa Monica) and Ed Ruscha (long in Venice Beach), for example, arewell represented in the show, each appearing at multiple junctions.
“I think you will see as the exhibition progresses the growing impact of L.A. artists internationally,” Mr.Schimmel said. “What begins as a sprinkling becomes by the end a dominant force.”
The chronological approach also makes for some startling juxtapositions, like a wall where three pieces — abiomorphic Ken Price sculpture from 1962; a sketchy, fleshtoned oil by Cy Twombly from 1961 (one of afew works borrowed from Eli Broad to round out the offerings); and a bloodylooking valentine of anabstraction on paper from 196063 by Hannah Wilke — all vibrate with a sexual intensity that Mr.Schimmel described as a “kind of encoded expressionism.” (The installation is hardly balanced in terms of
9/24/2016 The New Season Art In Los Angeles, the Museum of Contemporary Art Digs In to Its Own Collection NYTimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/arts/design/13finkel.html?pagewanted=print 2/2
gender, but it would probably survive a maleversusfemale counting game better than most, thanks notjust to the occasional Wilke but to large bodies of photographs by Helen Levitt, Diane Arbus and NanGoldin.)
Then comes the generation of Los Angeles artists that Mr. Schimmel helped put on the map with his 1992exhibition “Helter Skelter,” including the shock artists Paul McCarthy, Mike Kelley and Chris Burden. Mostof their work appears in the warehousestyle Geffen building, along with a newer crop of Los Angeles artstars, from Laura Owens to Mark Grotjahn to Liz Craft.
Throughout, the exhibition has historically important examples of installation art, starting with sculpturesfrom the Store, a mockretail environment Claes Oldenburg created in Lower Manhattan in 1961, and amouthwatering recreation of Mr. Ruscha’s 1970 chocolate room. Also look for a lesser known 1969 neoninstallation by Doug Wheeler that has only been shown five times in the past 25 years.
As Mr. Schimmel pointed out, “People think of installation art as a new thing.” But they are wrong. Thisshow, as strong on origin stories as the museum’s acclaimed surveys of performance art and conceptual art,should dramatically improve our collective memory.
Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Privacy Policy Terms of Service Search Corrections RSS First Look Help Contact Us Work for Us Site Map
8/17/2016 The New Season Art In Los Angeles, the Museum of Contemporary Art Digs In to Its Own Collection NYTimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/arts/design/13finkel.html 1/2
Search All NYTimes.com Art & Design
WORLD U.S. N.Y. / REGION BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY SCIENCE HEALTH SPORTS OPINION ARTS STYLE TRAVEL JOBS REAL ESTATE AUTOS
ART & DESIGN BOOKS DANCE MOVIES MUSIC TELEVISION THEATER
Enlarge This Image
Estate of Robert Rauschenberg/Vaga, NewYork
Two works to be featured in theMuseum of Contemporary Art’s showdrawn from its collection are RobertRauschenberg’s 1955 “Interview,”above and an untitled 2000 painting byLaura Owens, below.
Related
Times Topic:
Museum of Contemporary Art
Blog
ArtsBeatThe latest on thearts, coverage oflive events,critical reviews,multimedia extravaganzas andmuch more. Join thediscussion.
More Arts News
Enlarge This Image
THE NEW SEASON | ART
Open the Storeroom: Let’s Put on a ShowBy JORI FINKELPublished: September 9, 2009
LOS ANGELES
WHEN the financial crisis at theMuseum of Contemporary Art heremade headlines last year, many in theart world questioned why the museumwas spending so much on temporaryexhibitions while the bulk of its impressive collectionlanguished in storage. It’s not just a budget issue but alsoone of museum identity: if a museum is known fororganizing big but shortlived surveys and staging showson loan from New York, is it giving visitors enough to feelproprietary excitement about and inspire them to keepcoming back?
So there was clearly a silver lining when the museumannounced this year that to save money it would cancelseveral exhibitions and for the first time devote both itsbuildings — some 50,000 square feet — to its permanentcollection. This installation will run from Nov. 15 throughMay 2010, when some galleries will make room for anArshile Gorky show. Until then, expect to see about 500works handpicked by the chief curator, Paul Schimmel,which is less than 10 percent of the museum’s overallholdings but promises to speak volumes about the historyof contemporary art.
Last month Mr. Schimmel showed me models in progressof the installation, for which he has largely taken achronological approach, mixing California artists with NewYorkers and Europeans who worked at the same time.Early on, the New Yorkers clearly outpower their WestCoast counterparts.
The show begins with a gallery featuring eight of themuseum’s 11 paintings by Mark Rothko, acquired mainlyfrom the collection of Count Giuseppe Panza. Anotherearly gallery has 8 of the museum’s 11 combines by RobertRauschenberg, also from Panza.
But as you enter the 1960s, you see the Los Angeles artscene take root, and you discover one of the reasons itremains so vital today: Many of its most inventive pioneers
Go to Complete List »
More Articles in Arts »
MOST POPULAR
1. Feature: Fractured Lands: How the Arab World CameApart
2. Tulum Journal: Evictions by Armed Men Rattle aMexican Tourist Paradise
3. Their Hair Fell Out. Should the F.D.A. Have the Powerto Act?
4. Feature: David’s Ankles: How ImperfectionsCould Bring Down the World’s Most PerfectStatue
5. Trump Casinos’ Tax Debt Was $30 Million. ThenChristie Took Office.
6. Early Voting Limits Donald Trump’s Time toTurn Campaign Around
7. Osteoporosis, a Disease With Few Treatment Options,May Soon Have One More
8. Upset by Brexit, Some British Jews Look to Germany
9. The Psychiatric Question: Is It Fair to Analyze DonaldTrump From Afar?
10. How Usain Bolt Came From Behind Again to WinGold
REPRINTS
SHARE
SEARCHED VIEWEDEMAILED
HOME PAGE TODAY'S PAPER VIDEO MOST POPULAR TIMES TOPICS My Account HelpTRY TIMES INSIDER alharlin
8/17/2016 The New Season Art In Los Angeles, the Museum of Contemporary Art Digs In to Its Own Collection NYTimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/arts/design/13finkel.html 2/2
Home World U.S. N.Y. / Region Business Technology Science Health Sports Opinion Arts Style Travel Jobs Real Estate Automobiles Back to Top
Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company Privacy Policy Terms of Service Search Corrections RSS First Look Help Contact Us Work for Us Site Map
More Articles in Arts »A version of this article appeared in print on September 13, 2009, onpage AR84 of the New York edition.
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
Art Get EMail AlertsLos Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art Get EMail Alerts
Related Searches
are still alive and active. Robert Irwin (now in San Diego),John Baldessari (still in Santa Monica) and Ed Ruscha(long in Venice Beach), for example, are well representedin the show, each appearing at multiple junctions.
“I think you will see as the exhibition progresses thegrowing impact of L.A. artists internationally,” Mr.Schimmel said. “What begins as a sprinkling becomes bythe end a dominant force.”
The chronological approach also makes for some startling juxtapositions, like a wallwhere three pieces — a biomorphic Ken Price sculpture from 1962; a sketchy, fleshtonedoil by Cy Twombly from 1961 (one of a few works borrowed from Eli Broad to round outthe offerings); and a bloodylooking valentine of an abstraction on paper from 196063by Hannah Wilke — all vibrate with a sexual intensity that Mr. Schimmel described as a“kind of encoded expressionism.” (The installation is hardly balanced in terms of gender,but it would probably survive a maleversusfemale counting game better than most,thanks not just to the occasional Wilke but to large bodies of photographs by HelenLevitt, Diane Arbus and Nan Goldin.)
Then comes the generation of Los Angeles artists that Mr. Schimmel helped put on themap with his 1992 exhibition “Helter Skelter,” including the shock artists Paul McCarthy,Mike Kelley and Chris Burden. Most of their work appears in the warehousestyle Geffenbuilding, along with a newer crop of Los Angeles art stars, from Laura Owens to MarkGrotjahn to Liz Craft.
Throughout, the exhibition has historically important examples of installation art,starting with sculptures from the Store, a mockretail environment Claes Oldenburgcreated in Lower Manhattan in 1961, and a mouthwatering recreation of Mr. Ruscha’s1970 chocolate room. Also look for a lesser known 1969 neon installation by DougWheeler that has only been shown five times in the past 25 years.
As Mr. Schimmel pointed out, “People think of installation art as a new thing.” But theyare wrong. This show, as strong on origin stories as the museum’s acclaimed surveys ofperformance art and conceptual art, should dramatically improve our collective memory.
REPRINTS