Perkey Fine Art

News Last Updated 11.7.2009

Celebrate MOCA's 30th Anniversary

Enjoy special events and free admission to the museum during opening week of the landmark exhibition "Collection: MOCA's First Thirty Years".

Don't miss the chance to see the largest and most comprehensive showing ever of MOCA's world-renowned permanent collection, opening Sunday November 15, 2009! It will feature more than 500 artworks by over 200 artists, such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Rauschenberg, Edward Ruscha, Barbara Kruger, John Baldessari, Billy Al Bengston, Catherine Opie, Gordon Matta-Clark, Richard Prince, Bill Viola and many more. View historically important works from 1939 to 1980 filling the galleries at MOCA's main downtown L.A. site on Grand Avenue, plus check out an exciting array of artworks created 1980 to the present at MOCA's Geffen Contemporary location.

Ready to party? MOCA members are also invited to MOCA's 30th birthday bash on Saturday November 21, 7-11pm, at MOCA Grand Avenue, to enjoy the blockbuster exhibition plus unique performances by My Barbarian, a dynamic Los Angeles-based artist collective. If you are not already a MOCA member, now is a perfect time to join and support an important Los Angeles art institution, plus receive great member benefits. Join today at www.moca.org/members or call (213) 621-1794.

The museum is also hosting a black-tie benefit gala on November 14th to launch the show. Besides enjoying a preview of the new exhibition, guests will be entertained with a performance piece starring pop-diva Lady Gaga and dancers from the Bolshoi Ballet, conceived by artist Francesco Vezzoli. For gala tickets call (310) 201-5033.

Collection: MOCA's First Thirty Years
November 15, 2009 - May 3, 2010
Free museum admission Sunday, November 15 to Saturday, November 21
MOCA Grand Avenue and the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, LOS ANGELES
www.moca.org

October 2009

Use Your Feet and Feed Your Mind

Neighborhoods across Los Angeles come alive with regularly occurring art walks. Make a date with a friend and join in the fun. Art walks are the perfect way to explore diverse art, soak up the local culture and socialize with other art lovers.

DOWNTOWN L.A. ART WALK
2nd Thursday of every month
3-9pm (check website for more info)
Free admission
Explore the bustling street culture of Los Angeles' Historic Core known as “Gallery Row”, and see the newest art exhibitions of over 40 participating galleries, art centers and museums. Flag down the free shuttle (running 6-10pm), a brightly painted bus called "the Hippodrome", and be ready to be entertained while on board with a rotation of live music and art happenings.
www.downtownartwalk.com

MIRACLE MILE ART WALK
3rd Saturday of every month
Check website for hours
Free admission
With over 40 venues within 4 square miles, (Wilshire/La Brea/Beverly) this art walk has one of the highest concentrations of galleries in Southern California. Enjoy a wide variety of treats, such as artist lectures, complimentary food and beverage, live music, and free entry to art walk after parties. Get around with the free Holly Trolley. Mention Art Walk for free entrance to LACMA, CAFAM, and MAK Center!
www.miraclemileartwalk.com

SAN PEDRO 1st THURSDAY ARTWALK
1st Thursday of every month
6-9pm
Free admission
Art galleries, shops and restaurants are open until 9pm, with some restaurants offering a 1st Thursday Night Special and some with live music.
www.1stthursday.com

CHINATOWN ART NIGHT
Held once every 3 months on a Saturday
6-9pm
Free admission
Savor the nostalgia of historic Chinatown, while experiencing over 30 of L.A.’s most cutting edge art galleries.
www.chinatownla.com

ARTWALK CULVER CITY
Held in late spring once a year
12-8pm
Tour the Culver City Art District, a cluster of some of L.A.'s hottest galleries that has formed where Washington and La Cienega Boulevards intersect. Also make merry in neighboring restaurants, cafes and bars, many offering special promotions and live music during this highly anticipated annual event.
www.culvercity.org

March 2009

Invigorating Art and an Upbeat Vibe at Armory Show 2009

As the sun came out in New York City and the last mounds of the snow dumped by the big storm a few days earlier melted away, it seemed a fitting day for the opening of the Armory Show, considered by many contemporary art enthusiasts to be the kickoff to the spring art season.

The Armory Show, now in its eleventh year, was held in the cavernous Pier 94 at the edge of the Hudson River from March 5th to 8th, 2009. Plus for the first time the fair included a new section in Pier 92 focusing on modern art and contemporary masters.

With over 250 exhibitors from some 28 countries, the offerings were quite diverse. The feel may have been a bit less edgy than Armory Shows of the past, but I was delighted to find a number of exciting artworks that were real standouts! These included well-priced pieces by major artists, as well as works by emerging artists who show great promise.

My Top Ten Picks (in alphabetical order):

Beth Campbell (American): a branched hanging metal sculpture, plus a witty text "flowchart" that describes many future outcomes imagined by the artist
Ewan Gibbs (British): New York scenes in meticulous drawings on scored paper, and exquisitely executed linocuts
Alexandra Grant (American): elegant and meditative drawings of text in reverse
Richard Misrach (American): mystifying landscape photographs in colors switched in positive/negative
Vik Muniz (Brazilian/American): "Medusa" after Caravaggio, a new piece in Muniz's "pictures of junk" series
Robin Rhode (South African): the artist creates alchemy with a set of 21 images of his "Empty Pockets" performance
Michal Rovner (Israeli): a mesmerizing parade of figures stroll in horizontal rows across a tall monitor
Thomas Ruff (German): gorgeously colorized appropriations of the Cassini spacecraft mission's rings of Saturn
Michael Van Ofen (German): paintings that convey nuances and implications in just a few masterful brushstrokes
Michael Wolf (German/American): "Transparent City" series of provocative photographs of the urban environment

Sign of the Times

Works by quite a few historically important artists were shown at the Armory Show, as might be expected with the addition of the new section in Pier 92. But walking through the show, what struck me was that there seemed to be more pieces available by each of these major artists than what might usually be offered at an art fair. For example, at least eight dealers presented work by Robert Rauschenberg, some showing multiple pieces. Also I saw five Joseph Cornell boxes, and seven paintings by Yayoi Kusama (including two rare works from 1953 - pulled out for me from the closet of the gallery's booth). I surmise that the influx is due to collectors who are liquidating in this tight economy. With major pieces coming onto the market now, and top-flight work available at good prices, this may be an advantageous time to consider adding to your collection.

Certainly the down economy was on the minds of all the Armory Show dealers. But their mood seemed to be upbeat and cautiously optimistic, and most reported to me that although business levels at the fair were down from last year, sales and visitor numbers this year exceeded their expectations.

Duds and Thuds

As with any expansive art fair, I encountered plenty of unremarkable work here too. Not to mention the usual smattering of gimmicky stuff, like a portrait of President Obama made out of Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms. Or Tony Matelli's bronze and resin sculpture fabricated to look like hunks of real meat and sausages, formed into a head and face. (If Giuseppe Arcimboldo were around after 500 years, he probably would not be very flattered.)

Memorable Installations

Outside the entrance to Pier 94, five live-action murals painted by Kenny Scharf gripped visitors' attention. Inside the show, Ghanaian artist El Anatsui's installation of a large metal "tapestry", woven of countless pieces of colorful found metal such as the tops of wine bottles, undulated along a long corridor. And artist Christine Hill transformed Ronald Feldman Fine Arts' booth into an interactive "apothecary", where "patients" lined up to receive their custom made remedy for recession-era malaise. How about a dash of optimism, mixed with a pinch of moxie to help cure what ails you?

Feel free to contact me at cheryl@perkeyfineart.com, and I will be pleased to give you details on specific artworks, or chat about art world news and trends.

July 2008

Summer is here, and it is a great time to visit the GETTY CENTER.

Enjoy the gardens now in full bloom, as well as the dramatic architecture and breathtaking views, while you take in the Getty's world-class collection of Western art and well known masterpieces such as Van Gogh's "Irises".

Among several special exhibitions at the Getty Center this summer, I recommend "TEN YEARS IN FOCUS: THE ARTIST AND THE CAMERA", on view now through August 10, 2008. This exhibition of select pieces acquired by the Getty over the last ten years presents an eclectic group of images spanning 160 years and a display of vintage equipment, providing insight into photography as a unique marriage of art and technology. Photographs on view include groundbreaking 19th century images, an 1895 photograph by painter Winslow Homer, and works by contemporary artists such as Andy Warhol and David Hockney.
http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/photographs_10years/index.html

Admission to the Getty Center is FREE—no tickets or reservations required for general admission. Parking is $8.

The Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90049
http://www.getty.edu/visit/hours/

Have a fabulous summer!

April 2008

Education Course on Food and Art at the Norton Simon Museum

Art lovers and "foodies" alike will enjoy these art experiences! Examine artwork from the Norton Simons Museum’s collections with an eye toward food and drink. Join Maite Gomez-Rejon, professional chef and museum educator, for three courses which pair the representation of food in painting and sculpture with culinary history and practices. Period recipes complement each lecture.

 

Food and Art courses Saturdays, April 12, May 3 & June 14, 2008
Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91105
Per-session fee of $15 includes admission to the museum on the day of class.
Walk-in registration begins at 10:15 a.m.
For further information and registration, call the Education Department at (626) 844-6980
http://www.nortonsimon.org

A Taste of Southeast Asia
Saturday, April 12, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Bring the art of Southeast Asia to life while examining cooking traditions described in ancient texts, from the Vedas to writings by Alexander the Great’s commanders. Discover the important role of food and drink in religious rituals and festivals.

The Dutch Golden Age
Saturday, May 3, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Examine 17th-century still-life painting through the cornucopia of imported spices and ingredients that would forever change dining in Europe. Learn about the inventories of implements, objects and textiles found in a well-appointed Dutch home.

The French Table in the 18th and 19th Centuries
Saturday, June 14, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Explore French art in the context of the social and political changes that created one of the world’s most refined cuisines. Consider the evolution of cooking and dining practices from the French salon to the Revolutionary kitchen to the Parisian café.

Enjoy!

February 2008

Be part of the biggest art opening in L.A.!

Visit LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART for the debut of the new Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) on Feb. 16th with a FREE community weekend. You can get your free tickets online at https://tx1.lacma.org/default.asp?cgCode=1&cgName=Exhibitions

MEMBERS ONLY PREVIEW DAYS:
February 11-15, 2008
Hours: 11 am-4 pm
Free tickets required. Tickets are dated and timed.

LACMA FREE COMMUNITY WEEKEND Sponsored by Target:
February 16–18, 2008
Hours: 11 am-8 pm
Free tickets required. Tickets are dated and timed.

NEW SPACES:

• Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM), designed by architect Renzo Piano
• BP Grand Entrance
• Ahmanson Atrium
• Dona S. and Dwight M. Kendall Concourse
• Underground Parking

NEW OUTDOOR INSTALLATIONS:

• Chris Burden's "Urban Light" installation of 202 vintage L.A. street lamps
• John Baldessari's 50-foot banners
• Robert Irwin designed palm garden

NEW ART:

• Richard Serra's two enormous walk-through sculptures
• Contemporary art from Broad Foundation, including works by Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Robert Raushenberg, Jeff Koons and more.