5 LA Art Shows to Catch this June
Author:Lindsey ShookBlue skies may be calling, but there are plenty of reasons to stay indoors this month in Los Angeles. Check out our can’t-miss art shows to catch before they close this summer.
Daido Moriyama at LACMA
Moriyama’s now classic, wide-angled, grainy prints have become synonymous with street photography and he lives on as one of the coolest photographers who you’ve never heard of. Moriyama’s images are both personal explorations and sociological studies depicting Westernized, urban Japan of the 1970’s. Fracture: Daido Moriyama at LACMA shows a range of the artist’s black-and-white photographs, highlighting his experiments with reproduction media and the transformative possibilities of printed images. His prints are oftentimes dark, awkward, and jarring, creating a haunting experience for the viewer. Through July 31 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; 5905 Wilshire Boulevard; 323-857-6000.
Courtesy of Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects
Karl Haendel at Susanne Vielmetter LA Projects
“Why did you become conservative?” “Would you feel betrayed if I used a hair replacement product?” “Why won’t you take Mom to Paris?” All of these are questions Karl Haendel directs to his absent dad in his 11-minute film Questions for My Father on view at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects. Alongside the video, the exhibit also features a host of detailed graphite drawings of, among other things, tennis rackets, knights, and football players. His carefully drawn work is goofy and humorous, creating a beautifully complex self-portrait. Through June 28th at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects; 6006 Washington Blvd; 310-857-2117.
By Brian Forrest, courtesy of MOCA
Das Institut at MOCA Grand Avenue
The Painting Factory: Abstraction After Warhol at MOCA Grand Avenue is a bright, successful celebration tracing the influence of Warhol on numerous new generation artists who have sprung up in the last two decades. One side gallery of the show is especially brilliant, filled with large-scale paintings on paper by Das Institut, a collaboration founded in 2007 by Kerstin Bratsch and Adele Roder. The duo’s nine works are installed around huge Plexiglass screens so that the paintings can be seen without or through the deep blue and sunny yellow shades. While no narrative is present in the pieces, they appear fresh and care-free, all while conveying a dark sense of humor. Through August 20 at MOCA Grand Avenue; 250 S. Grand Ave.; 213-626-6222.
Courtesy of Regen Projects
Lawrence Weiner at Regen Projects
Lawrence Weiner’s mind-stretching exhibition at Regen Projects consists primarily of cryptic yet suggestive phrases in large letters, splayed across walls, ceiling rafters, and occasionally floors. Weiner’s oblique texts are lyrical and lovely, skirting a fine line between description and metaphor. Weiner, with his penchant for starkly plain typefaces and stacking phrases, can be described as a language-based sculptor. He was a central figure in the formation of conceptual art in the 1960s, but his works are just as fascinating today. Through June 23 at Regen Projects II; 633 N. Almont Drive; 310-276-5424
Courtesy of Jon Rafman
Jon Rafman at M+B Gallery
When Jon Rafman looked through the vast online pool of Google Street View images, he found some strange shots, which was exactly what he had hoped for. Drawn to the gritty aesthetic of the raw images similar to that of street photography, Rafman found a house on fire in Arkansas, a couple kissing in Paris, and a glimpse of a street view driver in Pennsylvania. His selections, blown up and framed, hang on view at M+B Gallery. Through June 23 at M+B Gallery; 612 N. Almont Drive; 310-550-0050.
