Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

My first stop was the Japanese pavilion, for there was a collection of netsukes {http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netsuke}, but I went into the bigger part of the exhibit first, and let me tell you something, as someone who doesn’t give a fig or any other fruit about interior decorating: this place is so amazingly beautiful I hardly looked at the exhibits! {http://www.lacma.org/japaneseart/japan.htm look at second photo} I hardly remember the silk screens on exhibit, although some were beautiful, because I was so fascinated by the architectural design. I will remember how freezing it was in there, though!
Over to the other half, the netsuke gallery. . . hundreds! Just a ton of fun, some of them truly hilarious. {http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=exhibit;id=8697}
Some of my faves: Badger disguised as priest, fox disguised as priest {http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=erecord;hilite=111176;id=105109;type=101}, Snake (so intricate!), “No Evil” monkey--in amber! {http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=erecord;hilite=111187;id=99640;type=101}, Catfish (whiskers are awesome), Earthquake fish! (never heard of such a thing), Dish about the size of your thumb containing 100s of tiny fish!, Frog wearing platform sandals, Diving girl fighting octopus, Frustrated rat catcher! (The rage in his face as the rat crawls on his back. . .), Chinese boy (looks just like Cartman, done in the 19th century!), The most perfect whale. . . {http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=erecord;hilite=111179;id=99737;type=101}, and the octopus was grossly intricate {http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=erecord;hilite=111186;id=99645;type=101}.
Headed over to my specialty, Ancient Art, next. Sometimes it’s just overwhelming being a couple of inches away from a big piece of granite carved three millennia ago. After that I wasted about 10 minutes trying to read the cuneiform tablets; I advise you not to try this if you visit. Instead look at the reliefs--relieves?--from the Palace of Assyrian King Ashurnasirpal II (his parents had no imagination) in Nimrud, Iraq. The Roman sculpture room, while being nothing new, had some huge windows overlooking Wilshire that will make photography easy next time I go. Mosaics are pretty, but much more awesome to see them in their original place, like one I remember in southern Spain, with flowers and lizards all over it. Turned the corner and there was a female statue staring at me, very spooky, in the same way the Mona Lisa does.
{I wrote out all my favorite paintings/sculptures and links to them, but the photos just weren’t good enough, and you’re probably bored with this already, so I took it out. . . Except for this one, because she looks like every woman at the end of a date with me: http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=7090;type=101 }
And then I found the photography department. . .
I like Islamic art because, unlike their preachers, it doesn’t try to sell you on the religion, it’s purely decorative. There’s something to say for not allowing representations of the living, especially religious scenes.
Soon enough got to the last building, American art, though the beginning was more furniture and decorative arts than paintings and sculpture. Starts with this huge painting by Hockney (who was born same day I was, many decades earlier, of course) called Mulholland Drive, which has to be seen to be believed {http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=49950;type=101, or in my photos below}. There’s some silverware by Paul Revere, both Senior and Junior; that’s good for a quick laugh. Some beautiful paintings, but then I can across the only thing in the museum I want in my living room: Bronco Buster, by Remington! {http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=9655;type=101, also below} This photo doesn’t begin to show the power of the horse, the expression of the rider, the action seemingly taking place in this frozen moment. I need me one of these, even if it’s a knockoff made of frozen butter.
At a certain point, art began to look like cartoons, though it’s not all bad; lookit this one: {http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=4927;type=101} Angels’ Flight. There’s something eerily beautiful about this. At this point I got a much-needed laugh due to some guy’s ringtone being the Imperial March from Star Wars; someone’s a Vader fan. . .
As I walk back into the plaza, with time still to kill, as well as muscle cells, I notice a special exhibition next to the ticket office. I had no idea it would be mostly kitsch, but at least it was good for a few laughs (I am so glad kitschy is in Spellcheck and I spelled it right!). The first thing that caught my eye was a little house that looked like a third grader had made it, in a desert, with a Coke commercial on the side, like something out of Kill Bill. I dutifully read the plaque, and particularly noticed the medium: wood, metal, glass, paper, crushed stone. . . POULTRY FEMUR! I spent the next five minutes looking for the chicken leg, never found it; might have been a trick. Then I came to a section that explained in the 60s there was a movement where the most important part was the finish--make it all shiny and smooth--so you get weird figures that don’t make sense, or just plain rectangles with no art to them at all, but they sure reflect nicely. One was called Yellow-Orange and looked like a creamsicle, which is the only reason I remember it. There were also some geometric glass-looking sculptures, though the plaques said they were actually resin; one of them, a long stand with a sideways pyramid on top, was named “Tom.” You figure it out, or ask the artist, Billy Al Bergstrom, a name destined to take its place next to greats like Michelangelo and da Vinci. But mostly a whole bunch of crap in this section that I have a lot of trouble calling art. Still, it does make me feel a bit stupid to think that I go to every museum when I travel yet haven’t been to my hometown one in years.

For an entrance price of $20, one should catch the Dali exhibit at the LACMA on Wilshire Blvd.

Although the more famous pieces of Dali's art aren't here, this is one of the better exhibits because of it's comprehensiveness of the many periods of his artistic endeavors (and trust me, he had quite a few).

Much information about his life is discovered here, including his close relationship to Walt Disney and the Marx Brothers, whom he deemed "true surrealists". An amazing short cartoon that Dali and Disney did together is featured in its entirety. And I have to say, it's brilliant!

LACMA is short for the los angeles county museum of art.

from october 14, 2007 to january 6, 2008, lacma will be presenting the DALI AND FILM exhibit.

apparently, salvador dali was into making films. he collaborated with luis bunuel, and later, walt disney, the marx brothers and andy warhol. he also hung out with the likes of warner (head of warner brothers).

the exhibit shows these films and the storyboards derived from dali's imagination. there is one film - "destino," which is a walt disney - salvador dali partnership - that i found particularly interesting. it is an animated film of this woman who found this man and throughout, you could see transformations of the man, woman and objects into whatever dali saw fit. pretty neat!

i also noticed that he likes ants. his films and paintings have a lot of those ants. i read somewhere that it equates to sex ... or something like that.

my favorite though is the metamorphosis of narcissus (which is on loan from the tate modern in london). it is just pretty neat! it basically shows two forms of narcissus - the mythological character who falls in love with himself while looking at his reflection in a pool of water. in dali's interpretation, there are 2 identical forms -- one the form of a person kneeling and the other, a hand holding an egg. but they are basically the same shape. it is brilliant! again, there are ants. there are also other elements to the painting. i think i stared at it for at least 15 minutes! ...then, came back to it again to stare some more prior to leaving the exhibit!

i also saw the persistence of memory -- which, i think, is his most famous painting. it is interesting because it is small. i expected this to be large -- kinda like how the mona lisa should be big but is really small. anyhow, the persistence of memory is still pretty cool to look at.

i did enjoy this exhibit!!! if it comes to your neighborhood (or nearby), try to check it out. even if you are not into surrealism, which i really am not, there are still things that you could appreciate.

TIP 1: it is free to visit lacma's other galleries after 5 pm. if it is a special exhibit, you still have to pay but it is cheaper after 5 pm.

TIP 2: there is a parking lot right in front of lacma at spaulding. it is free after 7 pm. if you are getting to lacma beforehand, drive a block or two south of wilshire in the residential area and find parking there. just make sure to read the street signs for some retrictions (like street cleaning day or 2 hour maximum parking, etc.).

I'm always impressed by the collections that the LACMA gets their hands on, and the unique way it appeals to both your average art enthusiast (me) as well as the more ambitious art experts.

I visited the last day of the Magritte exhibit, which exceeded my expectations. They had 90% of his famous pieces, intercalated his collection with some Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and some other artists, and just generally went all out customizing the museum to entice visitors to see the exhibit.

The security guards all had on bowler hats and the floor was covered in puffy cloud carpeting as a homage to Magritte.

Parking on the grounds is $6, but arrive early as it fills up quickly, especially in the evenings when admission is free. There are also a couple of nice places to eat on the museum property.

Friday nights at the LACMA means:



Free Jazz concerts



Free admission after Five pm



Great Cafeteria food, 4 bulidings full of amazing art