Art & Exhibitions
Must-See Art Guide: Los Angeles
This week's guide includes Andy Warhol, Shirin Neshat, Tom of Finland, and more.
Alissa Darsa
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Following on the heels of the popular and high-profile LA Art Show and Photo LA, Art Los Angeles Contemporary kicks of its sixth edition today at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. Though relatively new compared to its highly publicized counterparts, the contemporary art fair still draws crowds, and the city’s many museums, galleries, and other cultural institutions rise to meet them with a number of exciting shows taking place throughout the month.
Opening this weekend at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, “Islamic Art Now: Contemporary Art of the Middle East” showcases the museum’s collection of Middle Eastern contemporary art—the largest such collection in the United States—delivering works by renowned artists such as Shirin Neshat, Lalla Essaydi, Mona Hatoum, and Hassan Hajjaj. For an added photo fix, don’t miss works by Thomas Demand at Matthew Marks Gallery. The show features a selection of large-scale images, all on view for the first time. For the more experimentally inclined, there is Farrah Karapetian‘s “Stagecraft,” on view at the Von Lintel Gallery. Through her work, Karapetian explores the abstract potential of photography, using photograms to create ‘constructed negatives’ that act more like sculptures than photographs.
For a change of pace, stop by David Kordansky Gallery, where works by renowned provocateur Tom of Finland are spotlighted. The show features the artist’s early drawings, gouaches, and inked storyboards, some of which have never been shown, tracing the evolution of his earliest erotic works, which laid the foundation for his signature gay iconography.
With LA determined to secure its place among the art world heavy hitters, the city steps up to offer an extensive selection of shows sure to please even the most discerning art world aficionado.
Exhibition: “Jesse Stecklow: Potential Derivatives”
When: December 13, 2014–February 7, 2015
Where: M+B, 612 N. Almont Drive, Los Angeles, CA
Exhibition: “Amir Zaki: Seeking Clarity”
When: January 10–February 7, 2015
Where: ACME., 6150 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
Exhibition: “Andy Warhol: Shadows”
When: September 20, 2014–February 15, 2015
Where: MOCA Grand Avenue, 250 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
Exhibition: “Good Senses: Craig Kucia, Erin Curtis, Kristen Schiele”
When: January 8, 2015–February 21, 2015
Where: 101/EXHIBIT, 8920 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, CA
Exhibition: “Zhao Zhao: ⽆无所不在 Omnipresent”
When: January 10–Saturday, February 21, 2015
Where: Roberts & Tilton, 5801 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA
Exhibition: “David Shapiro, Textures of Contemplation and Openness”
When: January 10–February 28, 2015
Where: Leslie Sacks Contemporary, 2525 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica, CA
Exhibition: “Farrah Karapetian: Stagecraft”
When: January 17–February 28, 2015
Where: Von Lintel Gallery, 2685 S. La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
Exhibition: “Tom of Finland Early Work 1944–1972”
When: January 17–March 7, 2015
Where: David Kordansky Gallery, 5130 W. Edgewood Place, Los Angeles, CA
Exhibition: “Thomas Demand”
When: January 24, 2015–April 4, 2015
Where: Matthew Marks Gallery, 1062 North Orange Grove, Los Angeles, CA
Exhibition: “Islamic Art Now: Contemporary Art of the Middle East”
When: February 1, 2015–ongoing
Where: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
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