Of all the reasons to visit historically dense “Now Dig This!” — an exhibition at the Hammer of black artists working in L.A. between 1960 and 1980 — the smart word-art interplay may be among the best. In works like Dale Brockman Davis' Viet Nam Game, John Outterbridge's No Time for Jivin'! and John T. Riddle's Ghetto Merchant, the art acts as the majestically composed setups for punch lines the titles deliver.

Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: Oct. 1. Continues through Jan. 8, 2011

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