Gwynedd StuartL.A.'s art lovers probably are feeling equal parts excited and overwhelmed by Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, the massive Getty initiative that places Latin American and Latinx art in dialogue with Los Angeles at 70 institutions throughout Southern California. From an exhibit of photos by “radical” Latin American women to a celebration of the life's work of a late L.A. art legend, every exhibit is worth seeing — and you can see them all in 14 outings, if you do it right and have stamina. Frankly, having access to reliable transportation doesn't hurt either.
Several shows are out of town — from Santa Barbara down to San Diego and out to Palm Springs — but here we're focusing on shows in L.A. County (minus Long Beach), which makes for eight routes to start with. In a future post, we'll escort you down the coast to Long Beach and out to the desert and over to the Inland Empire. But you have to start somewhere — so start here.
(Note: Not all of the exhibitions launch this weekend, so keep an eye on the opening dates before you head out. All free exhibits are indicated; otherwise tickets are required.)
Anna Maria Maiolino, Glu Glu Glu…, 1967. Acrylic ink and
fabric on wood. 110 x 60 x 12 ½ cm. Gilberto Chateaubriand
Collection, Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.; Credit: © Anna Maria Maiolino
Downtown L.A.
L.A. Central Library: “Visualizing Language: Oaxaca in L.A.”
Oaxacan art collective Tlacolulokos is taking over the library's rotunda with an installation that reflects the importance of the Oaxacan influence in L.A., which is home to the largest population of Oaxacans outside of Mexico. The library also is hosting 60 public programs associated with PST over the course of the next few months, so keep an eye on its calendar.
Read more here: “A Oaxacan Art Collective Is Bringing L.A.'s Missing History to the Central Library Rotunda”
630 W. Fifth St., downtown; Sept. 16-Jan. 31; free. oaxaca.lfla.org.
Then head to …
MOCA Grand Avenue: “Anna Maria Maiolino”
The Brazilian artist's first U.S. museum retrospective features work made from the ’60s to the present and explores her “identity as a migrant, mother and global citizen.” The show features everything from stark black-and-white photos to a sculptural work that looks like a tangled pile of worms on the floor.
250 S. Grand Ave., downtown; through Dec. 31. moca.org.
Then head to …
REDCAT: “The Words of Others: Leon Ferrari and Rhetoric in Times of War”
On Sept. 16, 30 actors and artists will spend seven hours performing Palabras Ajenas, one of Argentine artist Leon Ferrari's durational “literary collages” from the Vietnam era. During and after the opening performance, REDCAT displays a series of Ferrari's drawings and collages, plus documents that illuminate the late artist's process. In January (Jan. 11-22), REDCAT also hosts Pacific Standard Time: Live Arts LA/LA Festival, a performance art festival featuring Latin American and SoCal artists.
631 W. Second St., downtown; Sept. 16-Dec. 17; free. redcat.org.
Then head to …
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes: “Murales Rebeldes! L.A. Chicana/o Murals Under Siege”
Since the 1960s, L.A.'s Chicano murals have reflected the tastes, attitudes and issues of the times in which they were created. Unfortunately, they've been systematically suppressed, censored and even destroyed rather than preserved like the historical documents they are. “Murales Rebeldes!” looks back at some of L.A.'s most important Chicanx artists and their (largely) bygone public artworks.
Read more here: “¡Murales Rebeldes! Chronicles L.A.'s Erasure of Important Chicano/a Murals”
501 N. Main St., downtown; Sept. 23-Feb. 27, 2018; free. pacificstandardtime.org.
Then head to …
Chinese American Museum: “Circles and Circuits II: Contemporary Chinese Caribbean Art”
As the name suggests, this exhibit explores the work of artists of Chinese descent who live in places like Cuba, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica, testing notions of what it means to be Caribbean.
425 N. Los Angeles St., downtown; Sept. 15-March 11; suggested donation. camla.org.
Also …
Be sure to see Carlos Cruz Diez's Couleur Additive, a colorful crosswalk installation outside of the Broad.
Alfredo de Batuc, Día de los Muertos, 1979; Credit: Self Help Graphics & Art, Alfredo de Batuc
More Downtown to East L.A.
ICA LA: “Martín Ramírez: His Life in Pictures, Another Interpretation”
Mexican immigrant Martín Ramirez spent the last 30 years of his life in California mental institutions, creating a massive oeuvre of drawings from discarded paper and magazines, burnt matchsticks and stubs of crayons. The exhibition features 50 drawings and collages, including a massive scroll.
Read more here: “Downtown's Newest Museum Is a Bright, Brilliant Addition to the Arts District”
1717 E. Seventh St., downtown; through Dec. 31; free. theicala.org.
Then head to …
Japanese American National Museum: “Transpacific Borderlands: The Art of Japanese Diaspora in Lima, Los Angeles, Mexico City and São Paulo”
Look for works by Patssy Higuchi, Sandra Nakamura and Eduardo Tokeshi in this exhibit, which explores the experience of artists of Japanese origin living in Latin America or in predominantly Latin American neighborhoods here in L.A. We're particularly in love with the work of L.A.-based artist Shizu Saldamando, about whom you can read more here: “Four Latinx Artists on Inspiration, Creation and Identity, in Their Own Words.”
100 N. Central Ave., downtown; Sept. 17-Feb. 25. janm.org.
Then head to …
Geffen Contemporary at MOCA: “Adrián Villar Rojas: The Theater of Disappearance”
Beginning in October, Argentine sculptor Adrián Villar Rojas' site-specific piece will be on view in MOCA's Little Tokyo space. It's a “post-human” sculptural work that appears to be searching for its place in time.
152 N. Central Ave., downtown; Oct. 22-Feb. 26. moca.org.
Then head to …
Self Help Graphics & Art: “Día de Los Muertos, A Cultural Legacy: Past, Present, and Future”
In “Día de Los Muertos,” the legendary Boyle Heights gallery investigates the evolution of the celebration in Los Angeles through prints, photos and an ongoing series of workshops and lectures.
Read more here: “L.A.’s Día de los Muertos Craze All Began in Boyle Heights”
1300 E. First St., Boyle Heights; Sept. 17-Jan. 20; free. selfhelpgraphics.com.
Then head to …
Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State L.A.: “How to Read El Pato Pascual: Disney’s Latin America and Latin America’s Disney”
In the early 1940s, Walt Disney sent artists to South America to research imagery for a series of animated films including The Three Caballeros. Rather than fostering a sense of community, as the WWII-era “Good Neighbor” program had intended, the visit and subsequent films made Disney yet another North American imperialist in the eyes of many Latin Americans. This exhibit features art in which Latin American artists react to and re-appropriate Disney icons. This is a two-part show; the other part is at MAK Center for Art and Architecture at the Schindler House.
5151 State University Drive, East L.A.; through Dec. 16; free. luckmanarts.org.
Then head to …
Vincent Price Art Museum: “Laura Aguilar: Show and Tell”
Laura Aguilar's nude body figures prominently in many of her photographs and in many different contexts. In some photos, she makes herself appear like part of a rocky natural landscape. In others, she's flanked by and wrapped in flags, becoming a physical piece of a political landscape. Either way, the point is that she's a woman of color and of size being seen.
Read more here: “For 30 Years, East L.A. Photographer Laura Aguilar Has Been Doing Something Daring” and “Four Latinx Artists on Inspiration, Creation and Identity, in Their Own Words”
1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park; Sept. 16-Feb. 10; free. vincentpricemuseum.org.
Also …
L.A. Phil is hosting the program CDMX: Music From Mexico City Oct. 9-17.
And the Music Center is hosting the program Cuba: Antes, Ahora/Cuba: Then, Now Nov. 30-Dec. 2.
Eduardo Sarabia, Desert Daze, 2015. Oil on canvas, 185 cm x 255 cm. Private collection, Guadalajara. On display at the Mistake Room; Credit: Albert Terrat
South of the 10
The Mistake Room: “Eduardo Sarabia: Drifting on a Dream”
Born in L.A. but based in Guadalajara, Eduardo Sarabia's work features three recurring archetypal characters: the Migrant, the Mystic and the Greater Fool. This exhibit at the Mistake Room — the artist's first solo show in L.A. in more than a decade — is organized by these three archetypes rather than chronologically to make for a more immersive experience. Sort of like drifting on a dream …
1811 E. 20th St., Central-Alameda; Sept. 14-Nov. 18; free. tmr.la.
Then head to …
California African American Museum: “Circles and Circuits I: History and Art of the Chinese Caribbean Diaspora”
This is the first part of a two-part exhibit; the second part, contemporary art from the Chinese diaspora in the Caribbean, is hosted by the Chinese American Museum.
600 State Drive, Exposition Park; Sept. 15-Feb. 25; free. caamuseum.org.
Then head to …
USC Fisher Museum of Art: “James hd Brown: Life and Work in Mexico”
Glendale-born James hd Brown made a name for himself after he moved his family to Oaxaca and began creating limited-edition artist books as Carpe Diem Press. Carpe Diem books — including one he produced specifically for PST: LA/LA with Graciela Iturbide — plus works from his “My Other House” series will be on display.
823 Exposition Blvd., University Park; through Dec. 2; free. fisher.usc.edu.
Ana Serrano, Cartonlandia, 2008. On display at the Craft and Folk Art Museum; Credit: Photo by Julie Klima; the AltaMed Art Collection; courtesy of Cástulo de la Rocha and Zoila D. Escobar
Mid-City and Mid-Wilshire
Marciano Art Foundation: “Latin American Artists in the Marciano Collection”
A late addition to the initiative, Marciano Art Foundation created an exhibit from works in the museum's collection, by artists including Allora & Calzadilla, Pia Camil, Jose Dávila, Gabriel Kuri, Adrián Villar Rojas and others.
Read more here: “Marciano Art Foundation Joins PST: LA/LA With an Exhibit of Latin American Art”
4357 Wilshire Blvd., Windsor Square; Oct. 19-Jan. 20; free with reserved tickets. marcianoartfoundation.org.
Then head to …
Craft and Folk Art Museum: “The U.S.-Mexico Border: Place, Imagination and Possibility”
Over the past couple of decades, the U.S.-Mexico border has become more than a crossing point between two places — it's become a distinct place all its own. This exhibit celebrates the art and activations created at the border, with a special focus on dual identities. Look for art from Teddy Cruz, Adrian Esparza, Consuelo Jimenez Underwood, Ana Serrano and others.
5814 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire; through Jan. 7. cafam.org.
Then head to …
LACMA: “Found in Translation: Design in California and Mexico, 1915-1985”; “Home — So Different, So Appealing”; “Playing With Fire: Paintings by Carlos Almaraz”; and “A Universal History of Infamy”
Be prepared to spend several hours at LACMA taking in its five PST: LA/LA related exhibits. We're particularly enamored by “Home,” in which Latin American artists and Latinx artists living in L.A. grapple with the meaning of home, and “Playing With Fire,” the first museum retrospective of the work of Chicano artist Carlos Almaraz, who died from AIDS complications in 1989. Frankly, you could spend an entire day at LACMA.
Read more here: “What Is Home? LACMA's New Show of Latino and Latin American Art Has 100 Answers”
And here: “Chicano Art Icon Carlos Almaraz Was the Ultimate Shapeshifter”
5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire; closing dates vary from Oct. 15-March 18. lacma.org.
Then head to …
Craft in America: “Mano-Made: New Expression in Craft by Latino Artists”
“Mano-Made” is a three-part exhibition, featuring solo shows from three Mexican-Californian craft pioneers; the work of Jaime Guerrero, who crafts life-size figures out of glass, is on view through Oct. 7.
8415 W. Third St., Beverly Grove; through Jan. 20; free. craftinamerica.org.
Also …
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is hosting “From Latin America to Hollywood: Latino Film Culture in Los Angeles, 1967-2017,” a series of screenings and director talks taking place through Jan. 18.
Photograph by La Raza Photographic Staff, East L.A. High
School Walkouts, 1968. La Raza Newspaper & Magazine
Records, Coll. 1000; Credit: Courtesy UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
Hollywood Vicinity (North of Sunset)
Autry Museum of the American West: “La Raza”
Photos taken by photographers for the bilingual newspaper La Raza — many of them never before seen — capture the political activism of the Chicano movement in an artful (and timely) way.
Read more here: “Never-Before-Seen Photos From the Chicano Movement Feel Timely 50 Years Later”
4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park; Sept. 16-Feb. 10, 2019. theautry.org.
Then head to …
Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery: “Condemned to Be Modern”
A must for architecture buffs, “Condemned to Be Modern” looks at the ways architecture is connected to politics and social movements. It brings together the work of 21 contemporary artists — including Eduardo Abaroa, Jonathas de Andrade and Leonor Antunes — whose work responds to modernist architecture in Latin America.
4800 Hollywood Blvd., East Hollywood; through Jan. 27; free. lamag.org.
Then head to …
LACE: “Juan Downey: Radiant Nature”
This exhibit features the early works of Chilean-born artist Juan Downey, including his participatory Electronic Sculptures, which emit light and sound based on viewers' actions.
6522 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; through Dec. 3; free. welcometolace.org.
Also …
The Hollywood Bowl hosts Cafe Tacvba, La Santa Cecilia, Gustavo Dudamel and more, music from across the Americas, on Sept. 17.
And Los Angeles Film Forum hosts the film series Ism, Ism, Ism: Experimental Cinema in Latin America through January.
Javier Calvo (Costa Rica), Solo yo, 2012. On view at LAXART; Credit: © Javier Calvo
The Rest of Hollywood and WeHo
LAXART: “Video Art in Latin America”
“Video Art in Latin America” is a collection of 60 works (many never viewed in the States) by artists from countries throughout the region, from Mexico to Chile, organized into six subjects: The Organic Line; Defiant Bodies; States of Crisis; Economies of Labor; Borders and Migrations; and Memory and Forgetting.
Read more here: “A Sneak Peek at the Experimental Latin American Video Art Coming to PST: LA/LA”
7000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood; Sept. 17-Dec. 16; free. laxart.org.
Then head to …
MAK Center for Art and Architecture at the Schindler House: “How to Read El Pato Pascual: Disney’s Latin America and Latin America’s Disney”
In the early 1940s, Walt Disney sent artists to South America to research imagery for a series of animated films including The Three Caballeros. Rather than fostering a sense of community, as the WWII-era “Good Neighbor” program had intended, the visit and subsequent films made Disney yet another North American imperialist in the eyes of many Latin Americans. This exhibit features art in which Latin American artists react to and re-appropriate Disney icons. This is a two-part show; the other part is at Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State L.A.
835 N. Kings Road, West Hollywood; through Jan. 14; suggested donation. makcenter.org.
Then head to …
MOCA Pacific Design Center: “Axis Mundo: Queer Networks in Chicano L.A.”
USC Libraries' ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives organized this show, which puts the work of queer Chicano artists working in L.A. from the late 1960s through the early ’90s in the context of other social movements of the era. Also at ONE Gallery, 9007 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood.
8687 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood; through Dec. 31; free. moca.org.
Then head to …
Los Angeles Nomadic Division: “Jose Davila: Sense of Place”
Guadalajara artist Jose Davila made large-scale public sculpture that will be on view in West Hollywood Park in its assembled form through November. At that point, it will be disassembled into 40 pieces that will be scattered throughout the city. There's an unveiling party on Saturday, Sept. 16, with free ice cream from Carmela Ice Cream Co.
West Hollywood Park, 647 San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood; through November; free. nomadicdivision.org.
Marie Orensanz, Limitada (Limited), 1978. On view at the Hammer Museum; Credit: Courtesy Alejandra Von Hartz Gallery. © Marie Orensanz
West L.A. to the Valley
Fowler Museum at UCLA: “Axé Bahia: The Power of Art in an Afro-Brazilian Metropolis”
Afro-Brazilian artists explore racial identity in the Brazilian state of Bahia. The exhibition consists of more than 100 works from the mid–20th century to now. The challenge: Reflect the breadth and depth of artistic production in Salvador, Brazil.
Read more here: “The Exhibit “Axé Bahia” Looks at South American Culture Through Afro-Brazilian Eyes”
308 Charles E. Young Drive N., Westwood; through April 15; free. fowler.ucla.edu.
Then head to …
The Hammer Museum: “Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960-1985”
Hands down one of the must-see exhibits of PST: LA/LA, “Radical Women” features art made by more than 100 women artists in 15 countries to completely revolutionize the way women could be seen and see themselves. It's the female gaze turned inward, and it's beautiful.
Read more here: “'Radical Women' of Latin American Art Get the Museum Show They Deserve”
10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood; through Dec. 31; free. hammer.ucla.edu.
Then head to …
Annenberg Space for Photography: “Cuba Is”
Featuring 120 photos, “Cuba Is” offers a glimpses of the island and its people that aren't easily accessed by foreigners. The museum also is screening a self-produced documentary that follows photographers Elliott Erwitt, Leysis Quesada, Raúl Cañibano, Tria Giovan and Michael Dweck on assignment in Cuba.
2000 Avenue of the Stars, Century City; through Feb. 25; free. annenbergphotospace.org.
Then head to …
18th Street Art Center: “A Universal History of Infamy: Virtues of Disparity”
Taking place simultaneously at three venues — including LACMA and Charles White Elementary — this exhibit features the work of 16 U.S. Latino and Latin American artists and collectives “whose practices defy disciplinary boundaries.”
1639 18th St., Santa Monica; through Dec. 15; free. pstlala-lacma.18thstreet.org.
Then head to …
The Getty Center: “Golden Kingdoms: Luxury and Legacy in the Ancient Americas”; “Making Art Concrete: Works From Argentina and Brazil in the Coleccion Patricia Phelps de Cisneros”; “The Metropolis in Latin America, 1830-1930”; “Photography in Argentina, 1850-2010: Contradiction and Continuity”
As the driving force behind the entire PST: LA/LA initiative, it's no wonder the Getty has dedicated so much gallery space to the endeavor. Frankly, its four shows could stand alone as a survey of Latin American art. From pre-Columbian art of the Maya, Incas and Aztecs to contemporary works made from concrete, the exhibits cover a lot of artistic, philosophical and intellectual ground. Budget a lot of time for this one.
1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood; opens Sept. 16 (closing dates vary); free. getty.edu.
Then head to …
Skirball Cultural Center: “Another Promised Land: Anita Brenner's Mexico” and “Surface Tension by Ken Gonzales-Day: Murals, Signs and Mark-Making in L.A.”
Mexican-born Jewish writer Anita Brenner was a contemporary of artists such as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera; this exhibit looks at her influence as an intellectual on the art and culture of the day. Opening in October, “Surface Tension” offers a view of modern L.A.'s Chicano artifacts through the eyes of artist Ken Gonzales-Day.
See our video on him here: “Ken Gonzales-Day: Exploring Identity and Construction of Race”
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Brentwood; “Another Promised Land” runs through Feb. 25; “Surface Tension” runs Oct. 6-Feb. 25. skirball.org.
Then head to …
CSU Northridge Art Galleries: “The Great Wall of Los Angeles: Judith Baca's Experimentations in Collaboration and Concrete”
A CSUN alumna, Judith Baca became one of L.A.'s most important muralists. She's best known for The Great Wall of Los Angeles, which spans nearly 3,000 feet of the Tujunga Flood Control Channel and depicts important moments in California's history. This exhibit is a deep dive into the development of the mural and her methodologies as an artist.
18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge; Oct. 14-Dec. 16; free. csun.edu.
Also …
UCLA Film & Television Archive hosts the program “Recuerdos de un cine en español: Latin American Cinema in Los Angeles, 1930-1960″ through Dec. 10.
Andrea Ferreyra, Torbellino/Whirlwind. Documentation of street performance, Mexico City, January 1993. On view at Armory Center for the Arts; Credit: Photo by Joseph Jankovski; courtesy Andrea Ferreyra
Pasadena
Armory Center for the Arts: “Below the Underground: Renegade Art and Action in 1990s Mexico”
Amid increasing violence, political corruption and environmental woes in 1990s Mexico, indie artists went rogue, producing zines, hosting pop-up public performances and launching pirate radio programs to comment on class, race, etc. This exhibit features art objects from that period.
145 Raymond Ave., Pasadena; Oct. 15-Jan. 21; free. armoryarts.org.
Then head to …
USC Pacific Asia Museum: “Winds From Fusang: Mexico and China in the 20th Century”
This is the first major exhibit to explore the influence of Mexican art on art in China, even prior to the latter country's “opening” in the 1980s.
46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena; Dec. 8-June 10. pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu.
Then head to …
Pasadena Museum of California Art: “Hollywood in Havana: Five Decades of Cuban Posters Promoting U.S. Films”
A fascinating look at the way U.S. pop culture was presented in Cuba after the revolution.
Read more here: “An Exhibit of Cuban Posters of U.S. Movies Sheds New Light on the Island Nation”
490 E. Union, Pasadena; through Jan. 7. pmcaonline.org.
Then head to …
The Huntington Library: “Visual Voyages: Images of Latin American Nature From Columbus to Darwin”
One of the few exhibits that focuses on nature and the natural beauty of Latin America, not necessarily through Latin American eyes.
1151 Oxford Road, San Marino; Sept. 16-Jan 8; free. huntington.org.
PART II coming soon: South Bay to Long Beach, Inland Empire, Orange County, Riverside, Palm Springs and San Diego.
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