Hammer Time

Today's museum trip was to the UCLA Hammer Museum in Westwood. I don't think the west valley got past 42 degrees today, and most of the time it was raining, windy or both. Anyway, the museum was empty and I always like that. There is a show called Oranges and Sardines. It is curated by six artists and features mostly abstract paintings, although there is a Hockney painting and some sculptures and drawings, as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this show. Some of the paintings looked so simple and minimalist, yet were so compelling. There is a Dan Flavin blue fluorescent light on the wall, and in the next room there is a large bright red painting, and walking from one to the next is intense.

I have to admit, I am not very schooled in abstract painting. I have always had respect for it, but was never able to quite distinguish something made by a master painter vs. something that "my kid could make." It is almost like wine, in that never mind what they say, if you like it, it's good. Well, this show is better than good and is worth seeing.

Next door was the Gouge, The Modern Woodcut 1870 to Now. There are a lot of pieces in this show and, although this is not the type of medium I go to see, the work is compelling. There was a series of activist type of art, that was fascinating. My favorites were some of the large pieces by Latin artists. Go check it out, this show appealed to me more than I expected.

Finally I stopped by the permanent collection, featuring paintings by Sargent, Van Gogh, Cezanne, etc. I love looking at paintings by the old masters. I could not help to think how lucky we are that they are in museums, as opposed to some rich person's basement in some part of the world where you or I would never get to go, or be among the elite invited to see the art.