Roaming at The Huntington Library, Gardens and Museum on November 23rd

My friend Bill and I enjoyed lunch on the veranda at The Huntington on Monday and strolled over the the Library building to see a special exhibit.  The exhibit is entitled Y.C. Hong:  Advocate for Chinese-American Inclusion.  The exhibit description states the following:

"The name Y.C. Hong (1898-1977) still elicits respect and pride among longtime residents of Los Angeles' Chinatown.  As of the first Chinese-Americans to pass the California Bar, Hong was a major figure in the Los Angeles, Chinese community during the period of the Chinese Exclusion Act and Beyond."

The Huntington acquired the Hong family papers in 2006 and this is the first opportunity for the public to view them.  The papers and information on display shows the action taken by the U.S. Government to restrict immigration of Chinese to the United States.  It also shows the work of advocates like Hong who fought for their civil liberties.  It is timely as the American people grapple with the current attitudes about immigration.   Congratulations to The Huntington on this display.

Here one photo I took of the exhibit:

Y.C. Hong, photograph, late 1910's.

We then walked over the the main art gallery in the former Huntington Mansion and found a few new items on display.  Here are my photos:

"The Slopes of Navao, Picos de Europa," 1935 by David Bomberg, British, 1890-1957, oil on canvas.  This is described as Bomberg's response to the grandeur of the landscape of northern Spain where he moved with his family in 1935.

 "The Supper at Emmans," 1841 by David Wilkie, Scottish, 1785-1841, oil on board.  This painting is one of several by the artist who painted the religious works in the biblical settings of the Holy Land.  He intended to paint the landscape in detail once he returned home from his travels.  However, he died on the return trip.

 "New York Skyscrapers," 1919 by Abraham Walkowitz, 1878-1975, brush with black ink and wash on cream wove paper.

"Shadow Boxers," 1925 by John J.A. Murphy, 1888-1967, woodcut.  The description states:  "Murphy is the master of turning figures into lapidary webs of lines and blocks.  This woodcut choreographs two boxers into a tessellate pattern."

Roaming around Bergamot Station in Santa Monica on Thursday

On November 19th, after a great breakfast at BACK ON THE BEACH and a visit to the ocean scene in Santa Monica, I checked in to Bergamot Station to visit some art galleries.  Soon, the Expo light rail line will be stopping here and it will get busier.  The galleries are full of enjoyable art pieces for the up coming holidays.

I visited only a few of the galleries and found some favorites.  Here of my photos of them:

These first paintings are in the Craig Krull Gallery by artist Ned Evans, "Slight Return."   Evans is a native of Southern California and a life-long surfer.  These are described as "Frankenthaler flows" counterposed with solid bars of rhythmic rolls. This painting is entitled "Burias," 2015, acrylic on canvas.

"Chaves," 2015

"Nimrud," 2015

"Manuripe," 1990, acrylic plaster, and mixed media on wood.

"Elvas," 1998 acrylic and mixed media on canvas.

 This painting and those below are by Richard Baker entitled "Tonality" at the Skidmore Contemporary Art Gallery.  Richard Baker is from California and his works are based on his observations by taking photos while enjoying his favorite pastimes.  He is drawn to compositions that contain strong colors, sharp shifts in tonality and subtle geometry.

This painting is entitled "SUP Dude," 2015, oil on canvas.

"Hope," 2015, oil on canvas.  "It's not exactly the Notre Dame Cathedral but this church captures my attention every time I visit Cayucos with it's clean lines illuminated by the softened seaside light."

"On Georgica Pond," 2015, oil on canvas.  "When I took the photo that his Hampton=set painting is based on I felt like I was in a timeless Edward Hopper motif from the 1940's.

"Healdsburg House," 2015, oil on canvas.  "My alternate title for this painting was "Fifty Shades of Grey," because that's what it is.  I went with "Healdsburg House" so I wouldn't get sued."

"Derek's View," 2014, oil on canvas.  "This painting commemorates the former Yankee captain's final visit to Anaheim Stadium.  I got to try pointillism for the first time ever while painting the thousands of fans.  It was also my first experience in capturing electric lighting and electronic signage." 

"Bighorn Beauty," 2015, oil on canvas.  "When I play golf, I frequently am distracted from my game by the beautiful landscapes.  That's my excuse for having a high handicap!

This painting in the Skidmore gallery is by Melissa Chandon entitled "Trailer," 2015, oil on canvas.

I roamed through a few other galleries and here were my favorites.  These shoes and books theme by Brighton Smith caught my eye.  This is entitled "Blue Stack" 2015, oil on canvas.

"Monet and Giverny," 2015

"Sparkle," 2015

"Stack of Pop Art," 2015

"American Modernism," 2015

"Talk Talk," 2014 by Jennifer Bain, oil on canvas

"Barxo," 2015 by Todd Gray, acrylic on wood.

"I Thought It Would Rain," 2015 by Bradley Hankey, oil on wood panel.

"Grounded," 2015 by Ron Rizk, oil on panel.  This painting is at the Lora Schlesinger Gallery.

Patti Smith interview and singing at the historic Orpheum Theater

On Monday evening I went to the historic Orpheum Theater on Broadway in L.A. to an interview with Patti Smith.  She is a poet, song writer, punk rock singer, and national book award winner for "Just Kids" published about 5 years ago that chronicles her life with Robert Mapplethorpe, who both arrived in New York as late teenagers, and their adventures in survival and creativity.  Mapplethorpe asked her to write the book about their young lives the day before he died of AIDS.  She has written a new memoir about another period of her adventurous life entitled "M. Train."  She was promoting her book and the sold out theater was there to appreciate her.

She was interviewed by Jonathan Lethem, a novelist who is with Pomona College and who had interviewed her 5 years ago.  She describe writing this new book as free of responsibility and as a long rant-free flow.  This "one stream" has little subtitles to help organize it.  It was written over a two year span of time.

She describe her musical career as having no musical training and just began by performing her poetry and then fussed poetry and rock and roll.  She said the word always comes out first.  She said Fred, her deceased husband, seeped through into this book.  She described her music career as putting out four albums and then she married Fred, moved to Detroit, had kids, and then became a widow. She said you can go on YouTube and hear "You light up my life" on "Kids Are People Too" which is dedicated to Fred.

She said she measures success by "if it feels really good to you."

She then joined her guitarist and sang several songs ending with "Because the Night" with the entire audience standing and singing along.

Here are some photos from the ALOUD, L.A. Public Library web site that sponsored the evening:

LACMA on Monday

I roamed around LACMA to explore new exhibits.  I enjoyed two and want to go back for more.  The first is of Japanese woodcut prints and the second is printed materials, some woodcut, entitled "AKTION! Art and Revolution in Germany, 1918-1919."  These are contrasting moods from the sublime of Japan in the late 1600's to mid 1800's to the traumatic time in Germany post Word War I.

Here are some of my favorites:

"The Sacred Fountain at Castle Peak," 1842 by Katsushika Hokusai, 1760-1849..

"Tago Beach near Ejiri on the Tokaido," 1830-33 by Katsushika Hokusai.

"Gochunagon Sadaie," 1835-36 by Katsushika Hokusai.  "This print of laborers burning seaweed to extract salt illustrates a poem by Gochunagon Sadaie," written in the thirteenth century.

"Geese Decending at Katada" 1834-35 by Utagawa Hiroshige, 1797-1858.  

"Minowa, Kanasugi, and Mikawashima,"1857 by Hiroshige

"The gold Mines, Sado Province," 1853 by Hiroshige.

"Hinazuru and Karagoto of Chojiya," 1808 by Kikugawa Eizan, 1787-1867

"Geisha with Samisen," 1825 by Keisai Eisen, 1790-1848

"Segawa Roko in a Dance-Play of the Four Seasons," 1805 by Katsukawa Shunko.

"The Syllable 'He' (Ariwara no Narihira Seeing Snow on Mount Fuji)," by Katsukawa Shunsho, 1726-1792,

"The Inspired Way," 1919 by Constantin von Mitschke-Collande, Germany 1884-1956, portfolio of six woodcuts on laid paper. This portfolio tells Walter Georg Hartman's short story  told from the perspective of a young soldier who participates in the Communist revolution in Berlin and dies tragically in a street fight.

"You Have Killed Your Brother,: 1919 by Mitschke-Collande.

"So Spartakus Leads You! Brothers, Save Our Revolution," Unknown artist, 1919.

"Volksredner," from the portfolio "Time of Revolution," 1920 by Magnus Zeller, Germany 1888-1972, lithographs on wove paper.

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"Memorial Sheet for Karl Liebknecht, 1920 by Kathe Kollwitz, Germany 1867-1845, woodcut on wove paper.

"To the Lamppost," 1919 by Max Pechstein, Germany 1881-1955, lithograph on machine-made paper.

"The Red Flag," 1918 by Alfred Stiller, Germany 1879-1954, lithograph on wove paper mounted on linen.

"3 Words:  Uninterrupted Demobilization, Rebuilding of the Republic, Peace," 1919 by Heinrich Richter-Berlin, Germany 1884-1981, lithograph on wove paper mounted on linen.