Parking Permit and REI Card

This was an important day in my Roaming Life.  I took my T.B. test at the V.A. hospital as a part of the process to become a volunteer.  I then paid the grand sum of $2.20 for a years free parking pass at the Santa Monica Beach lots....a gift to seniors.  The Peoples Republic of Santa Monica does care about the little folks as mom use to say about the working class.  Then, I used my pass to set on the beach sipping a smoothy in the cold cloudy day....I was practically alone but felt newly empowered.

Then I went to R.E.I. and mingled with the adventurous and purchased a sleeping bag and mat for future roamings.  I am also now a card carrying member of R.E.I. with promise of discounts and invitations to purchase more stuff for outdoor adventures.  Isn't life grand!

Inspiration from friends

The art work below are creations by Sandy Acton from Phoenix.  Thank you Sandy for your gifts.

The Painting Factory at MOCA

I attended the members opening of a new exhibit at MOCA call "The Painting Factory, Abstraction After Warhol".  The museum describes the exhibition as a recent transformation of abstract painting into one of the most dynamic platforms in contemporary art.  They wrote that Andy Warhol's Factory was one of the places where this fresh approach to abstraction was germinating....a haven for brilliant artistic misfits, but was also a laboratory where the historical and contemporary innovations in art and culture could be remixed and reconstituted.  They wrote that this occurred in the late 1970's and 1980's when Warhol refocused his painting with series like Shadows, Rorschachs, and Camouflage that is posted below.

The next paintings are by Josh Smith from 2009 and 2010

The final paintings shown here are from the DAS INSTITUT by  Keratin Bratsch, Adele Roder and others.

Friday evening at LACMA

It is wonderful to see thousands of people gathered at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on a Friday evening.  It is free to county residents and the free jazz concert is a huge draw.  People picnic on the edges and others crowd in the center to meet, greet and listen to music.  The museum exhibits are busy with the visitors and several events are held.  It is fun to hang out at the museum and roam about.

I roamed into the Oskar Fischinger and California Abstract Animation video show in the Bing auditorium.

The LACMA blog describes Oskar as one of the most influential abstract animators (1900-1967) who was brought to Hollywood by Paramount from his native Germany in 1936...bringing the European avant-garde fiml movement to the West Coast experimental filmmaking.  The program was called "Optical Poetry:  An Oskar Fischinger Retrospective that showed about 15 short films from 1926 back and white silents to 1947 color films with sound...Bach's Brandenburg Concerto no. 3.  The 1941 Anamerican March to Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever" was fun as wll as the 1934 "Muratti Greift Ein" with his waltzing cigarettes.

My visit to the museum drew me back to Chris Burden's Metropolis...a "complex kinetic sculpture,, modeled after a fast paced, frenetic modern city".   It has 18 roadways, including one 6 lane freeway, and HO scale trians and miniture cars speeding throught the city.  It is a childs car and train set fantasy times 100.  It is fun to watch and feel the engery of cars and trains going every direction.  Great fun on Fridays Sat. and Sundays.  It is also fun to watch the reaction of children and the child in all of us.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

A great day for appreciating art and music.  Colleen and I met at the Disney Hall for a rehearsal of the LA Phil.  The guest conductor was Christoph Konig from Germany with active work in Brazil, Spain and Portugal among others.  He is young and lively on the podium.  I  was fortunate to see the concert twice as I had season tickets for the evening concert as well.  In addition I went to the preconcert talk by Russell Steinberg who is a music genius.  He also leads the artistic director for the LA Youth Orchestra that I want to look into.


He conducted Dvorak's Scherzo cappriciouso, Op. 66, Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, and Brahms' Symphony No. 2 in D major.  The Dvorak was full of energy with the great orchestra with waltz themes that had the conductor and everyone else swaying in time with the music.

Pepe Romero was the guitar soloist for the Rodrigo piece.  It was amazing.  The story is that he began writing this on his honeymoon so the first movement is very lively and energetic.  The second movement is very melancholy...actually the theme song for the Chrysler commercial with Corinthian Leather by Ricardo Montalban.  Evidently he and his wife lost their first child through a misscarriage and he spent weeks in a closed room playing this melody.  The last movement is lively and cheery with a great back and forth between the guitar and the English Horn.  Carolyn Hove the player was called out to stand for an ovation after the piece was over.

The Brahams was beautiful with the cradle song burried in the melody although in a lively beat.  Arianna Ghez, the principal Oboe player (my favorite) was called out to stand for an applase.

In addition to the concerts, I had lunch in Pasadena with a colleauge and then toured a sections of the Norton Simon museum specifically the French painters in the 19th century including the Impressionists.  I was moved by several paintings....always the Van Gogh Cezzanne and Renior but also the Corot and Pizzaro.  Below I have attached a photo of the Bouquet of Lilacs painted in 1875 By Pierre Auguste Renoir. I am always moved by his colors, particularly the reds and blues when present.

When entering the Norton Simon Museum you are greeted by hugh sculptures by Auguste Rodin.  Most notibly are the Burghers of Calais.  The Rodin estate allowed only 12 broze casts to be made and we are fortunate that one is in So. Cal.  These sculptures serve as a momument to an poccurance in 1347 during the 100 years war when Calais, on the English Chanel was under siege by the English for over a year.  The story goes that the the English offered to save the lives of the village if 6 of the top leaders would surrender themselves by walking out almost naked whearing nooses around their necks and carrying the keys to the city and castle. 

As it turns out the English King's wife asked that they not be killed as it would be a bad omen for their unborn child.  But the story of bravery and sacrifice is moving and remembered in these amazing larger than life bronzes.  As a big man it is nice to be able to feel small next to the large bodies, hand and feet of these Burghers.

The first picture below is of the Rodin bronze of Balzac noted for his profound quotes and referred to by the mayor's wife in "The Music Man".  The second  photo is of one of the Burghers.
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This is a not so good illegal picture if the morning rehearsal of the LA Phil at the Disney Hall.

Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society Garden Tours and Party

On Sunday April 22nd, Colleen and I participated in the WSHPHS Garden Tours and Party.  As volunteer chair, I have been busy recruiting, assigning and orienting 130 volunteers to be docents in 7 gardens in the neighborhood.  I also helped with the silent auction and served in various capacities at the Getty House party site.  The Getty House is the official residence of the Mayor of Los Angeles that is located in our neighborhood.

It was a beautiful day, the roses, irises and other spring flowers were popping.  The party was grand and the volunteers showed and up did what they were supposed to do for the most part.  I now have a new appreciation for all the work of those volunteers leaders at the scores of Five Acres events I attended over thirty four and a half years.  It was a great success.  Whew....it's over!

"The Rich and the Rest of Us"

On Monday the 23rd, I went to the California Endowment to see Tavis Smiley and Cornel West talk about their new book "The Rich and the Rest of Us" and their Poverty Tour.  They talked about poverty and how it is not fashionable for candidates to talk about it.  They said that one of two Americans are in or near poverty...either those who are in persistent, new poverty or the working poor....150 million people.  Smiley quoted from George Carlin: "The American Dream, you have to be asleep to believe in it."

Smiley was the most moving as his words are poetically delivered.  He grew up in LA with ten children, mother, father and grandmother all living in a 3 bedroom, one bath mobile home.  He began working with Mayor Tom Bradley in 1985 and started his radio and television career 20 years ago.

West is more lambastic but clever and provocative.  He is moving from Princeton University to Union Theological Seminary.....wonder why. 

Poverty, they said, is the moral and spiritual issue of our time....a poverty of imagination, passion, and compassion.  The poor don't matter...a political consensus.  The focus is on the middle class during this election.  Not since LBJ's War on Poverty has it been an issue.   His programs like Medicare, Medicaid and others brought millions out of poverty. 

"We are the Help that Hope needs."  They discussed the importance of hope even when reality is bleak.  Check out http://www.occupymay1st.org/

April 16 - 23, 2012

Colleen and I met at the Orange County performing arts center to enjoy the Cleveland Orchestra under the direction of Franz Welser-Most who is their musical director.  He is an Upper Austrian who is also director of the States Opera in Vienna.  The Orchestra is the pride of Cleveland for good reason.  They are clearly one of the top 10 orchestras in the world.  They beautifully played Mendelssohn's Third Symphony ("Scottish") that the reviewer, Mark Swed, described as "gorgeously refined and gorgeously grand."  Next was Kaija Saaraho's "Orion" with an amazing blend of strings, woods, percussion and the house pipe organ. Shostakovich's Sixth Symphony was grand with full strings.

The Segerstrom Concert Hall is modern and glitzy and is a part of a complex with a huge auditorium and a theater that is home to the South Coast Rep.  The event was preceded by a reception for Case Western Reserve University alumni where Colleen earned her MSW and PhD.

On Saturday April 21st, Colleen and I attended the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC.  I was a beautiful day with 100,000 people all gathered to see and hear their favorite authors and meet new ones.

The first panel I attended was about Memoirs with four recently published authors of memoirs:  Benjamin Busch, Claire Smith, Alexandra Styson, and Mark Whitaker.  They all wrote after deaths of their parents and other family members, so their work was partly their healing from the loss.  One said that the loss of parents means the loss of their childhood...the loss of ones who shared that precious time.  The writing is revisiting their childhood and the relationships with their parents....the good and bad times. We often define ourselves by our parents....as wanting to be the same or the opposite.  Memoirs help to appreciate and understand our parents and to see them as the people they were.  Some wrote their memoirs to their parents.

Benjamin Busch described how his depression fueled his creativity....but it can also paralyze.  I am reading his book, "Dust to Dust" as I was moved by his words.  His father was a writer and he served two tours of duty in Iraq, being wounded the second time.  He also has been on the T.V. series "The Wire" and "The West Wing" among others.  He begins the book describing how he has fully embraced his mortality.  I am just getting in to his book.

Another panel was on Disasters.  Amy Wilentz wrote "Haiti:  Tragedy and Hope".  She described the disorder and lack of trust in the government before the earthquake and the ineffectiveness of the aid efforts.  For example, the donation of rice killed the rice market and the farmers flooded to the broken cities for aid.  She also described "disaster pornography" where people want to see gory and tragic pictures and hear these stories. 

Robert Sheer talked about the disaster of the economic collapse and our government's response.  He said that he was probably put on this panel because he complained that there was not a panel on the economy.  He said he supports the book fair even though he was fired from the L.A. Times.  He and his wife helped to start it 17 years ago.  He is also pleased that it was moved to USC  which is in the central of LA from the West Side UCLA.

Robert went on to described the his betrayal by Clinton and others that has led to the disaster of poverty.  He described how the deregulation under the Clinton administration has led to a telecommunications reform that has contributed to the bankruptcy of the L.A. Times and others.  The banking rules change led to the mortgage disaster.  The best and brightest have led us to disaster with the compromised media as their cheerleaders.  Sheer talked about how greed and the buying of influence and changing laws that removed regulations has been the root of it all.  He says the media is complacent.  These were scams to rob the people blind.  We need public accountability.  He is hoping the Internet can breath life into the free press.  He publishes http://www.truthdig.com/

Joel Auchenbach wrote on the gulf oil spill disaster.  He described how it took a long time for the people to know what was going on and that the futile attempts to stop the spill were not well planned.  He said the government monitoring agency was complacent.  He predicts that these kind of disasters will occur more often.

I had time to roam and receive a free Quran and McDonalds frappe thing and to talk to students from Crenshaw High School who were selling a book on their last trip to visit the President...they didn't meet him...in order to raise money for another trip this year.  They inspired me.

In the afternoon we enjoyed an interview with Joseph Wambaugh who has written books about the LAPD where he once worked.  His new novel is called "Harbor Nochtern" about the harbor district.  We also enjoyed a performance of the writer T.C. Boyle.  He read one of his compelling stories and took questions from the audience.

Roaming in Paso

The Young Lizards jazz band at the D' Anbino winery in Paso.

Morro Bay

Another day in paradise with Colleen, Ginny and Lars on Sunday April 15.

April 13 and 14 Santa Ynez Valley and Paso Robles with Ginny and Lars

Visited the artisan wine makers in Santa Ynez Valley... Roblar and Brander for pick ups and sipping. Then off to Curtis Winery, owned by the Firestone Family aka tires, vintners and brewers. We were so taken with the wine that....yes....we became members of another winery. However, we are just Interns....beginners in the wine club. I took a picture of the wonderful sky above the vineyard as the rain storm was moving though.

We arrived in Templeton at Ginny and Lars home just in time to watch the hail come down while the sun was shinning.

On Saturday, the 14th, we had a wonderful lunch at Denner winery of food we purchased at Farm Stand 46. We had a pick up and tastings during lunch by the fireplace.

Then we were off to visit our friends Jeff and Florence Pipes at Pipestone winery....tastings and a wine purchase. I took a picture of their Belgian Draft horses that Jeff uses to do all his field work and drives with his wagon at the Templeton Fourth of July parade.

Finally we picked up wine from our wine club purchase at Minassian-Young. Sipped a little wine, sat outside on their rocking chairs and witnessed a cat catch and eat a mouse whole. A bit icky...but interesting....the cycle of life. A hawk lurked overhead, perhaps interested in the cat.

The West Paso Robles wine country is beautiful steep rolling hills, oak trees with Spanish Moss and great people. What a joy!

Norton Simon Museum 4/9/12

I returned to the Norton Simon Museum this week and to some of my favorite paintings. Yes, I joined another museum. The NS Museum has a wonderful array of paintings, sculptures, Rodins other bronzes in their gardens.

Amazing art and beautiful places

4/9/12
Summary of roamings during the last week:

Monday, 4/2, I visited my "home" museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, LACMA.  I discovered two exhibits I have not seen.

Robert Adams:  The Place We Live and Ellsworth Kelly:  Prints and Paintings.

Robert Adams photography over nearly 50 years records history of development in the West through 300 black-and-white photos plus photo books.  The changing landscape through development includes the evolution of land from native to new tracks to evolved tracks with mature trees and neighborhood.  These photos are of his home in Colorado and the L.A. area.  The message I received is that development has scarred our land.  An example is what we have done to the trees...cut them and undermined them until they die.  Or we leave them alone...develop...enjoy...then move on...leaving the trees and landscape like it was. Is it possible to possess and develop the Earth without destroying it?  I hope so.
Artist Talk Tuesday May 8th at 7:00 PM.

Ellsworth Kelly colorful images surprised me because I enjoyed and appreciated his seemingly simple shapes.

Tuesday, 4/3/12, I visited galleries recommended by the LA Times "Guide".  I went to LAX-ART at 2640 S. La Cienega Blvd and saw works by Phil Chang described as an enigmatic show...and whether we recognize it as art at all.

In addition I visited Blum & Poe at 2727 La Cienega and somewhere came upon this:

Yes...that is fresh MUD.

The other gallery I visited is just about a mile from my home:  Jack Rutberg Fine Arts at 357 N. La Brea Ave.  They featured two artists:  Claire Falkenstein and Ruth Weisberg.  I was moved by both of their works.  Claire used wire, rocks, paint, and other media to create her work.  The review said "the sense of discovery is palpable....fearless experimentation...as she hopscotched among media."  Here is one of her works:

Claire lived from 1908 to 1997.  This was done in 1949 as a part of her Barcelona Series.  Note her other pieces of art that she created.

Ruth Weisberg is a living artist who paints on various medium including unstretched canvas.  This gives her works great texture.  She grew up visiting the Art Institute of Chicago and has incorporated master paintings into hers.  The figure painted by Carot is in the background....her daughter is in the foreground. 

The last is a Lithograph that makes me think of reuniting with lost family...perhaps in the holocaust.  It is entitled "Together Again" 1975.

On Wednesday, I visited the Skirball Museum and the exhibit entitle "Women Hold Up Half the Sky" and draws attention to the abuse of women through bad maternal health, domestic violence and slavery/prostitution.  It encourages visitors to advocate and speak out publicly about this problem.  The exhibit shows photos and videos from Central Africa primarily.

I met a wonderful docent named Florence.  She rescued me as I stepped into the museum and pointed me on the right way to go.  Later as I was getting a sandwich for lunch, she invited me to sit with her.  Of course she is a retired social worker and we had a friend in common that we talked about....Cheryl, who lives on the beach in Malibu.  She hired Cheryl at UCLA NPI.  She is a gift to all.

Thursday my day was at the Getty in Brentwood.  I arrived before opening and had coffee and a Danish on the veranda...beautiful day and views.  I visited mostly their photography exhibits of famous people from Robert E. Lee and Lincoln to FDR and other.  The most striking exhibit was the Herb Ritts photo exhibit....amazing work of models for magazine covers, movie stars, and nudes.  Beautiful work.  He died 10 years ago at the age of 50 from AIDS related illnesses. 

The other amazing exhibit there was the Renaissance drawings and a few paintings including the one of the little girl seen in the Getty blog.

Getty Girl

This painting is a part of the Getty Renaisance exhibit I visited on 4/5/12.  It is by Fernand Khnopff in 1885.  Her name is Jeanne Kefer.