Abstract Painting at LACMA

On Monday, my neighbor John and I roamed around the third floor jof the Broad building at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to view an exhibit called "Variations" which shows the varying works of contemporary abstract artist.  These are primarily works from LACMA's growing contemporary art collections.

The exhibit description states that the most prevalent aspect in abstract art today is the push-and-pull between abstraction and representation.  This reminds me of the variations of artists like Richard Diebenkorn who was criticize by "pure" abstract artist for his more representational paintings seen in San Francisco in December called his "Berkeley Years."  This exhibit description goes on to state that at the beginning of the twenty-first century there may no longer be such a thing as pure abstraction. The description invites the viewer to consider these galleries as a place for the analysis of painting - a conversation in and around abstraction.

Here is a sampling of what we saw:

"St. Andrew," 1988 by Gerhard Richter, Germany, b. 1932
Richter uses "the power of photography" and he believes that paintings should focus on the image rather than the reference.  He used found and personal photographs as inspiration sources.  For this painting he applied several layers of paint to the canvas, using large brushes, spatulas, and coating knives to continually obstruct the previous paint layers.  He is also know for using huge scrapers to remove paint to partially reveal under layers.

"Shoot the Coin," 2013 by Mark Bradford, United States, b. 1961
Bradford is known for his gridlike abstract painting using collage and objects found in the environment.  This painting is huge and covers an entire wall.  The description states that the artist drew inspiration from Dwight D. Eisenhower's Transcontinental Motor Convoy of 1919 that eventually led to the adoption of a national interstate highway system.  He uses maps as points of reference.  He also alludes to the communities fragmented by the highways such as in Los Angeles.

"A Stage above the Catacombs," 2009 by Iva Gueorguleva, Bulgaria, b. 1974
Acrylic and collage on canvas.

"Carta," 2013 by Mark Bradford, mixed media on canvas, papier-mache and collage.

"Layer Painting (CMY):  Flowers," 2008 by Analia Saban, Argentina, b. 1980 active United States
Acrylic and screenprinting ink on canvas.

"Untitled," 2011 by Lesley Vance, United States, b. 1977
Oil on Linen

The above two pictures are of the same art work called "Cell:  Interlocking Construction," 2010 by Rachel Lachowicz, United States, b. 1964.  Pigment, cosmetic compound, and Plexiglas.  The description states that this feminist artist use of packaging as a way to contain cosmetic compound and pigment can be seen as an analogy for a woman's everyday  concern of how she presents herself to the world.

"Untitled (Circus No. 8 Face 44.26)," 2013 by Mark Grotjahn, United States, b. 1968
Oil on cardboard mounted on linen.

"Untitled (Purple Bottle)," 2013 by Amy Sillman, United States, b. 1954
The description states that the artist challenges the boundaries between abstraction and figuration in a field of vibrant colors reasserting her skills as a formidable colorist.