HOME at LACMA

Installation view HOME - So Different, So Appealing, at LACMA. (Hermosa Journal)

   After years of thoughtful collaboration between artists, curators and institutions, the exhibition HOME - So Different, So Appealing has opened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).  The exhibit brings together over 40 artists and uses a hemispheric approach to create a groundbreaking collection of work that investigates the notion of home.  While the idea has been explored before, this show incorporates works by Latin American and U.S. Latino artists to present a diverse and refreshing take on the concept.  Carefully curated by Chon A. Noriega (UCLA - Chicano Studies Research Center), Mari Carmen Ramírez (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston) and Pilar Thompkins Rivas (Vincent Price Art Museum), HOME has materialized into a unique and impressive exhibition.  

Daniel Joseph Martinez, "The House America Built" (2004/2017). (Hermosa Journal)

   The show is filled with many thought provoking and stunning pieces that range from deconstructed furniture to a scale replica of Ted Kaczynski’s (aka the Unabomber) Montana cabin.  With close to 100 pieces, HOME occupies one the of the largest spaces at LACMA yet remains manageable, in part, because the vast subject matter is divided into thematic constellations.  By arranging the exhibit into smaller units that touch upon social and political issues from colonialism to migration, the show provides a new way to present Latin American and Latino art - one that steers away from concepts of identity.  There is so much to see in this exhibit that visitors would be well advised to allow plenty of time to enjoy and discover all that is on display (which also includes a fun outdoor sculpture).  

HOME: So Different, So Appealing curators Mari Carmen Rameríz, Chon A. Noriega and Pilar Thompkins Rivas standing next to an installation by the late Felix Gonzalez-Torres, "Untitled (North)" 1993. (Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times)

   HOME, is the first exhibition to open as part of the Getty Foundation’s Pacific Standard Time: Los Angeles/Latin America (PST: LA/LA) and sets a high standard for the entire effort.  Over 70 cultural institutions in the Southern California area will be a part of PST: LA/LA, with the bulk of the programming starting in September 2017.  It is safe to say that HOME (and PST: LA/LA) provides a deeper understanding of Latin American and Latino art while shattering stereotypical ideas of what these artists are producing.  The exhibition also addresses a glaring weakness in the collections and programming of most American art institutions: the lack of Latin American and Latino artists.

   This epic show gracefully pushes many boundaries while presenting work in a beautifully modern way.  We can’t wait to visit HOME again and again.

HOME: So Different, So Appealing is at LACMA from June 11 - October 15, 2017.

Mastry - A Kerry James Marshall Retrospective

Kerry James Marshall's "School of Beauty, School of Culture" (Detail) (2012). Photo credit: Hermosa Journal

Kerry James Marshall, an American artist, has spent a lifetime combatting the continual exclusion of black figures in the Western painting canon.  Marshall has challenged the status quo by creating black figures, in a wide array of settings, using representational and figurative painting.  Now, art lovers can view Kerry James Marshall: Mastry at the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (MOCA) which features 80 works by Marshall.  The exhibition chronologically maps out Marshall’s artistic development while also exploring evolving ideas about race.  Mastry is full of large-scale paintings that begin to fill the void of representation while providing breathtaking images - don’t miss this opportunity to see this beautiful exhibit.

Kerry James Marshall: Mastry at MOCA Grand Avenue from March 12th - July 3rd, 2017.

Kerry James Marshall's "School of Beauty, School of Culture" (2012). Photo credit: Hermosa Journal

Shoulders, Shoulders, Shoulders - Johanna Ortiz

A classic off-the-shoulder Ortiz top worn by Nausheen Shah.

   Colombian designer Johanna Ortiz, largely credited for igniting the off-the shoulder craze, is adding wedding dresses to her design portfolio.  Ortiz has recently teamed up with Moda Operandi to launch her debut bridal collection.  Brides-to-be can choose from 12 looks in off-white colors and natural fabrics - all of which ooze femininity.  Ruffles, plunging necklines and a lot of shoulder (of course) is what a bride can expect from Ortiz’s newest designs.

Photo Credit: Moda Operandi

Photo Credit: Moda Operandi

Photo Credit: Moda Operandi

Dreamland - Frank Romero Exhibition

Photo Credit: Hermosa Journal

   This is the closing weekend of Dreamland: A Frank Romero Retrospective at the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA).  Romero, a legendary Los Angeles painter, is spectacularly celebrated in this wonderful exhibit.  While it is hard to miss some of Romero’s large pieces, like History of the Chicano Movimiento (1999) or The Arrest of the Paleteros (1996), visitors will encounter beautiful work of all sizes and mediums.  The exhibition spans over 50 years of Romero’s artistic career, from the 1950s to his more recent time in France.  There is so much to discover in this first solo exhibition of a Chicano artist at MOLAA - don’t miss out!

Dreamland: A Frank Romero Retrospective at MOLAA closes Sunday May 21, 2017.

The Zendaya Show - Met Gala 2017

Credit: Pop Sugar

   We are crazy about Zandaya’s look for the 2017 Met Gala.  From the print on her Dolce & Gabbana gown, to her makeup, to her gorgeous hair - simply epic.  On our next night out we’ll be channeling Zendaya’s go big or go home moment.