TWO EXHIBITS THAT STAND OUT
California Design, 1930-1965: “Living in a Modern Way”
Rose Feduk, Union Staffer
Walking into the California Design, 1930-1965: “Living in a Modern Way” exhibit, I found it difficult to conceal my massive boner. As a fan of looking at beautifully crafted things, my theoretical erection (I am a lady, after all) for all things well-made could not contain itself in the presence of the physical artifacts that brought California to the forefront of design during the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. With over 300 items on display, the exhibit is an eclectic mix of furniture, graphic design, jewelry, pottery, fashion and architecture that demonstrate how the prevalence of middle class consumerism fueled important innovations in the design world.
One of the most interesting parts of the exhibit was the replica living room of influential designers Charles and Ray Eames. After Ray passed away in 1988, LACMA packed up everything to be arranged exactly the way it was found in the museum.
Some of the other items include a “Boom! Or Age of Wonder” board game that is “endorsed by atomic scientists.” It’s a board game about nuclear warfare, but it’s for children, which is terrifying in a “Mommy, I’m going to live in the basement forever” kind of way.
The California Design exhibit invites anyone to get lost in the nostalgia of decades past, but it is also able to steer viewers away from an idealized version of ’50s and ’60s style that one would find in vintage magazines and makes it feel all the more plausible that such objects could be found in your grandmother’s villa in Laguna Beach.
Ellsworth Kelly: Paintings and Prints
Vincent Chavez, Culture Editor
It took me less than five minutes to say this about Ellsworth Kelly’s artistic style: “So, it’s just colorful shapes.” This was immediately followed by the loud scoff of my inner art critic. He went on to say things like, “This kind of art is above you. You just don’t get it. Go back to your shed, you simpleton.”
Ellsworth Kelly is famous for his use of color, contrast, and geometric shapes. The exhibit includes 100 plus prints and paintings, the majority of which use vibrant color pairings or shapes found in nature.
As I walked through the exhibit, I couldn’t help wondering how I was supposed to get into this stuff though. His pieces lacked an opening for me to easily slip into them. After the 15th print of a brightly colored blob, I was beginning to dismiss Kelly and his colorful shapes.
So you can imagine my shock when I fell in love with one of his prints. It was a bright blue rectangle on top of a burnt orange rectangle aptly titled "Blue/Red-Orange." It was gorgeous: a piece of pure optical pleasure. But it didn’t mean anything; it just made me happy. I’m used to art making me feel complex emotions where as Kelly’s abstract minimalism was beautiful without the burden of thought.
If you are like me and abstract art frustrates you, perhaps you should stay away from Ellsworth Kelly: Paintings and Prints. But if you are also like another part of me that appreciates the aesthetic beauty of vibrant color, maybe you should take a peek.
