L.A. Louver

Happy Earth Day! Tom Wudl, Rapture of Dionysus, 1991

Now on GalleryPlatform.LA: Gajin Fujita's works on paper offer a glimpse into a more personal side of the artist's work and process: https://galleryplatform.la/#la-louver

Legends From Los Angeles at the Crocker Art Museum, featuring works by Betye, Lezley, and Alison Saar, is steeped in African American culture with witty nods to European art history

Alice Neel: Paintings (2010) was the first major exhibition of the artist's work the L.A. area had seen in decades. It included sixteen pictures of people, (an expression Neel preferred to the term portraits) that the artist created in the four decades between 1940 and 1978. You can download a free copy of the exhibition catalogue here: shop.lalouver.com/products/alice-neel

Now on view in our outdoor Skyroom: Adrian Paules' sculpture Stacked Column 1 (2016) is a minimalist balancing act of 48 concrete blocks reaching 8 feet high.

Banerjee is haunted by the violence done to the earth and the violence that happened on it, and she wants us to feel haunted too. Like the rest of ‘Fresh Earth,‘ this piece grabs the climate crisis with talons sinking in, puncturing the problems that have always lurked under this environmental issue. Each piece considers a different angle of the problem, like race, money, and politics, brushing clean forgotten historical wounds, hoping we confront them long enough to heal them. When we recognize what got us here, maybe we can begin again. Read more about Rina Banerjee's work in Fresh Earth at Aicon Gallery in Observer:

Hockney is the only painter in whose work I find this humanity, empathy, and at the same time a kind of sharp psychology. They’re psychoanalytical it’s like watching a movie.

Indeed, it’s a charming view into the wildly creative mind of an artist in the winter of his career. Our exhibition David Hockney: My Normandy is one of T: The New York Times Style Magazine's 5 things to do this week: nytimes.com//t-magazine/charlotte-mensah-david-hockney.html

Hear Alison Saar in conversation with fellow artist Hank Willis Thomas and director of LAXART Hamza Walker in an online talk hosted by University of Oregon's Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art this Thursday, April 15, 12:30pm PST. Register free: calendar.uoregon.edu//alison_saar_and_hank_willis_thomas_i Image: Alison Saar, Torch Song, 2020. Now on view in our group exhibition #MagicDance.

Nick Cave’s powerful Platform (2018) employs casts of the artist’s body in surreal constructions that poignantly convey a sense of protest and rage: Raised fists become gramophones as if to broadcast their message, carved eagles perch on disembodied heads, and a chain of grasping hands rises from the floor to the ceiling, offering an exit route from the chaos below. You can see Platform in our current group exhibition #MagicDance now on view until May 1.

"The source of art is love." Discover David Hockney's joyful images of spring drawn on his iPad with the BBC: bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52109901

It's of National Library Week! To celebrate, we're offering 10% off all our publications, from books on figurative and abstract art to carefully curated catalogue bundles. Use code LOVEBOOKS10 at check out to enjoy 10% off books: shop.lalouver.com

Discover the lesser-known side of Gajin Fujita's practice elegant works on paper that accompany his vibrant compositions of samurai warriors, mythical gods, and legendary beasts in our latest online viewing room

David Hockney's 40-foot-long frieze prints "Autour de la maison, Été" and "Autour de la maison, Hiver" capture a wide-angle view the artist's house and grounds in Normandy in both winter and summer. The works echo the lengthy form of the famed Bayeux Tapestry, the 11th-century masterpiece recounting the Norman conquest of England, which has long held Hockney's interest. lalouver.com/exhibition.cfm?tExhibition_id=1890

Due to the recent surge of COVID-19 infections in Southern California, and out of concern for the health and safety of our colleagues and community, we have suspended in-person visits to L.A. Louver effective immediately. We will carefully monitor the situation and hope to resume appointments in the New Year. Once we can safely reopen, we will post updates on our website and social media. Meanwhile, we encourage you to participate in our virtual programming planned in conj...unction with the exhibition "45 at 45: L.A. Louver Celebrates Years with 45 Artists." Visit our website for more details: https://lalouver.com/exhibition.cfm?tExhibition_id=1884 #lalouver #lalat45

Today, Fri, Dec 11 at 2pm pt -- Tune into our Instagram Live with sculptor #BenJackel. The artist joins us to discuss his recent series of ceramic and wooden sculptures inspired by #MobyDick and the history of whaling. Hear the stories behind the forms, and why the artist chose to tackle this subject matter in the face of a looming pandemic. https://www.instagram.com/p/CIq0-Y3nK7-/ IMAGE: Ben Jackel, Harpooners, 202, stoneware, mahogany, graphite, 70 1/2 x 10 x 17 in. (179.1 x 25.4 x 43.2 cm) #benjackel #lalouver #lalat45 #sculpture #ceramics

We are now open by appointment! Come celebrate our 45th anniversary with the largest group exhibition in the gallery's history "45 at 45: L.A. Louver Celebrates 45 Years with 45 Artists." Book your visit: https://lalouver.com/45 IMAGE: (left to right) #CarmenArgote, Test Pocket, 2019; #AlisonSaar, Torch Song, 2020; #HeatherGwenMartin, Touch, 2020; #TiaPulitzer, Hesperus is Phosphorus Hare, 2020; #LizaLou, Nightsong, 2019

Today's view Looking out at Nick Cave's "Platform" (2018) partly installed in our open-air #Skyroom. Keep scrolling to see the work in its entirety. The figure is central as Cave casts his own body in bronze, an extension of the performative work so critical to his oeuvre. Challenging who is free and who is brave, American eagles perch atop the heads of black men, and a suite of oversized bronze gramophones seamlessly grow from raised fists, luring us in with their ...unsettling silence and questioning how much power the citizens of this nation actually possess. Cave reminds us, however, that in the midst of despair, space remains for hope and renewal. The chain of linked bronze arms extends from ceiling to ground; it is up to us to decide is this a downward gravitational heave, or do the figures pull one another upwards and out of the pile from which they have emerged? Cave encourages a profound and compassionate analysis of violence and its effects as the path towards an ultimate metamorphosis. Experience this powerful work in our current exhibition "45 at 45." Schedule your visit: https://lalouver.com/exhibition.cfm?tExhibition_id=1884 IMAGE: Nick Cave, Platform, 2018, mixed media installation including a chain of bronze hands, four gramophones, heads, pillow, carved eagles, Dimensions variable #nickcaveartist #lalouver #lalat45 #installationart #sculpture #lalskyroom #TRUTHBETOLD

My Country 'Tis of Thee #edandnancykienholz #electionday In their grotesque assemblages, Ed and Nancy Kienholz lay bare the dark underbelly of politics and the corrupt levers of power that work to maintain the status quo, in the face of widespread movements for social and institutional change.... IMAGE: Edward and Nancy Kienholz, My Country 'Tis of Thee, 1991, mixed media assemblage, 101 x 56 1/2 x 37 in. (256.5 x 143.5 x 94 cm) #kienholz #edkienholz #nancykienholz #lalouver #lalat45

Ed and Nancy Kienholz doggedly probed the seamier side of America’s political and moral landscapes throughout their collaborative oeuvre. Last shown at the The Armory Show 2020, their large-scale mixed media tableau "The Caddy Court" (1986-87) reimagines the #SCOTUS in one of its original functions as a riding circuit court. The artists conceived of the work as a road-worthy vehicle, which could literally be driven across the country to be exhibited and preside from state... to state, and town to town. The Kienholzes created the mobile tableau by fusing the front ends of a 1978 #Cadillac with the body of 1966 #Dodge. A blindfolded Justice with broken scales comprises its hood ornament (pic 2); a checkerboard racing stripe bears portraits of all of the Supreme Court justices from 1789 to the year of the work’s creation (pic 3); and on the car’s doors, the unofficial seal of The Caddy Court of America upholds the motto Under God We Twist (pic 4). After passing through a portico lined with a law library, the viewer enters the court chamber to stand before the looming justices portrayed by nine taxidermy animal heads and sculls in formal robes (pic 5/6). I'm not denigrating what the Justices do," said Ed Kienholz. " It's just that their decisions are so important. The animals are in there because ultimately, for all the laws man makes, the laws of nature are so much stronger." Visit our online viewing that details this work, along with the Kienholzes’ derisive standalone assemblage My Country ’Tis of Thee. https://lalouver.com/viewing-r/project/45-in-focus-kienholz #edandnancykienholz #kienholz #edkienholz #nancykienholz #lalouver #lalat45

Timelessness is a hallmark of the Kiehnolzes’ work, says Lisa Jann. Ed and Nancy would want nothing more than for ‘The Caddy Court’ to be on the road and seen at this current moment. L.A. Louver Managing Director Lisa Jann delves deep into Edward and Nancy Kienholz’s large-scale tableau The Caddy Court (1986-87), which reimagines the #SupremeCourt of the United States in one of its original functions as a riding circuit court. The Kienholzes created the mobile edific...e by splicing a 1966 #Dodge van between the front and back ends of a 1978 #Cadillac. At its center, looming justices are portrayed by nine taxidermy animal heads and sculls in formal robes. Edward Kienholz explained, What we’re trying to do is to make visible the rush of fear that people have when you mention the Supreme Court. Visit our online viewing that examines this work in detail, along with the Kienholzes’ irreverent political caricature My Country ’Tis of Thee. https://lalouver.com/viewing-r/project/45-in-focus-kienholz #edandnancykienholz #kienholz #edkienholz #nancykienholz #lalouver #lalat45 #scotus

New online viewing room -- 45 in Focus: Kienholz/Kienholz 2020. https://lalouver.com/viewing-r/project/45-in-focus-kienholz As the United States approaches one of its most divisive and consequential elections in its history, the work of the American artists Edward Kienholz and Nancy Reddin Kienholz seems ever more contemporary and prophetic. In their standalone assemblage sculpture "My Country 'Tis of Thee" (1991), the couple uproariously send up political collusion and ...misconduct. Four half-naked politicians jingoistically pledge allegiance, while caught symbiotically glad-handing each other around a barrel. The scene a caricature embodying the Kienholzes’ sentiments toward real-life corruption is obscene and absurd, as an American flag proudly streams above and red, white and blue lights jauntily illuminate their willing caucus. IMAGE: Edward and Nancy Kienholz, My Country 'Tis Of Thee, 1991, mixed media assemblage, 101 x 56 1/2 x 37 in (256.5 x 143.5 x 94 cm) #edandnancykienholz #kienholz #edkienholz #nancykienholz #lalouver #lalat45

Many thanks to #JordanRiefe for his thorough coverage of our "45 at 45" anniversary exhibition and the gallery's 45-year journey. #lalat45 KCET https://www.kcet.org//looking-to-the-future-la-louver-cele

GO BLUE!! IMAGE: R. B. Kitaj, Koufax, 1998, oil on canvas, 36 x 36 in. (91.44 x 91.44 cm), Collection of LACMA Los Angeles County Museum of Art #dodgers #worldchampions #lalouver #losangeles

Loving this troika, bridging three generations of artists -- #ChristopherPate, #WallaceBerman and #JimmieDurham (left to right). Now on view in our current exhibition "45 at 45: L.A. Louver Celebrates 45 Years with 45 Artists." Visit our website to make an appointment: https://lalouver.com/appointments.cfm - IMAGE: Christopher Pate, Crackup: Jason Martin, 2019, archival digital inkjet print collage and paint on paper 30 x 22 1/2 in. (76.2 x 57.2 cm); Wallace Berman, Untitled (Parchment piece), 1957, oil on canvas, collaged parchment, 20 1/4 x 20 in. (51.4 x 50.8 cm); Jimmie Durham, Untitled #2 (JD 189), 1995, dirt, human hair on sheep hair, 32 1/2 x 27 1/2 in. (82.6 x 69.9 in.)

"Music is her weapon." @alison_saar shares personal reflection on her new work "Torch Song" (2020), inspired by the indomitable songstress Nina Simone. Read her account below, and see this work in our current exhibition "45 at 45: L.A. Louver Celebrates 45 Years with 45 Artists." Book your visit here: https://lalouver.com/appointments.cfm "As a response to all the vitriol in our nation I looked for solace in the history of song as protest. Traditionally a torch song is a la...ment of lost love but in the legacy of the Blues, songs of protest were often presented under the guise of a love song. #NinaSimone, #BessieSmith, #BillieHoliday and #SisterRosettaThorpe, just to name a few, were all fierce in their resistance to racism and bigotry. Angry times called for angry songs. "Today, as we, yet again find ourselves in turmoil, in my piece 'Torch Song' the chanteuse is righteous and passionate. In her hand the torch has been transformed from the smoldering embers of a jilted lover to a fistful of flame, a beacon, a call to rise and fight. Music is her weapon and piano keys are worn as bandoliers across her chest paying tribute to the Mexican revolutionaries Emiliano Zapata, Petra Pedro Herrera and other soldaderas in their struggle for equity and human rights." IMAGES: Alison Saar, Torch Song, 2020, wood, copper, ceiling tin, enamel paint, leather belts, and vintage piano keys, 72 x 22 x 26 in. (182.9 x 55.9 x 66 cm)

#LizaLou's delicate surfaces catch the light with tens of thousands of tiny glass beads woven together to create a subtle, undulating surface. The effect is a gentle glow that fades into blue as it traverses the work, much like the fading light of the titular afternoon. Lou’s poetic abstractions span painting and sculpture, elevating her chosen medium -- the glass bead -- firmly into the realm of high art. See this work in our online viewing room "45 in Focus: Let There Be ...Light," the first in a series of virtual presentations highlighting selections from our current exhibition "45 at 45: L.A. Louver Celebrates 45 Years with 45 Artists." https://lalouver.com/viewing-rooms/project/45-in-focus-light And/or book your visit now, and experience this work in person. https://lalouver.com/appointments.cfm IMAGE: Liza Lou, Afternoons, 2019, oil paint on woven glass beads and thread, 71 3/10 x 70 1/2 x 2 in. (181.1 x 179.1 x 5.1 cm) #lalouver #lalat45

TODAY, Oct 21, 2pm pt/5pm et -- We are going live with #MatthewBrandt on L.A. Louver's Instagram. Follow along as we venture into Brandt's studio, where the artist will describe the impetus and process behind his recent chandelier series, as well as other bodies of works in progress. With materials and mediums as far ranging as photo-fused glass, asteroid dust animations, cake icing silkscreens, daguerreotypes and uranium processed photographs -- Brandt takes traditional form...s of image capturing to unrealized territories. He'll also be answering audience questions, so now’s your chance to rack his brain! https://www.instagram.com/p/CGnRknvn977/ IMAGE: Matthew Brandt, Dining Room 8870, 2020, photo fused glass on painted metal chandelier armature, 28 x 23 x 23 in. (71.1 x 58.4 x 58.4 cm) #matthewbrandt #liveinstudio #lalouver #lalat45 #photography