Looking to do something other than Netflix and Chill? We got you. One of our funniest, most-loved & recognizable writers, Cat Call columnist, Anthony Ausgang, shares his ten favorite books on art. 1. The Recognitions, by William Gaddis 2. The Apes of God, by...
BEST OF BUNKER VISION
Since the self-isolation began, I’ve been seeing variations on the joke: “introverts have been preparing for this their whole lives.” One might well surmise that a column about things to watch in your bunker could come in handy about now. Since many of our readers may...
NICE DOGGIE
Inspiration must have been in short supply the day in 2012 that Sue Williams started Dallas, her painting featured at this year’s Frieze art fair. Like most artists, Williams undoubtedly set out to create something unique, a painting for the ages, as masterpieces are...
The Obsessive Voice of Reason
Many artists, we’ve been told, are obsessed. The way they repeat a subject, or a theme, their attention to detail or to finish, or just the impressive volume of work they produce, can only be explained by obsession. They think about feet or toast or red a lot—maybe...
Life in the Cracked Lane
Before a few weeks ago, as far as I know, I had never had direct communication with anyone who’d even heard of The Rev. Dr. Fred Lane (though I’m sure some of the LAFMS folk could prove me wrong). Lane hasn’t released anything since 1986 when Shimmy Disc dropped his...
SIGHTS UNSCENE
LABORING
Labor relations are a natural topic for film and documentaries. From the earliest days of cinema, there have been grouchy bosses. The most famous of these might be Michael Moore’s Roger and Me (1989). Strikes always provide a great context to explore the viewpoints of...
Shoptalk
LA Fair Report The fairs are bursting out all over in February—and I just have time to jot down a few notes before deadline. Photo LA (Jan. 30–Feb. 2) is going strong for its second year back on the westside, in the Barker Hangar. This is LA’s longest running fair, in...
ASK BABS The Telephone is Ringing
Dear Babs, I really liked Hans Haacke’s retrospective at The New Museum, specifically his polls that asked viewers their opinions about current news and events. It’s cool he wants his audience to interact with his art. But it got me thinking, why can’t I contact him...
New Column Debut: “Provenance”
Architectural critics have been quick to celebrate midcentury modern architects for their pointed sensitivity to a building’s environs, noting that it was this development more than any other that distinguished California modernism from other modernist movements. But...
FUNKO-DELIC
Andy Warhol predicted, “Someday, all department stores will become museums, and all museums will become department stores.” If that’s the case, then there’s a new museum in Hollywood that needs to be added to the list of L.A.’s tourist attractions. Funko, a company...
Desert XXX
There are plenty of deserts around the world. As President Trump memorably said when he abruptly pulled American troops out of Syria as a favor to the Turkish president Erdogan: “There’s a lot of sand there.” So why is it that Desert X, the organization that has put...
SIGHTS UNSCENE
Russ Meyer: FISHIN’ and TITTIN’
People have been photographing sex since the invention of cameras. But the distribution of moving images that depict actual sex acts only became possible in the early 1970s. X-rated films shown in theaters were subject to prosecution into the 1980s. As content moved...
SHOPTALK
Museums and Unions The Marciano Art Foundation has closed, abruptly and in a cloud of controversy. Since its opening in 2017, most of the employees worked part-time, handling visitor services and making close to minimum-wage salaries. On November 1, District Council...
Illustrate Your Love
Dear Babs, I’m in college majoring in illustration and minoring in fine art. My problem is some of my fine-art professors put down illustration and make it seem I can’t be part of the “Art World” and still be an illustrator. What do I do? —Stymied Student Dear Stymied...
Interview with Joanne Leah
Joanne Leah is a Brooklyn-based artist. In 2016 she founded Artists Against Censorship, a platform that catalogs artists‘ experiences with social media censorship. She currently serves as a liaison between censored artists and policymakers at Facebook and Instagram to...
Testing Russ Meyer: FISHIN’ and TITTIN’ COPY
People have been photographing sex since the invention of cameras. But the distribution of moving images that depict actual sex acts only became possible in the early 1970s. X-rated films shown in theaters were subject to prosecution into the 1980s. As content moved...