Showing posts with label Los Angeles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Angeles. Show all posts

Monday, January 31, 2011

Digging In Art + Books

I wrote recently about my love of books.
Taking that a step further, 
I love wandering and perusing through bookstores. 
My favorites, are used bookstores,
especially when they are not overly categorized.
It's a sad truth though, too many sellers
have fallen by the wayside.
And yet,while the virtual world is closing in
 on the printed media,
many are impassioned to preserve and protect 
the world of books.

Enter, Michael Deyermond 
and his new shop,
"A long summer road trip across the Midwest and Northeast — places with histories of institutions and wealthy families with large libraries — saw the Equator Books vet digging through yard sales, strangers’ garages, and vintage shops to uncover tomes, most of which date from the 1930s to the 1970s.
Beyond being categorized by literature, art, and rare, the handpicked selections are intentionally left unorganized to encourage browsing. You might just stumble across a copy of Dare Wright’s The Lonely Doll, vintage hardbacks of The Old Man and the Sea, or a catalog from Irving Penn’s first show at MoMA."
via daily candy
But more than just collected tombs, 
as an artist himself he also set his sights
His first exhibition, none other than 
the art of Dennis Hopper was a very nice start.
Dennis Hopper Lips
Whether new or renewed
books and art are a perfect compliment
and hopefully, here to stay.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

MOCA Bringing it Home


Jeffrey Deitch Takes Hollywood


An Exclusive Tour of the Art Guru's New Los Angeles Home

After being appointed the new director of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) this January, former New York dealer and downtown impresario Jeffrey Deitch needed some digs on the West Coast. Seasoned aesthete that he is, to truly feel at home he needed to surround himself with the art he loves (click play above for a sneak peek of the pieces by Tim Noble and Sue Webster, Aaron Young and Andy Warhol, among many others). Deitch’s new "movie star" home, in LA’s Los Feliz neighborhood, isn't just any old Spanish revival house—it's the former residence of Cary Grant. (Meanwhile, another prominent figure in the art world is buying into Hollywood history: Larry Gagosian recently purchased Gary Cooper's old abode, in Holmby Hills.) Deitch is particularly interested in where art and entertainment merge. As part of his early activities at MOCA, he allowed his friend James Franco to film an episode of General Hospital within the museum; and the first show under his leadership was a major Dennis Hopper retrospective. For today’s short, filmmaker Alison Chernick and food artist Jennifer Rubell toured Deitch's house—including his "super Tudor-pop" party room, as he calls it—and sounded out his theories on celebrity, his new vision for MOCA, and his belief that you need a painting of Jesus over your bed.  via
I know, I am a bit obsessed with all things LA right now.

What with all the newly re-invented
 and re discovered neighborhoods,
the explosion of the foodie industry, 
and the coolest, chicest 'casual' shopping 
around, what's a girl to do?
Live vicariously of course!
From some of my favorite websites and feeds 
I can keep up on all the scenes, 
be in all the right places,
and drive the streets lined with stars.

I also love the concept of contemporary art.
In a flash of genius ("why didn't I think of that")
the simple and everyday can be converted
 to  a sublime concept.
Granted, it's not for everyone.
MOCA - Museum Of Contemporary Art
has been at the forefront from the very beginning
and staying true to the mission,
has developed one of the most extensive and 
renowned collections in the country.
xo


Wednesday, August 25, 2010

A Tale of two Coasts

You know, there's something going on here.
I am suffering from a disease for which there is
no reference on WebMD...I call it BiCoastalism.
Do you suffer like me?
I am, dare I say obsessed with entertainment
 originating in
in  New Jersey and Los Angeles.
I am a California girl, born and raised but
lately, I find my self drawn 
(like a spiral of shame) 
to all things NJ.
Have you noticed that New Jersey the east coast state
which not THAT long ago was constantly swept under the 
carpet by it's NY neighbor, is suddenly
the darling of (I) must see TV?
(How YOU doin?)...
Representing the right side...
Hmm...
But then, one cannot dismiss
the fact that the present top rated sitcom
hails from LA, as does 
several vehicles representing 
an uber cool, celebrity based, 
and by the beach lifestyle
we (I) all want a piece of.
Representing the left side...

Alright, alright, say what you will,
but I am sure there are plenty like me
who suffer in silence and yet (because) 
we cannot (refuse to) tune out the voices (TV),
we will simply have to stay tuned and wait,
for a cure.
right?

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Vintage Travel Day

Just saw on A Continuous Lean this fabulous new book from
TASCHEN  called Los Angeles, Portrait of a City.
A "photographic tribute to the City of Angels" - it is that and more.
This will be one of the best investments I make this year.
On a similar note...
 Ryan at Neat Stuff also shares some fantastic vintage glimpses
into the palm studded urban metropolis.
So, the last few days has found me obsessed about 
the beauty, the grit, the glamour, the creativity
that is and always was Los Angeles. 

Here is a taste...


I Live in Northern California and I love it here
but I grew up in LA and not until recently would I ever entertain
the idea of going back for more than just 
a short vacation.
  Right now though, there is so much happening (again) in LA -
the foodie circuit is off the charts, urban sophistication is permeating everything
and the world of art and culture is cutting edge.  
Whether through photos, daydreaming or roadtrip,
I can't wait to go back.
xo




Monday, March 15, 2010

High Art

 
Yvonne Rainier
High/Low Art: LA Billboards
 Kelsey Keith for Flavorwire
"In New York, street art is tagged on the sides of buildings and pasted on empty storefronts. In Los Angeles, a city of automatic transmissions and three-hour traffic, public art may best be presented, well, on a billboard. The MAK Center for Art & Architecture is doing just that: it has selected 21 contemporary artists to make their marks on decommissioned billboards all over West Hollywood, from Sunset Boulevard to the Santa Monica Freeway. How Many Billboards? — up through the end of March — is intended as a reflective tool in the middle of quotidian life; as the director for the project notes, “Channels are opened for experimentation, innovation, and cultural exchange.” Replacing media noise with smart art in an urban space". Genius.
 David Lamelas
 For the rest of the article and more photos jump to Flavorwire.