View of the Village

The view from the Hammer Museum gallery floor, looking past the Skylight Gardens dome towards the Fox Theater. The cupola of the Janss Dome is barely visible to the left.

I was visiting the Hammer Museum today to see the current exhibition, "Alina Szapocznikow: Sculpture Undone, 1955-1972". The show was excellent, a comprehensive and educational survey of this undeservedly obscure Polish artist.

It was a surrealistic display of biomorphic constructs, legs and breasts and lips emerging from black foam or sprouting like flowers from a plastic stem. Creepy but compelling.

Anyways, after viewing the show, I stood overlooking Westwood Village and was struck by the interesting shapes and patterns that are on view. So I took a picture to share with you. ;-)

Petit Dessert I (1970) by Alina Szapocznikow

Interesting stuff to be seen in Westwood, both in and out of the galleries.

Dreaming as the Days Go By

The Chess Queens (1944) by Muriel Streeter


I recently visited LACMA's exhibit "In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States" which was an eye-opening experience. I found it so profound for two reasons. First, the works on display were exceptionally strong, powerful expressions of surrealist aesthetics.

Second, there were many "forgotten masterpieces" on display, works that should have greater prominence and fame; I'm reasonably learned in art history, but there were many awesome pieces that were unfamiliar to me. I can't help but feel that these artists have been neglected by art historians because of gender bias. The fact that some of them were from Latin America or lived there put a double whammy on them, making them beneath the notice of the male-centric Euro-centric art cognoscenti.

So, kudos to LACMA and the Museo de Arte Moderno for putting this show together. It's about time that these treasures got the appreciation that they deserve.

Detail of Celestial Pablum (1958) by Remedios Varo


Although I found the actual layout to be confusing, the exhibit was segmented along a variety of themes that pervade the works of these artists. From the use of games and chance in composing works to the conceptualization of the Self, the exhibit examined topics both philosophical and technical. Yet, it always presented the subject in a coherent and accessible manner, never drifting off into deep Art Theory or Formal Techniques territories.

Biomechanical Nightmares

Detail of Trumpets of Jericho by H.R. Giger

Although I'm fond of dark, haunting imagery, I've never found the work of H.R. Giger appealing. There's too much authentic nihilism and a pervasive feeling of ill-will, especially towards women, to become the objects of my admiration. To be blunt, they feel malevolent.

Now, I can certainly admire the creativity and talent that went into designing such monstrosities. For all of its luridly depraved and diabolic content, Giger's work stands out as visionary masterpieces, giving form to unthinkable perdition, birthing alien horrors to stalk our nightmares. Only Hieronymous Bosch has created such powerful hellscapes.

I really don't like the subject matter, but I must admire the artistry.

Detail of The Alien by H.R. Giger

So, in honor of Giger's birthday, born in 1940, let's look at some of his works.