Art Talk

By KCRWArts Visual Arts

Art Talk episodes

December 30, 2009 Reports of My Death Are Greatly Exaggerated (Mark Twain)
Even if you've been only half awake throughout this past year, you
could not hide from the grim reality of the financial woes that made
life for so many of us extremely unsettling and worrisome. And
definitely the art world was not immune to this dramatic downward
spiral. Museums were forced to face the tough economic reality by
paring down scheduled exhibitions, cutting back staff, and putting a
freeze on new hires. Disappointing sales at art auctions and various
art fairs reinforced the sense of doom and gloom on the international
art scene, and a number of galleries were forced to close their doors.
But, as Mark Twain once said, "The reports of my death are greatly
exaggerated..."
5 min
December 23, 2009 Leaving Fashion for Art
It was not what I expected when I went to see the new film, A Single Man directed by fashion icon Tom Ford, but nevertheless, there I was, in a packed theater, following the story of a man about to die and being moved by it, but...only to a point. The acting was superb, but the same could be said about the lighting, the costume design, the sets – and for me this striving for perfection significantly lowered the emotional impact of this movie...
5 min
December 16, 2009 In New York, Drunk on Art
The day after Thanksgiving I took the red-eye to New York, and with
hardly two hours of sleep, plunged into the festive madness of
Manhattan giddily rushing toward Christmas. The first order of the day
was a long walk -- about 40 blocks -- to the Metropolitan Museum to
catch a couple small, jewel-like exhibitions before they closed the
next day...
5 min
December 09, 2009 Pope Art?
Once upon a time, many many years ago in a faraway land, lived a king
who ruled over a country which was very tiny indeed, but he was so
powerful and wealthy that other kings felt very envious. This king was
also very smart; he knew the power of art, so he searched far and wide
for the most talented and famous artists to decorate his castle with
the most beautiful tapestries, paintings and sculptures – and paid them
handsomely...
6 min
November 25, 2009 Art and Babies, Part II
When a couple of weeks ago, I shared with you the story of my friend Meridee's visit to the Getty with her 2 ½ year-old niece, your response to the adventures of this little girl on her first trip to a museum far exceeded my expectations. She was so cute, asking at the museum information booth if they had any 'pony art,' and it was so touching that the lady behind the desk took this request seriously and actually found for this tiny visitor four artworks depicting horses. And you know what? When Getty officials got wind of this story, they did some detective work and found the wonderful lady who was working the information booth on that particular day. Her name is Ann Erwin, and I want to congratulate her for doing such a splendid job...
6 min
November 18, 2009 Last Week's Trifecta
Last week Los Angeles hosted what sports fans would probably call a perfect trifecta of cultural events. First, the Museum of Contemporary Art celebrated its 30th anniversary with a huge, lavish gala attended by 1,000 art patrons, many of whom
flew in just for the occasion...
5 min
November 11, 2009 Art and Babies
Today's program has a simple and wholesome title, "Art and Babies." And the sermon I'm about to deliver has to do with the impact that art can have on the lives of our little angels. Speaking in front of a live audience, I often bring up the issue of the importance of exposing children to art at a very early age. Every young parent knows the benefit of suspending a mobile with bright shiny objects above the crib to activate the child's brain. Therefore, there is no doubt in my mind that bringing these little angels to museums, even before they are potty-trained, is wonderfully stimulating as well...
5 min
November 04, 2009 This Beauty's Looking at You, Kid
Every time I'm in New York, I never miss the chance to visit the most elegant salon on the Upper East Side of Manhattan to pay my respects to its charming hostess, famous for her beauty as well as her repose. A woman of few words, she greets you in the foyer, and you cannot help but notice that even with the passing years, her youthful glow and aura of mystique have hardly changed. She travels very rarely, but when she does, it makes the news. So when she recently accepted an invitation to come to Southern California, her friends and admirers made sure to set aside time to visit with her...
5 min
October 28, 2009 Encountering Art, Police Chief Gets Egg on His Face
So, what would you think about the LA Police Chief if you heard that he
had expressed support for a controversial public artwork installed in
front of the new police headquarters? Would you worry? Rest assured,
outgoing Police Chief William Bratton simply hates the eight monumental
bronze sculptures installed at the new LAPD...
5 min
October 21, 2009 LA Artists on Fire
For almost one hundred years, people around the world have known Los Angeles primarily as the place where movies are made. But in the last couple of decades, something else has entered into the equation: a few LA artists have achieved such international acclaim that they've become our de facto cultural ambassadors to the world at large...
5 min