Art
What is the Role of the Artist?
LOS ANGELES — "What is the role of the artist?" I'm used to hearing this question in college seminars and rant sessions after opening parties. Artist Sheryl Oring tried a different tack.
AX Mina
AX Mina is an artist and culture writer exploring contemporary spirituality, technology and other sundry topics. She co-produces Five and Nine, a podcast about magic, work, and economic justice, and serves on the board of the Rabkin Foundation.
News
Today Only: Remembering Mike Kelley in Eagle Rock
LOS ANGELES — LA's art world has been in mourning ever since artist Mike Kelley died earlier this month, an apparent suicide. At the College Art Association conference and at various events, artists and art lovers are finding ways to remember him and keep his work alive. The most poignant and effect
Art
Talking Tech: A Report from the College Art Association Conference
LOS ANGELES — It's just been the first two days at the College Art Association conference, and people are talking tech. Or maybe I'm just attending the tech-oriented panels. The first panel I sat on spoke on internationalizing the practice of art history. Immediately, it felt like the voice of God w
Opinion
A Public Library Made From a Phone Booth
LOS ANGELES — His name is almost too perfect for an artist-architect engaging with urban space. John Locke, not to be confused with the late Father of Liberalism, has been marrying two soon-to-be archaic devices in a charming way. Traveling around Manhattan, he's been carrying objects called books a
Opinion
Rollercoasters and Wall Scaling: Two Argentinian Artists Play with the City
LOS ANGELES — Ever wanted to take a roller coaster through Buenos Aires? How about an invisible one? Yeah, me too. Argentinian film director Fernando Livschitz has released a new video of roller coasters cutting through the lovely streets of the country's capital.
Art
New Beta Site Helps You Make an App for Free
LOS ANGELES — It comes up in every conversation I have with art-and-technology types. "I have an app idea," a friend will say. But then comes the inevitable question: "Do you know any developers?"
Opinion
Breaking: Getting Drunk and Losing Sleep are Good for Creativity
LOS ANGELES — I know a lot of artists who get drunk a lot. I know a lot of artists who are sleepy half the time. It just so happens that these artists are also very creative.
Art
New Summer Program Puts Students in the Studio
LOS ANGELES — The arts have a long tradition of apprenticeship and mentorship. Somewhere along the way, the expected career path of a professional artist turned into days in the classroom studying art theory and private time in a cramped studio, followed by huge student loan debts.
Opinion
Rainy Cityscapes in Paris and Hong Kong
LOS ANGELES — I love the rain, and especially the aesthetic of rain. I always think back to the work of Hiroshige, whose rainy woodcut prints famously inspired Van Gogh's impressionistic landscapes.
Opinion
A Conceptual Symphony of Car Horns Across LA
LOS ANGELES — This week, New York artist Zefrey Throwell flew in to create the Entropy Symphony, a series of aural interventions around the world. The LA edition was an orchestrated movement in five parts of some 1,000 cars across the Southland. Each participant received an mp3 attuned to their car
News
Censored Iranian Filmmaker Shoots Film Entirely on iPhones
LOS ANGELES — Last year, Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi was sentenced to six years in prison for "propaganda against the state." In addition to the prison sentence, he was banned from making films for twenty years. But his latest film is shot entirely on iPhones.
Opinion
Missed the Pacific Standard Time Festival? Watch the YouTube Channel
LOS ANGELES — Pacific Standard Time, the major celebration of California's artistic heritage, recently hosted the Pacific Standard Time Festival, a curated selection of performance and public art throughout Los Angeles. Fortunately for those of you not based in Los Angeles, there's YouTube, and the