One of my favorite things to do is attend the twice annual open studio art show at the Brewery in Los Angeles. It used to be a Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery, but has since been converted into living/working lofts that can only be occupied by artists, therefore making it the largest art colony in the whole wide world (I don't know this for a fact, but that's what they say.)
This is not your typical art show, chances are your grandmother would not appreciate it, but it is fun and an opportunity to see some avant garde pieces that are definitely pushing the boundaries of the definition of art. It is a myriad of artists ranging from fine arts to photography to sculpture to just grabbing the nearest object, mounting it and calling it art. There is something for everyone, but the prices are definitely "I really think highly of myself and my work," so nothing is really a bargain. Most people. myself included, were there just to look and touch and snoop into the studio/living spaces. I always feel like a child at Halloween, going from door to door, not knowing what to expect from one house to the other. Sometimes it was a treat, other times it was a trick. Every studio is different, and I would move into any one of them in a minute.
I would have liked to have stayed all day, but it was getting crowded and the people I was with were getting bored.
I have been attending this event quite regularly over the years and I realize it is getting a tad bit too commercial, with not enough of the little, lesser known artists exhibiting. My daughter and I were disappointed that the woman who usually sells cupcakes that she makes right there in her oven while selling her artwork, has moved on. There wasn't as much free complimentary food in the studios and the artists really didn't engage as in the past. I myself, think it would be a major pain, to have to clean not only your studio but also your living quarters, only to have thousands of people traipse through and criticize your work/studio/home. I would never get my house/studio cleaned in time, so it would never happen anyway.
the brewery reminds me of the torpedo factory in old town alexandria, va. you are so lucky to live in an area where there is so much to do and so much culture. you definitely take advantage of it all, don't you?
Posted by: cindy | April 09, 2008 at 05:40 AM