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18/9/2010

The Artist's Museum

MOCA at the Geffen Contemporary, Los Angeles

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), presents a showcase of works by over 140 artists who have helped shape the artistic dialogue in Los Angeles since the founding of MOCA over 30 years ago. The Artist’s Museum will open on September 19, 2010, at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA; and October 31, 2010, at MOCA Grand Avenue. This exhibition will represent the diversity and uniqueness of the Los Angeles community, and highlight important works from legendary L.A. artists who remain vital and influential alongside those emerging from renowned local art schools, visionary artists associated with various street cultures and subcultures, and crossover artists connected to performance, music, and film. This special presentation will draw from MOCA’s permanent collection, supplemented by key loans from local collectors and artists, featuring over 250 works, including a number of new projects made especially for this occasion.

"Los Angeles is an incredibly hospitable city for artists to live and make their work in, and, as a result, this city is rich with the most innovative, talented, and groundbreaking artists of our time," said MOCA Associate Curator Rebecca Morse.

The three decades represented within The Artist’s Museum touch on several generations of artists whose careers parallel and intersect with MOCA’s own development as a major contemporary art institution. The exhibition underlines the museum’s important role in shaping and supporting the artistic landscape of Los Angeles while looking beyond the museum’s own history to embrace artists who have helped transform the city into an internationally recognized center for artists from all over the world. It is possible to trace lines of influence and association within the exhibition, as it encompasses a range of relationships—from teachers and students, to mentors, friends, and collaborators.

"The Artist’s Museum pays tribute to the breadth of immense talent in this city, tracing an evolution possible only in Los Angeles, where there is such an active intersection of disciplines," commented MOCA Director Jeffrey Deitch.

Based on a nickname that has been used to describe MOCA from its inception, The Artist’s Museum also honors artists’ ongoing involvement with MOCA, which was founded in 1979 on the premise that it should exist for the benefit of contemporary artists. During the late 1970s, a group of 150 artists came together to discuss the creation of a new museum dedicated to contemporary art in Los Angeles. As a result, an Artist’s Advisory Council of 15 members was formed to make recommendations on all of the issues associated with building a museum. As part of the exhibition, two galleries will feature works by artists on the Advisory Council, including Lita Albuquerque, Peter Alexander, Karen Carson, Vija Celmins, Guy Dill, Fred Eversley, Sam Francis, Robert Heinecken, Robert Irwin, Gary Lloyd, Peter Lodato, Joe Ray, Roland Reiss, Alexis Smith, DeWain Valentine, and Tom Wudl.

MOCA has continued to honor the legacy of that original group by appointing artists to its Board of Trustees, including current Trustees John Baldessari, Barbara Kruger, Catherine Opie, and Edward Ruscha. The museum has consistently aimed to be a major resource for local artists, bringing the Los Angeles arts community into dialogue with nationally and internationally renowned artists—not only through its exceptional collection, but also through a diverse array of exhibitions and programs.

The Artist’s Museum spans both of MOCA’s downtown Los Angeles buildings. Works at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA will comprise primarily sculpture and installation, and MOCA Grand Avenue will feature painting, photography, and works on paper. Doug Aitken’s Electric Earth, (1999) a hyperkinetic fable of modern life in the form of an 8-channel video installation, will be on view for the first time ever at MOCA as part of The Artist’s Museum. Also included in the exhibition will be work by artist Robbie Conal; Thomas Houseago’s monumental sculpture Sprawling Octopus Man (2009), a new acquisition; Mike Kelley’s large-scale installation Pay for Your Pleasure (1999); an installation by Amanda Ross-Ho based on Double Tragedy Wall (2007) from MOCA’s collection; Jennifer Steinkamp’s video installation Swell (1995); and a performance by Vaginal Davis. Jim Isermann will create a new project for the Eli and Edythe L. Broad Reception Hall at MOCA Grand Avenue, and artist Pae White will design the graphic identity for the exhibition. The exhibition is organized for MOCA by Associate Curator Rebecca Morse, in collaboration with a curatorial team that includes Director Jeffrey Deitch, Director of Publications Lisa Gabrielle Mark, Curator Alma Ruiz, and Associate Curator Bennett Simpson. The Artist’s Museum expands on a collection show originally conceived by Chief Curator Paul Schimmel, that considered the work of Los Angeles artists in a local context, following Collection: MOCA’s First Thirty Years, which presented Los Angeles artists in an international context.

The Artist's Museum is made possible by endowment support from the Sydney Irmas Exhibition Endowment.
The exhibition is generously supported by Mandy and Cliff Einstein.
Major support is provided by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation.
Generous additional support is provided by BCBG Max Azria Group.
In-kind media support is provided by Los Angeles magazine.

Image: Doug Aitken, Electric Earth, 1999. Eight DVD installation, edition 3/4 Dimensions variable. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles Partial and promised gift of David Teiger in honor of Jeremy Strick

Media contacts
Lyn Winter, director of communications Tel 213/633-5390 lwinter@moca.org
Jessica Youn, pr coordinator Tel 213/ 633-5322 jyoun@moca.org

September 19, 2010–January 24, 2011
The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA

October 31, 2010–January 31, 2011
MOCA Grand Avenue

MOCA at the Geffen Contemporary
152 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles
MOCA Grand Avenue and The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA are open 11am to 5pm on Monday and Friday; 11am to 8pm on Thursday; 11am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday; and closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
General admission is $10 for adults; $5 for students with I.D. and seniors (65+); and free for MOCA members, children under 12, jurors with I.D., active military, and everyone on Thursdays from 5pm to 8pm, courtesy of Wells Fargo.

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