Under the Big Black Sun: California Art 1974-1981

perfect

Just what my son wanted for his birthday

Great book, cheaply made.

As curator MOCA Paul Schimmel states, UNDER THE BIG BLACK SUN, a major part of the Art in Los Angeles Retrospective and contemporary series of exhibition throughout the Los Angles Basin museums, theaters, and galleries through the course of a year (collectively called (PACIFIC STANDARD TIME), is 'a story of artistic diversity erupting from social upheaval.' This enormous show (500 works by 139 artists) addresses the explosive emergence of pluralism in art. Pluralism, rather than a single movement like 1950s Abstract Expressionist painting or 1960s Finish Fetish sculpture, recognizes that artistic energy is broad and diverse. The century-long linear march of Modern art styles, never very convincing, finally fell apart. As one art critic has summarized 'What caused the crack-up? The title -- "UBBS" for short -- gives a clue, coming from a 1982 album by L.A. punk band X. The show focuses on the period's disturbing social and political climate. Its dates bracket Richard Nixon's ouster from the presidency in 1974 and Ronald Reagan's unlikely inauguration in 1981. These two California Republicans, their presidential tenures coinciding with the statewide emergence of a Democratic majority, are emblematic of a conflicted time. The exhibition opens with a savvy display of Nixon's resignation speech and Gerald Ford's controversial pardon order, absolving the disgraced leader of legal threats. Surrounding paintings and sculptures focus on trauma, grief and decay.'The book/catlogue for this compelling exhibition is an artwork in and of itself. There are erudite essays by Paul Schimmel, Lisa Gabrielle Mark, Frances Colpitt, Thomas Crow, and Charles Desmarais, each of whom adds to the unfathomable riches that occurred in the art world from 1974 to 1981 - from installation art to representational painting, from conceptual art to performance art, and from video to photography. Artists represented here include Terry Schoonhoven, Ed Ruscha, Robert Arneson, Robert Arneson, Lyn Foulkes and many others. 'Pluralism was to art what concurrently expanding civil rights for blacks, women, Chicanos, gays and lesbians were to society. The media-mad '60s consolidated something new in the United States, as art began to find a larger audience. Newcomers were open to more than what the narrow master-narrative offered. Pluralism is sometimes mischaracterized as meaning "anything goes." In reality, not everything does go. Instead, subjects, themes and forms that were once marginal suddenly found room to breathe. Art neatly packaged for critical and commercial consumption lost traction.'To truly experience the impact of this exhibition it is necessary to visit the museum and experience the endlessly fascinating works on display and for watching and hearing. But this is one time that a catalogue/book manages to pull it all together as an appetizer for the public who will not be able to visit the museum. And over time, this book will likely be one of the main resources for art historians studying the strange art that is Los Angeles. Grady Harp, October 11