LA gets a piece of Glen Ligon.

Glen Ligon's work is smart, it is beautiful, it is a commentary on black America, it will be on show in a mid-career retrospective at LACMA starting Sunday.

Consider the following part non-sequitor and part warning. Glen Ligon is a Wesleyan graduate. This is a general guarantee of awesome.

Gary Baseman’s “Giggle and Pop!” at LACMA.

If anyone could make dancing creatures and ladies in retro style-dress work, that would be Gary Baseman. His beloved ChouChou character will be coming to life tomorrow at LACMA's ArtWalk 2010 in a one day series of performances, 'Giggle and Pop!' And because I couldn't possibly describe this bizarre event taking over Mid-Wilshire, I'll paste the press release below for your reference.

Do go say hello to my dear friend Gary and his dear inventions, the ChouChous and the Tar Pit Girls, dancing all day tomorrow for your enjoyment!

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Saturday, June 12, 2010
Performances 12pm, 1pm, and 3pm
(with vignettes in between and until 4pm)

LACMA MUSE, in conjunction with ArtWalk 2010: The Los Angeles Arts & Music Festival, will feature a special performance created by Gary Baseman. Presented in the artist’s favorite childhood haunt of the La Brea Tar Pits, “Giggle and Pop!” will feature Baseman’s ChouChous and the Tar Pit Girls. The 24 characters will engage the crowds at the park and museum, spreading festive vibes and artful amusement.

Choreographed by Sarah Elgart, and featuring a song by Carina Round, this dynamic experience will create new and alternative memories of one of LA’s major landmark areas. Creating an atmosphere of whimsy and wonder, attendees who join the jollity by dancing or playing will receive limited-edition sashes with original art by Gary Baseman.

“Giggle and Pop!” references Baseman’s paintings from “I Melt in Your Presence” (2007), “Hide and Seek in the Forest of ChouChou” (2007), and “La Noche de la Fusíon” (2009). The original tale takes place during a time when evil demons dominated the Forest of ChouChou where the Wild Girls lived. Chaos and misery, fires and ugliness were so abundant and powerful that the Girls could not easily love. The ChouChous, however, were mysterious heroic creatures who appeared then took away and absorbed the negative energy and hate from the Girls, oozing creamy gooey love from their belly buttons. For the LACMA event, the Wild Girls are Tar Pit Girls, positively altered with the love of ChouChou.

OK Go is still viral. And still awesome.

OK Go has earned and impressed fans with their creative music vids since day one (you surely remember their treadmill video?). And though the viral nature of their distribution was recently threatened by the band's label, EMI (you can read the band's response to the label's restrictions here), they're still plugging away. They premiered their latest video of single 'This Too Shall Pass' via YouTube yesterday. It's embeddable (thank you EMI!). And it's a-flipping-mazing.

Imagine my childhood fave game Mouse Trap. But awesomer and lifesize.



Directed by James Frost, OK Go and Syyn Labs.

And hey Angelenos--OK Go will be hosting a fundraiser concert on March 5th at LACMA. Get tickets. Support art, good music, and LA hipsters.

art in LA (and beyond): Gronk's hotness in black & white.

If you missed the closing night of Mondo Gronk at the CB1 Gallery in Downtown LA this past weekend, the exhibition travels next to Madrid. After that, you can catch Gronk's sexy black and whites on exhibit back at LACMA come 2011. Yum.

Colors & Kookiness at LACMA

Last night I went to LACMA for its free live Jazz Fridays. Snooky Young was on stage before a packed house. But between the filled rows of seats, the cameras flashing, and the museum's security fascists, it was hard to see the stage. So I gave up trying and walked the grounds with Snooky's jazz sounds in the background.

Despite the end of summer upon us, the courtyard and lawn of LACMA are still in full, colorful bloom with public art installations, brightly hued sculptures and strangely sheared visitors.




(Mom never knew that I was used as a skate...And that is why my nose is scraped.)

The RSVP Line (Weekend Edition): Fashion's Night Out + Princess Bride + Volunteer

Here's what's happening this weekend, from shopping to screening to doing very, very good by some kiddies in need...

THURSDAY, September 10th

* New York's Fashion's Night Out may have Anna Wintour, Mayor Bloomberg and the cast of Hairspray, but Angelenos want to shop as well. Our very own LA FASHION'S NIGHT OUT is tomorrow. With fashion staples like Neiman Marcus, Fred Segal, 3.1 Philip Lim, American Rag Cie, and TOMS Shoes and Trovata amongst those participating, LA measures up quite nicely. Peep the entire schedule of events c/o LA Times' Image Section. Go forth and stimulate the retail economy in style.

FRIDAY, September 11th

* Remember that fairytale flick from the 80s? The one with a warthog, a giant, Mandy Pantinkin and the awesomely happy ending? Well, THE PRINCESS BRIDE is screening for FREE this Friday--the first of a Brand X sponsored Friday night screening series at the Santa Monica Pier. Tickets are comped, but you've got to pick 'em up. Click here for info on when and where.

* Also this Friday, live Jazz at LACMA. Bring a blanket, a bottle of wine and a hot date and get cozy on the lawn. It's [almost] like going to the Bowl but without the stacked parking.

* And photographer Marco Bollinger celebrates the opening of his show at Frank.Studio at Bergamot Station from 7 - 11 p.

SATURDAY, September 12th

* Do something worthwhile this weekend. 826LA, the rad non-profit that helps foster creative and writing skills in the wee ones, is accepting new volunteers. This Saturday is a NEW VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION AT 826LA EAST. Sign up for the session and join me there.

art in LA: Los Angeles Art Weekend

This weekend is Los Angeles Art Weekend, produced by our buddies at FourYourArt. Arm yourself with those glasses--you know, the ones that make you look semi-intelligent--and your smartest, artsiest friends and go get yourself some culture.