Celebrating Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA at the Getty
A few years ago an ambitious program called Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980 launched and multiple cultural institutions around Southern California participated in the comprehensive project. Immediately after the program ended work on its follow up began and, now, after 5 years of planning Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA has debuted.
Spearheaded by the Getty this months long cultural program encompasses the entire SoCal region from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Over 70 institutions are participating and offering exhibitions and performances dedicated to Latin American and Latino art.
On Tuesday I was lucky enough to preview a few of the Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA exhibits offered at the Getty. The museum is participating in a big way by offer four diverse exhibits – Golden Kingdoms: Luxury and Legacy in the Ancient Americas, Making Art Concrete: Works from Argentina and Brazil in the Coleccion Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, Photography in Argentina, 1850-2010: Contradiction and Continuity and The Metropolis in Latin America, 1830-1930. On my visit I missed the Metropolis exhibit but was able to view the remaining three.
Golden Kingdoms is a comprehensive survey of art in the Ancient Americas and features over 300 pieces dating from 1000 BC to 16th century. These pieces have rarely (and sometimes never) been since in the US. It’s a huge exhibition featuring all varieties of art from textiles to manuscripts to sculpture to painting and, as the name suggests, there is plenty of gold.
Making Art Concrete is a much smaller exhibition of modern art from the Patricia de Cisneros collection. These abstract pieces, from Argentina and Brazil, are from both famed and lesser-known artists and highlight a movement receiving it’s first comprehensive study.
Like Golden Kingdoms, Photography in Argentina is an expansive exhibit showcasing 160 years of Argentine art history. The pictures, taken by both amateur and professional photographers, showcase the diverse history of the South American country. From rare photos of the indigenous people to lush shots of the famed gauchos to heartbreaking images of political upheaval it offers a glimpse into a fascinating country.
Pacific Standard Time :LA:LA will be taking pace throughout Southern California until January 2018. To celebrate the launch of this momentous event many of the participating institutions will be offering free admission this Sunday, September 17.