At the end of his review of ”Best in Art” in 2011 review, LA Times art critic Christopher Knight wrote that in his view the ”worst development” of the year was  “the institutional confusion of fashion with art.” This after the “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” show at the Met attracted over 660,000 people, making it their eighth most well-attended show, ever.
Clearly MOCA is not daunted by such a charge, as its director Jeffrey Deitch readies for his third exhibit of fashion by California clothing designers with an artistic vision. It will be about the marvelous work of Rudi Gernreich, …

If you’re like me, you probably didn’t know that the largest collection of puppets in the country is right here in Southern California, in a nondescript back building of a church on Fair Oaks avenue in Pasadena, where it shares space with the church’s weekly AA meeting. And if you didn’t know that then you also wouldn’t know that it’s probably not going to be there for much longer. That is unless something is done soon…

If you grew up, as I did, in the age of glam rock followed by punk, you tend to think that the point of being a rock star is to strut your stuff and have fun with clothes, the zanier and less like regular life the better. So, from a purely style perspective I’ve been perplexed by many of today’s indie rock bands, that seem to make a point of making no statement whatever with clothes, nor any kind of stagey sexual persona. This was on my mind during …

Historic architecture meets alternative music tomorrow night at KCRW’s benefit concert, and there are some tickets still available. KCRW’s Beth Topping wrote this reminder about why the building is just one more good reason (in addition to Jimmy Cliff, Iron and Wine and a host of other great performers) to attend our concert:
At 85 years old, The Orpheum is youngest of the historic theaters in the Broadway theater district of downtown Los Angeles.  It was the last vaudeville house in Los Angeles that was part of the famous Orpheum Circuit — a …

Sad news last night that John Neuhart,  longtime Eames office members designer and writer of books about the Eames, passed yesterday.
This happens on the eve of a show celebrating the Eames – Eames Words, co-designed by Deborah Sussman who in an interview just last week recalled the spontaneous parties on the beach for which John and Marilyn Neuhart would design the invites.
Deborah is a guest on today’s show, along with Living In A Modern Way curators Wendy Kaplan, Bobbye Tigerman, architects Craig Hodgetts and Ming Fung, and Gloria Gerace, all talking …

Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
Tapping into children’s instinctive artistry, A+D Museum, currently exhibiting Rethink LA, has also joined forces with veteran LA environmental design firm Sussman/Prezja to host what sounds like a fabulous design workshop for kids. It’s called   ’MUSEUM OF ME’ ARkidECTURE + design WORKSHOP and takes place this Saturday at Sussman/Prezja’s Los Angeles HQ. Open to children ages 7-12; parents can attend too.
The $10 workshop, says A+D, is led by “professional designers,” and ”ARkidTECTS will create their …

In the blogosphere everything is supposed to be instant, but for those who do not mind reflecting on an event after the fact, here is Sunil Rampersad’s photo-essay of this year’s Dwell on Design conference. See Sunil’s unique perspective on the 405 and Carmageddon, here.

Ed shows off his public transportation, TAP card.
Sunil Rampersad also reviewed the presentations at DOD.
One of my favorite moments of DOD 2011 did not even happen at the conference. On my way there the Blue line wasn’t running and commuters had to take a shuttle bus. As the bus I was on was about to leave who should hurry on but Ed Begley Jr., his presenter’s badge dangling round his neck. Towering above everyone else on the bus, Ed seemed flustered, especially when it seemed like the bus was …

Hot off the Art in the Streets show at MOCA, which brings together the “best” of 40-years plus of street and skateboard art, comes the annual Venice Artwalk and its kick-off event, a skate and surfboard auction. Up for auction will be skate decks featuring art by 70+ artists including Dogtown and Z-Boys; plus custom-shaped surf boards “tatted” by local tattoo legends. All the proceeds go to the vital Venice Family Clinic.  Below are the deets; listen to this DnA for a fascinating conversation with artists — Shepard Fairey, Lee …

Love it or hate it, Art In The Streets  at MOCA is getting lots of buzz, and raising some fascinating questions, some of which we address on today’s DnA: when does graffiti become art? Who gets to enter the hallowed halls of the art world? And what about the “real” street artists who get left out? In putting together the show, I got to speak to some fascinating people, among them “cholo” graffiti writer, and one of the patriarchs of the LA graffiti community,  Chaz Bojorquez. Not only is …