The LACMA today

Today I went to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and saw two exhibits. One was a grouping of Chicano art mainly from the collection of Cheech Marin and the other was Japanese art ranging primarily from 1615-1868 from the Price collection titled The Age of Imagination.

I was very impressed with how vibrant the Chicano art was, although the themes were very versatile, some of the art felt very much like Impressionism. I have the book Chicano Visions, American Painters on the Verge by Cheech Marin and many of the paintings selected for the show were in the book. It's always wonderful to see in person works only seen before in print.

The Age of Imagination was beautiful, seeing what could be accomplished with a single brushstroke moved me. There was so much delicacy paired with a strength of confidence. The art was masterful. To quote Joe D. Price on a painting from the Kyoto school, "You will not find a single overpowering brushstroke. That is not empty space that you are seeing. What appears empty is a series of gradual shadings, carrying your eyes around the painting."

I came home and painted for a little bit, but my mind is a little dizzy from all the art I have seen. I don't think the painting I'm working on right now is interesting enough yet to post a picture of, but hopefully it will get there.