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Weisman Museum Celebrates 15th Anniversary with New 'Made in California' Exhibit
Charles Arnoldi
Fault, 1973
Acrylic on sticks
92 x 100 x 7-3/4 inches
The Pepperdine University Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art in Malibu will open its doors for the new exhibit Made in California: Contemporary California Art from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation through Sunday, Dec. 16, in conjunction with the museum's 15th anniversary celebration. Members of the public are invited to meet the artists at a reception on Saturday, Sept. 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. Families and children are also invited to explore their artistic sides with free activities on family art day, Saturday, Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Since the 1960s California has emerged as a center for contemporary art that rivals New York in its accomplishments and exciting variety. Frederick Weisman was a pioneering collector whose rise as an important patron of the arts paralleled the emergence of the contemporary art scene in Los Angeles. He counted many of the city's top artists as his close friends and built a collection that reflects these personal relationships. This selection of works by California artists, chosen to mark the 15th anniversary of the Weisman Museum at Pepperdine, celebrates the state's creative vision.
The art on view represents a number of exciting and diverse movements that played a decisive role in defining the visual arts in the Golden State. So much of contemporary art traces its roots to the free spontaneity of 1950s Abstract Expressionism, a movement embodied in the improvisational color-field paintings of Sam Francis. During the 1960s many artists adopted the impeccable, smooth finishes of hot rods and surfboards which led to the Fetish Finish movement, as seen in works by Larry Bell and Craig Kauffman. Possibly because of its connections to the entertainment industry, Southern California also spawned art infused with deadpan wit and humor, as seen in examples by Edward Ruscha and Joe Goode. In the California Light and Space movement, artists created works that reflect the broad glow of our environment, represented by pieces by Mary Corse, Peter Lodato, and Peter Erskine. Newer movements, such as Postmodernism, can be found in the Appropriation Art of John Baldessari and the fantastic constructions of Tim Hawkinson.
The museum, located on the Pepperdine campus in Malibu, is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed on Mondays and major holidays. There is no admission charge. For more information on the exhibit and upcoming exhibits, please visit the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art Web site.
