Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

02/24/2021

UTC Family ArtLAB: Take-Home Edition

Reserve your UTC Family ArtLAB: Take-Home Edition kit!

Families are invited to explore sculptures by American sculptor Beverly Pepper at a social distance at Westfield UTC throughout the year and on this Saturday, February 27 can pick up this month's art activity experimenting with watercolor and salt to create unique colors found in Pepper's sculptures, called patina.

This program is free and recommended for families with children ages five and older.

Exciting news! The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) is hosting another ArtLab event!

02/24/2021

Join us every last Friday of the month for live screenings of film and video works from the Museum’s permanent collection. This month, we will present Isaac Julien's 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯.

One of Julien’s earliest films, 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯, explores the life of Black poet Langston Hughes (1902–1967) and the Harlem Renaissance. Combining archival material with dreamlike, surrealist scenes, the film also addresses Julien’s own experiences and those of his peers: the lives of Black artists, the complexities of gay desire, and the AIDS epidemic. Against an oppressive and violent backdrop, Julien’s imagined dance hall is a kind of escape, one that might be found in either a 1920s speakeasy in Harlem or a 1980s gay club in London.

His cinematic style draws on a range of source material, from the homoerotic photographs of George Platt Lynes or Robert Mapplethorpe to the work of Black photographers James Van Der Zee and Roy DeCarava . The varied narration of the film also intertwines Hughes’s words with those of Bruce Nugent and Essex Hemphill. Examining the relationships among figures from distant historical moments, Julien creates a complex world for Black, gay life through photography, film, and language.

The film will be presented for free on Friday, February 27, at 5:00 PM PST. Find the livestream on our YouTube channel and page.

02/23/2021

Like the other artists in 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦, when Louise Nevelson ventured to Tamarind to produce lithographs, it was the first time she had experimented with lithography. Nevelson is best recognized for her monumental, wooden wall pieces and outdoor sculptures constructed from found objects and fragmented scrap pieces that she assembled into something wholly new. Though Nevelson is primarily known as a sculptor, the drafting table was also inextricably linked to her practice.

Nevelson’s first collaboration with Tamarind took place between May and June of 1963, when she created a suite of twenty-six untitled editions. Nevelson produced prints that explored many of the same themes she was working on in her sculptures, but on a printed surface.

Explore this work and more in our digital exhibition 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 on view at mcasd.org/eos.

[#LouiseNevelson, Untitled (1963) from the #MCASD Collection © 2021 Estate of Louise Nevelson/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York]

02/23/2021

Our monthly film series, Friday Films, continues this Friday, February 26 with a online screening of Isaac Julien's 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯.

One of Julien’s earliest films, 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯, explores the life of Black poet Langston Hughes (1902–1967) and the Harlem Renaissance. Combining archival material with dreamlike, surrealist scenes, the film also addresses Julien’s own experiences and those of his peers: the lives of Black artists, the complexities of gay desire, and the AIDS epidemic. Against an oppressive and violent backdrop, Julien’s imagined dance hall is a kind of escape, one that might be found in either a 1920s speakeasy in Harlem or a 1980s gay club in London.

Learn more about this artwork: mcasd.org/julien

The film will be presented starting at 5:00 PM PST on our YouTube channel and page and will be available to watch throughout the weekend. Join us every last Friday of the month for live screenings of film and video works from the Museum’s permanent collection.

[#IsaacJulien, 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯 1989/2016 fromi the #MCASD Collection]

02/19/2021

Experiments on Stone: Four Women Artists from the Tamarind Lithography Workshop

Anni Albers. Ruth Asawa. Gego. Louise Nevelson. Four women artists experimenting with printmaking at the Tamarind Lithography Workshop. Explore our latest digital exhibition now > mcasd.org/eos

02/18/2021

We need your help! Please take our survey about how MCASD, and museums broadly, can better support and engage you in 2021!

⫸⫸⫸ mcasd.org/survey ⫷⫷⫷

Thank you in advance for your time and thoughts!

02/15/2021

Ruth Asawa turned to printmaking in 1965 when she was awarded a Tamarind fellowship in September of that year. During this residency, Asawa created several figurative works that ranged in style from frenetic yet intimate renderings of friends and family to precise portraits on a larger scale. In her print 𝘈𝘪𝘬𝘰 (TAM. 1473), Asawa pictures one of her children in a method that recalls the ink washes of her works on paper.

Explore this work and more in our digital exhibition 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦: 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘺 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 on view at mcasd.org/eos or via the link in our bio.

[#RuthAsawa, 𝘈𝘪𝘬𝘰 (TAM.1473) (1965) from the #MCASD Collection © 2021 Estate of Ruth Asawa / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York]

02/13/2021

In this month's UTC Family ArtLAB: Take-Home Edition, families can experiment with watercolor and salt to understand some of the reactions that create those unique colors found in Beverly Pepper's sculptures on view at Westfield UTC, called patina.

Reserve your take-home kit: eventbrite.com/e/140106727995 and then pick it up at Westfield UTC on Saturday, February 27. This program is free and recommended for families with children ages five and older.

02/13/2021

We are bringing back Made by X, our hands-on, art-making event, next Wednesday, February 17 at 5 PM PST! In celebration of the new exhibition 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦, artist Griselda Rosas will lead participants in an exercise that will examine the ‘inverse’ of printmaking. Rosas was awarded the San Diego Art Prize in 2020, and her worked was featured in the exhibition 𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘠𝘰𝘶/ 𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘲𝘶í 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘰 at MCASD in 2018.

Reserve your spot today via the link below. You'll need clay, acrylic paint and other affordable and easy materials to gather prior to the event. The full list of materials is available at registration. Space is limited, so please reserve your spot today! > mcasd.org/madebyxgr

02/12/2021

Experiments on Stone — MCASD: Digital

Our latest digital exhibition, 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦: 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘺 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱, explores the prints produced by Anni Albers, Ruth Asawa, Gego, and Louise Nevelson at the Tamarind Lithography Workshop during the 1960s.

ESPAÑOL Drawn from the Museum’s permanent collection, Experiments on Stone: Four Women Artists from the Tamarind Lithography Workshop explores the prints produced by a group of artists at the Tamarind Lithography Workshop. Anni Albers, Ruth Asawa, Gego, and Louise Nevelson each completed two-mon...

02/10/2021

Arts & Culture Newsletter: MCASD puts women lithographers front and center

Thanks to The San Diego Union-Tribune for spotlighting 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦: 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘺 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱, our latest digital exhibition.

Explore now > mcasd.org/eos

This week, San Diego Symphony's Digital Season, La Jolla Playhouse's 'A Thousand Ways,' Coronado Playhouse's 'cul-de-sac' and more

02/09/2021

This Thursday, February 11 at 11 AM PST, join assistant curator Alana Hernandez and artist María Verónica San Martín for a conversation on Instagram Live as part of the charlas series. The Charlas present conversations between exhibition curator Hernandez and contemporary artists where they will discuss their practice in relation to the works presented in the digital exhibition 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦: 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘺 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱.

Through prints, artist books, installation, sculpture, and performance, New York and Santigo-based artist María Verónica San Martín explores the impacts of history, memory, and trauma. Her work is in more than fifty collections including the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and the Centre Pompidou, Paris. San Martín has been performing and lecturing her Moving Memorial series and Dignidad project since 2016 and is currently teaching at the New York Center for Book Arts.

02/08/2021

Now on view digitally: 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦: 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘺 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 > View on MCASD: Digital > mcasd.org/eos

Drawn from the Museum’s permanent collection, 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 explores the prints produced by a group of artists at the Tamarind Lithography Workshop. Anni Albers, Ruth Asawa, Gego, and Louise Nevelson each completed two-month fellowships at Tamarind during the 1960s. Though they did not overlap with one another during their residencies, the connective thread between their varied bodies of work is the workshop itself.

02/07/2021

Local arts institutions receive Getty Foundation research grants

MCASD is one of 45 SoCal partners creating the next Pacific Standard Time, the region-wide collaboration that will explore intersections of art and science. Thanks to a generous grant, research begins now, with programs to follow and exhibitions opening in 2024.

Our project 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘈𝘳𝘵, 𝘐𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺 will shed light on the pervasive role medical science plays in our daily lives and how it has transformed our understanding of human bodies.

#PSTinLA #artsci #sciart

Funds to help San Diego museums and organizations prepare for regional Pacific Standard Time showcase

02/06/2021

MCASD and The Menil Collection are pleased to announce 𝘕𝘪𝘬𝘪 𝘥𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘗𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 1960𝘴.

The exhibition, which will debut in Houston this fall and head to San Diego next spring, is the first show to focus on the experimental work of French American artist Niki de Saint Phalle during this time period, featuring a number of works from European collections that will be displayed in the United States for the first time.

𝘕𝘪𝘬𝘪 𝘥𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘗𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 1960𝘴 will be on view at The Menil from September 10, 2021–January 2, 2022 and will be the inaugural special exhibition at our flagship location in Spring 2022.

Image: Niki de Saint Phalle, "Pirodactyl over New York," 1962. Paint, plaster, and various objects on two wood panels, 98 3/8 × 122 × 11 3/8 inches (249.9 × 309.9 × 28.9 cm). Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. © Niki Charitable Art Foundation / Adagp

02/04/2021

"Photographs are ambiguous, no matter how seemingly scientific they appear to be. They are always subject to an uncontrollable context."—Taryn Simon, the American multidisciplinary artist who works in photography, text, sculpture, and performance, celebrates her birthday today.

Simon’s research-based practice interrogates cultural and political institutions in order to unsettle the ways in which information is classified, organized, and disseminated. In a 2000 assignment for the New York Times Magazine, Simon photographed individuals freed from death row after their convictions were overturned. Two years later, Simon traveled across the U.S. to photograph and interview men who had been found guilty and served prison sentences for crimes they did not commit.

Simon places her subjects at sites integral to their investigations, from crime scenes to locations where suspects were arrested. In this image, Frederick Daye is shown at the scene of his alibi. Numerous people testified to Daye’s location there, but their testimony was not enough to counter the misidentification. Simon produced this image as if it might have provided evidence to prove Daye’s innocence. The work’s descriptive title functions as an informational caption, providing the necessary context. As much as the project undermines the notion of photography as an unbiased document, it also emphasizes the importance of subjectivity: placing images in context, scrutinizing the fallibility of memory, and examining the thin line between fact and fiction.

[#TarynSimon, 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘦, 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘪 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘵 310, 𝘚𝘢𝘯 𝘋𝘪𝘦𝘨𝘰, 𝘊𝘈. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 13 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 10 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘙𝘢𝘱𝘦, 𝘒𝘪𝘥𝘯𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘝𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘧𝘵 2002 from the #MCASD Collection]

01/29/2021

MuseumsForMasks

Join museums across CA in supporting CA’s COVID-19 health guidelines:

😷 Wear your mask
📏 Keep your distance (6 ft+)
🏠 Stay home if you’re sick
🖐️ Wash your hands frequently
🔊 Share to show your support and tag #MuseumsForMasks!

Thanks SoCal Museums and California Association of Museums for organzing!

01/28/2021

“I am for an art that grows up not knowing it is art at all.”—Claes Oldenburg, the Swedish-born American sculptor best known for his public art installations typically featuring large replicas of everyday objects, turns 92 #onthisday. Happy Birthday, Claes!

[#ClaesOldenburg, 𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵/𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘰𝘳 1975 from the #MCASD Collection]

01/27/2021

"The energy drain was one of the main purposes of the piece and that of course increased with time until I was worn out and couldn’t move at all… every part of my body ended up being used.”—Barry Le Va explaining to a curator after his physical endurance performance in our 1970 exhibition 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴: 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪-𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮, which brought together Le Va, Sol LeWitt, Robert Barry and others to herald the new genre of dematerialized art. Le Va passed away this week at 79 and we are remembering this moment.

In 𝘝𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘗𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦, Le Va Investigated the relationship between physical endurance and the external space of an architecturally constructed environment. The artist ran back and forth between two opposite walls placed 49 feet apart, impacting violently against them before hurling himself back into space until he was no longer able continue. After the performance, evidence of the piece was apparent on the blood splattered walls and in the stereo sound recording in our La Jolla museum.

[#BarryLeVa, 𝘝𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘗𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 (1970) from our 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴: 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪-𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮 exhibition]

01/27/2021

A central figure of performance and video art since the 1960s, Joan Jonas has created her own universe of familiar symbols, drawn from poetry and literature as well as global traditions, rituals, and mythologies. A basic and consistent element in her practice is drawing, itself a performance of gesture and language.

Jonas’s single-channel video 𝘋𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘓𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘳 𝘋𝘰𝘨𝘴 is based on the science-fiction story “Universe” by Robert Heinlein (1907–1988). It follows a group of passengers who have been on board a spaceship for so long that they have forgotten their mission and no longer remember the world they came from.

𝘋𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘓𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘳 𝘋𝘰𝘨𝘴 is our featured work this month in our Friday Film series. Starting at 5 PM PST this Friday, it will stream on our Facebook and YouTube pages. Learm more about other 'Outer Space' works from our collection on MCASD: Digital: mcasd.org/outerspace

[#JoanJonas, 𝘋𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘓𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘳 𝘋𝘰𝘨𝘴 1984 from the #MCASD Collection]

01/26/2021

Today we are celebrating the birthday of the American conceptual artist and collagist Barbara Kruger.

Combining text and image, Kruger questions the power structures that condition the ways in which we understand ourselves and the world around us. Much of Kruger’s work addresses how gender differences are culturally represented and enforced within society. Influenced by feminist and postmodern theories, Kruger’s work engages with the power dynamics of the “gaze”: the long history of men looking at women as objects that has structured art history as well as mass media.

The figure in 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥 (𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯), an X-ray of a human skeleton, is shown wearing stiletto heels, bracelets, and a ring. The image appears medical and scientific and thus might be considered somewhat objective or neutral. However, the adornments carry implications of gender, positioning gendered difference as societally constructed rather than something from within.

[#BarbaraKruger, 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥 (𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯) 1982 from the #MCASD Collection]

01/24/2021

Known for boundary-pushing performance, video, and installation art, American artist Vito Acconci was born ⁠⁠#onthisday.⁠⁠
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He began his career as a poet. Acconci’s curiosity and preoccupation with space—specifically, how words are contained within a page—led to early experimentations in installation art, which the artist described as “ways to get myself off the page and into real space.” Acconci’s investigation into the poetics of space manifests itself most evidently in his works from the late 1970s, when he began making sculptures referencing architecture and furniture. ⁠⁠
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By 1980, Acconci developed sculptural installations that demanded viewer participation. He enlisted viewers to complete these works, which were conceived as simple houses, by pulling on ropes or by sitting or playing on the structures in order to erect them. ⁠⁠
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𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 appropriates the structure of a dwelling that consists of four walls, of which the interior, which lays flat on the gallery floor when inactive, is covered with the flag of the United States. The exterior, only visible when a viewer activates the structure by sitting on the swing inside, reveals the luminous red of the Soviet flag, complete with the iconic hammer-and-sickle emblem. Within the installation, Acconci blends aspects of domesticity and ideology, translated into a critique of Cold War isolationism. The sitter, who acts as a dweller, both constructs and deconstructs the house—a potent cue of a single individual’s importance in upholding political ideologies. Further, Acconci forces the viewer to reflect on the isolationism of the Cold War era, where participants can only fully see their side of the flag, to the exclusion of different perspectives. ⁠⁠
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[#VitoAcconci, 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 (1980) from the #MCASD Collection]