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Not since Magritte was in town at the beginning of this year have so many people talked about an art show.
Featuring dozens of controversial pieces from a variety of artists like Jackie Beat, Angus Oblong, Plastic God, Mad Puppeteer, Jim Winters, Austin Young, Selene Luna, Jtodd Irby, Chris McKim, Garilyn Brune and Gay Bigfoot, who knew that a topless painting of Bea Arthur that was bought off eBay for a little over $100 would be the centerpiece of a wild pop art collection that includes several other paintings of pop stars and Golden Girls in unusual (and sexy) outfits?
Los Angeles collector and curator Lenora Claire probably never expected the wide spectrum of press to be attracted to her outrageous "Golden Gals Gone Wild" show that opens tomorrow at the World of Wonder on Hollywood Blvd.
[Update: for a photo essay review of the show, click here]
Media outlets from TMZ to NPR have fallen over themselves to talk with Ms. Claire, who also writes three columns in Frontiers magazine, about her collection starring the nude Chris Zimmerman painting of the actress who also starred as "Maude". And it could be the first time Tucker Max has been to an art gallery since he was in grade school. LAist was lucky enough to nab a little bit of the curator's time.
Q & A after the jump
LAist: First let's start with you. You're a totally beautiful, amazingly striking woman. When people compliment you, what do they usually point out?
Golden Gals Gone Wild curator, Lenora Claire: Thank you. You know I get the weirdest reactions from people. Little girls chase me around calling me Ariel (the little mermaid), Russ Meyer type bazoom lovers send obsessive emails, and drag queens LOVE me as I love them. People also scream at me from car windows about my hair. Sometimes people even tug on it to see if it's a wig. It's not...
Now you say you got the famous painting off eBay for $110. Clearly the best score you've gotten off the online auction site. What was the second best thing you've ever won from eBay?
That would have to be Mae Wests groovy rock album "Way Out West"
The way you describe Saturday's art opening at the World of Wonder building, it seems like it's gonna be some weird freaky circus over there. Is that sort of scene conducive to getting rich people to empty their pockets for art?
Absolutely! There are plenty of wealthy eccentrics who will appreciate the concept as well as talent behind the art and prices range from $50-$4,000 so there is something for everyone. As a former glass-eating performance artist the circus is in my blood. I'm heavily influenced by PT Barnum and William Castle so there is a touch of their theatrics in everything I do. People love a spectacle.
Because you've gotten such great press surrounding this show from the widest gamut of outlets (NPR to TMZ to AVN) have you considered taking the now infamous topless Bea Arthur painting to Sootheby's and really seeing what the market will bear?
People have already offered me a few thousand for the original Chris Zimmerman piece that started it all but it would really have to be change your life money for me to sell. I plan to travel with the show so who knows what will happen.
Has the overwhelmingly positive reaction to this show inspired artists to paint other tv stars topless? Do you believe that you have indirectly started a trend?
Absolutely! I think Chris Zimmerman is already working on a nude "Facts of Life" piece. You know you want to see if Ms. Garret has a Brazillian.
Oh you know it! Now, on Wednesday after a quick dog at Skooby's, we walked past the WOW gallery and saw a piece in the window that appeared to be of several celebrities, including what looked to be a painting of Lindsay Lohan from her most recent mug shot from last month. Did we see that correctly? Do you really have art that's only weeks old? If so, don't you find that amazing?
That wasn't my art. Those pieces were done by celebrity portrait artist Sham Ibrahim who I predict really big things for. He has an amazing pop sensibility and fantastic use of color. Great guy too.
How long will it be until America is ready for a new Bea Arthur? A tall, older woman with a husky voice on prime time tv as the lead?
We still have the real Bea Arthur! Did you see her at the Pamela Anderson roast? Even at 85 she still managed to steal the show. Personally I'd love to see her on a show called "Bea Real" where Bea goes to live with a family for a week and transforms their lives by making the children wear shoulder pads and teaching them how to love.
Golden Gals Gone Wild runs for four weeks starting tomorrow at WOW's Storefront Gallery at 6650 Hollywood Blvd. in beautiful Hollywood.
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how about a a little warning for something that may not be work safe?
how about working somewhere where art is ok to look at
Thank you for being a friend
Travel down the road and back again
Your heart is true
Your a pal and a confidant
And if you threw a party
And invited everyone you knew
You would see
The biggest gift would be from me
And the card attached would say:
"Thank you for being a friend!"
Do you mean Harold and Maude? That was Ruth Gordon, not Bea Arthur.
that film was made in '71, the next year Norman Lear created a tv show called Maude that was a loose spin off of All in the Family.
if you havent ever seen it you should. amazing
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068103/
Fucking awesome article, Tony. You simultaneously introduced me to an exhibit, and genre of art of which I was previously unaware, and as a painter myself, that's a feat. Well done! ©
i agree with C. amazing article- i cant wait to check out this exhibit!
tony,
great way to respond to your audience. it was a little suggestion, but i guess you don't like suggestions. maybe you should refer to Gothamist and how they run a blog....
just another suggestion....
an oil painting of bea arthur topless goes above the jump in LA
not only because its art, but its probably the greatest painting to be seen in LA this year.
my suggestion to you was, if you work in place where you will be hassled for looking at michaelangelos david on your computer screen or a kickass portrait of bea arthur then i suggest that you either seriously reconsider your career path or quit goofing off at work because your workplace sounds horrible.
i worked in HR. i fired people who were looking at porn. i didnt like doing it. but what they were fired for was quite different than the art that youre anonymously allegedly uptight about. there's were gigs of hours and hours worth of videos and pictures.
this is art. laist isnt a porn site. if your boss asks wtf tell them this is the most talked about ART SHOW in all of LA.
get over it.
Tony Pierce equates a painting of a nude Bea Arthur to Michaelangelo's "David".
That pretty much says it all.
it means he is awesome and he is right and we know art (and porn) when we see it.
You mean a nude Bea Arthur isn't the same as Michelangelo's "David"? C'mon, now!
Even though the show hasn't opened yet to me it's already a success because it has people talking about art. See you all tomorrow;)
Love how you went on a little rant about my workspace and avoided confronting any of my suggestions so far. I didn't call it porn, but it contains nudity. It's as simple as that.
Obviously you have a lot of pride, but why you have a lot of pride, beats me.