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Yesterday LAist went to see Magritte at LACMA because we hadn't seen it yet and he tried new things and this is the last weekend that it will be here, so we didn't mind handing over $25 for a ticket and one of those walkman devices that tells you what you're looking at.
Even though we try to be cultured we often fail, which is why we aren't usually at fancy art museums in the middle of the day. However there is definitely something about the world of René Magritte that makes you feel wonderful no matter who you are, what you think, or what your worldview is, because his is imaginary, creative, and full of possibilities.
Plus John Baldessari did a beautiful job of collecting a wide variety of "contemporaries" to balance out and give context to the inventions that Magritte created. And even though you can easily take in the entire exhibit in about a half hour, you want more. You see the pipes, you see the man with the hat, you see the giant fruit in the room, you see the huge comb on the bed, you literally walk on clouds, as you absorb the beautiful colors and precise technique and you don't want it to end.
So we took a second lap because we knew that as insane as LA is, it couldn't match the kaleidescope of newness and excitement one feels around this type of art.
Although several of the pieces involve nudes, I can't imagine a better exhibit to show kids how imagination can become reality thru a painting of a pipe that claims not to be a pipe, thru wooden boxes painted by Warhol that claim to be Kellogg's cereal, or the disembodied leg of a business man that pretend to be perfectly normal.
That might not be a pipe, but whatever it is isn't gonna be here next week so catch it while you can.
photo by tantek
