Selections from the Hammer Contemporary Collection

July 3, 2010 - January 30, 2011

: Elliott Hundley Pentheus 2010 Sound board, wood, inkjet print on kitakata, paper, photographs, pins, plastic, metal, glue, magnifying glasses. 96 x 192 x 19 1/2 in. Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Purchase.; Installation view from Selections from the Hammer Contemporary Collection, July 3, 2010 – January 30, 2011, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo: Brian Forrest. From left to right: Elliott Hundley, Pentheus, 2010; Monica Majoli, Hanging Rubberman #1, 2006; Evan Holloway, 35 – 39, 2007; Jacob Yanes, Sara, 2007; and Mark Grotjahn, Untitled (Color Butterfly 10 Wings), 2004.; Charles Ray Untitled 2009 Ink on paper. 47 x 31 ½ in. (119.4 x 80 cm) (framed). Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Promised gift of Susan and Larry Marx.; Installation view from Selections from the Hammer Contemporary Collection, July 3, 2010 – January 30, 2011, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo: Brian Forrest. From left to right: Mark Grotjahn, Untitled (Color Butterfly 10 Wings), 2004; Charles Ray, Untitled, 2009; Jacob Yanes, Sara, 2007; Alan Saret, Angrasa Whorling Trace, 1989; and Mel Bochner, Blah, Blah, Blah (4), 2008.; Installation view from Selections from the Hammer Contemporary Collection, July 3, 2010 – January 30, 2011, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo: Brian Forrest. From left to right: Ken Price, Dream Balls, 2001; Elliott Hundley, Pentheus, 2009; Evan Holloway, 35-39, 2007; Kristen Morgin, Untitled (Scooters); Mark Grotjahn, Untitled (Color Butterfly 10 Wings), 2004; and Kara Walker, Every Painting Is a Dead Nigger Waiting to Be Born, 2009.; Installation view from Selections from the Hammer Contemporary Collection, July 3, 2010 – January 30, 2011, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo: Brian Forrest. From left to right: Ken Price, Dream Balls, 2001; Elliott Hundley, Pentheus, 2009; Kristen Morgin, Untitled (Scooters), 2009; Llyn Foulkes, Lucky Adam, 1985; Mark Grotjahn, Untitled, “Color Butterfly 10 Wings”, 2004; Charles Ray, Untitled, 2009; and Jacob Yanes, Sara, 2007.; Gillian Wearing Me As Mapplethorpe 2009 Bromide print. 59 x 48 in. Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Purchase.; Installation view from Selections from the Hammer Contemporary Collection, July 3, 2010 – January 30, 2011, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo: Brian Forrest. From left to right: Elliott Hundley, Pentheus, 2009; Monica Majoli, Hanging Rubberman #1, 2006; and Evan Holloway, 35 – 39, 2007.; Installation view from Selections from the Hammer Contemporary Collection, July 3, 2010 – January 30, 2011, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo: Brian Forrest. From left to right: Liz Larner, 1657 (Vermeer), 2003; Mark Bradford, Untitled, 2007; John Altoon, Untitled (C/1-2), 1968; Cameron Jamie, Mama, Purgation, Sleep, and Stooge (all 2003); Anthony Burdin, 2012 Olympics: China VS. USA Execution Tournament, 2007; Anthony Burdin, Surreal Print Image Quadrant Four, 1998 – 2001; Katy Schimert, Monster #1 (frontal view), 2008; Katy Schimert, Monster #1 (side view), 2008; Bruce Conner, Becalmed, December 26 1994, 1994; Alina Szapocznikow, Untitled (#283), 1960 – 1961; Alina Szapocznikow, Untitled (#338), 1963; and Hannah Wilke, S.O.S. Starification Object Series, 1975.; Installation view from Selections from the Hammer Contemporary Collection, July 3, 2010 – January 30, 2011, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo: Brian Forrest. From left to right: Carroll Dunham. Untitled (8/19/09), 2009. Mixed media on paper. 4 ¼ x 5 ¾ in. (10.8 x 14.6 cm). Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Gift of Mark Grotjahn and Jennifer Guidi. Mark Grotjahn. Untitled Face (Jungle Cunt #743), 2008. Colored pencil on paper. 8 x 4 ½ in. (20.3 x 11.4 cm). Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Purchased with funds provided by Susan and Larry Marx.; Installation view from Selections from the Hammer Contemporary Collection, July 3, 2010 – January 30, 2011, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo: Brian Forrest. From left to right: Mark Bradford, Untitled, 2007; Hirsch Perlman, Operation Idiocracy, Roll 3, Frames 3/4, 2007; Jack Goldstein, Untitled, 1984; Frances Stark, Why should you not be able to assemble yourself and write, 2008; and Ken Price, Dream Balls, 2001.; Installation view from Selections from the Hammer Contemporary Collection, July 3, 2010 – January 30, 2011, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo: Brian Forrest. . From left to right: Evan Holloway, 35 – 39, 2007; Kristen Morgin, Untitled (Scooters); Llyn Foulkes, Lucky Adam, 1985; Paul Sietsema, Untitled (Rise and Fall), 2005; Charles Ray, Untitled, 2009; and Kaari Upson, Untitled (kiss painting 11), 2008.; Llyn Foulkes Lucky Adam 1985 Mixed media. 50 x 35 in. Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Purchase.; Installation view from Selections from the Hammer Contemporary Collection, July 3, 2010 – January 30, 2011, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo: Brian Forrest. From left to right: Evan Holloway, 35 – 39, 2007; Kristen Morgin, Untitled (Scooters); and Llyn Foulkes, Lucky Adam, 1985.; Installation view from Selections from the Hammer Contemporary Collection, July 3, 2010 – January 30, 2011, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo: Brian Forrest. From left to right: Nayland Blake. Scum, 1990. Ink on chalkboard. 48 x 72 in. (121.9 x 182.9 cm). Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Gift of Alan Hergott and Curt Shepard. Monica Majoli. Hanging Rubberman #1, 2006. Watercolor and gouache on paper. 123 x 51 in. (312.4 x 129.5 cm). Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Purchased through the Board of Overseers Acquisition Fund.; Paul Chan Sade for Sade's Sake 2009 Digital projection. 345 minute loop. Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Purchase. Photo by Brian Forrest.; Paul Chan Sade for Sade's Sake 2009 Digital projection. 345 minute loop. Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Purchase. Photo by Brian Forrest.; Charles Long Untitled 2009 Papier-mache, plaster, steel, acrylic, river sediment, and debris. 127 x 36 x 40 in. (322.6 x 91.4 x 101.6 cm). Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Purchase.; Charles Long Untitled 2009 Papier-mache, plaster, steel, acrylic, river sediment, and debris. 127 x 36 x 40 in. (322.6 x 91.4 x 101.6 cm). Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Purchase.

In 2005 the Hammer launched an initiative to build a collection of contemporary art through both purchases and gifts. Recognizing the variety of media that contemporary artists employ, this growing collection of nearly 1500 works includes drawings, photography, sculpture, painting, film and video. In an effort to reflect the museum’s history of exhibitions, many artists represented in the collection—and whose work is on view in this exhibition—have participated in our Hammer Projects series, one of our biannual Hammer Invitational exhibitions, or in a monographic or thematic exhibition presented at the Hammer. With the goal of collecting in depth while continually broadening the collection, our focus has been on the acquisition of key works by influential artists from World War II to the present moment, paying particular attention to work made in Southern California. This is the third exhibition of works from the Hammer Contemporary Collection, highlighting recent acquisitions and works that have never been exhibited in Los Angeles.

This new installation of the Hammer Contemporary Collection features approximately 42 significant additions to the collection by Mel Bochner, Mark Bradford, Llyn Foulkes, Evan Holloway, Monica Majoli, Charles Ray, Frances Stark, Alina Szapocznikow, and Gillian Wearing, among others. Several of the works have never been seen in Los Angeles, such as Paul Chan’s multi-channel video Sade for Sade’s Sake, (2009), which debuted at the 2009 Venice Biennale and Kara Walker’s 20-part painting installation, Every Painting Is a Dead Nigger Waiting to Be Born (2009). The Hammer Contemporary Collection relies on contributions and gifts of art from the Hammer Board of Overseers and other generous donors. In addition to museum purchases, Selections from the Hammer Contemporary Collection features some of these significant donations, including promised gifts from Tony and Gail Ganz, Susan and Larry Marx, and Susan Bay Nimoy and Leonard Nimoy.

The exhibition is organized by Ali Subotnick, curator; and Corrina Peipon, curatorial associate.

KCRW 89.9FM is the official media sponsor of the exhibition.