Hammer Blog

THE HAMMER MUSEUM PRESENTS LARRY JOHNSON
On View June 21 – September 6, 2009

The Hammer Museum presents the first full-scale survey exhibition of work by the Los Angeles artist, Larry Johnson. The exhibition is curated by Russell Ferguson, Hammer adjunct curator and Chair of the Department of Art at UCLA. Johnson’s work is quintessentially of and about Los Angeles. The exhibition features over 60 color photographs, spanning Johnson’s career beginning in 1982 to the present. He combines glossy imagery with witty and at times cutting references to popular culture, animation, gay subcultures, and moderne architectural design. Much of his work explores the themes of Hollywood and celebrity, especially the edges of that world, where aspirations and fantasies bump up against reality.

Johnson emerged from CalArts in the early 1980s and he remains among the most respected artists of his generation. His work is characterized by a postmodern conceptualism that

Llyn Foulkes
Dali and Me, 2006
Mixed media
33 x 26 in. (83.8 x 66 cm)
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, Purchase

We are very pleased about our purchase of Dali and Me (2006) by Llyn Foulkes, which was featured in the recent exhibition Nine Lives: Visionary Artists from L.A.. Foulkes (b. 1934) has been a major figure in the Los Angeles art scene since his first solo exhibition in 1961 at the Ferus Gallery and a solo show at the Pasadena Art Museum in 1962. Since then he has been influential to several generations of artists working in L.A.. This painting demonstrates his affinity for taking found objects such as upholstery, hair, teeth, and fragments of real clothing, and working them into the painted surface. The work incorporates a self portrait, as most of his pieces do, and merges his image with that of one of

Nine Lives artist Lisa Anne Auerbach shares her reflections on Los Angeles, art-making and commuting by bicycle in this weekly blog.

Guest Blogger Daisy
Monday, May 18

Today’s guest blogger, Daisy, was born in the garden last June. She enjoys stealing things, sitting on the dining room table, and peeing in a clean litter box. Her favorite toys include hair bands and tampons. Although she hasn’t been writing for long, she has a lot to say. Her usual mode of communication is through chirps, meows, and, if you hold her, she’ll make a protesting groan that comes from deep within.


From the paws of Daisy-kins, the little blue-eyed devilgirl-child.

Did you feel that earthquake last night? I was sleeping on the dining room table, which I’m not supposed to do, but I know I can get away with it. Usually, one of those people come over and say ooh

Nine Lives artist Lisa Anne Auerbach shares her reflections on Los Angeles, art-making and commuting by bicycle in this weekly blog.

Broke down and flat busted
Monday, May 11

But this time I got the kitty litter first!


Jesus must really want my car. The Volvo got raptured again yesterday while I was attempting to drive home from the Hammer on the 10 freeway. There I was, just minding my own business and sweating it out driving in stop-n-go traffic eastbound towards my house. When I drive, I like to pick up the “heavy” stuff I can’t really haul on a bike. So I had 75 pounds of kitty litter with me, plus 3.5 pounds of cat food and 6 pounds of rye flour from the health food store.



I thought everything was going swimmingly with the car. I’d gotten it back from the dude last week and

Nine Lives artist Lisa Anne Auerbach shares her reflections on Los Angeles, art-making and commuting by bicycle in this weekly blog.

The Rapture
Tuesday, May 5



The best thing about riding a bike across town is that it's a pretty sure bet that you're going to get there. A flat tire takes less than ten minutes to change. Other problems can happen, I suppose, but I don't have much experience with catastrophic bicycle issues, so not sure what they might be. I guess there could be a medical emergency or something like that, but that can happen just as easily if you're in a car or taking the bus.

Last Friday, I attempted to cross town using my trusty old 1992 Volvo 240. I've had the car since 2000, and I don't drive much so it's a bit dusty. But it works OK, or so I thought. I've been