It Never Rains in Southern California (with apologies to Albert Hammond!)

9th February 2019

It Never Rains in Southern California (with apologies to Albert Hammond!)

… except it did. Rain that is. And lots of it! However, the wet weather did nothing to dampen the spirits of those organising and attending the first Frieze Art Fair in Los Angeles, which took place at Paramount Studios in West Hollywood, the most fitting of venues for what was to be a unique blend of west coast art, culture and entertainment. The inaugural Los Angeles fair was curated by Ali Subotnick, with Bettina Korek its Executive Director, both important figures in the Los Angeles art world.

Boster Group attended Frieze L.A. and chaired a panel discussion at the Paramount Theater as part of Frieze L.A. and Deutsche Bank Wealth Management’s programme of special events and talks, with Studio Museum in Harlem’s Director, Thelma Golden; Lady Ashley Adjaye, Head of Research at architect’s firm Adjaye Associates; and Megan Steinman, Director of the Underground Museum in Los Angeles. More on this later.

The following summarises our key thoughts and take-aways from the fair. We examine how California is rapidly staking its claim as not only one of the world’s great economies (No. 5 in the world, ahead of the UK, in 2018) but also a key centre for artistic growth and cultural dialogue. In addition, the state’s cultural programmes are clearly setting the benchmark for positive impact in some of its less socially and economically advantaged communities, underlining its position as a vital cultural hub setting an example for other states in the U.S. and countries globally.

 Frieze L.A. 2019: art, culture and perceptions 

Los Angeles is a city rich in cultural history. Great writers and artists have lived and worked in the city, and there is very much the sense that the creation of art here has taken place from the ground upwards, developing at a grassroots level amongst communities. Boster Group visited the Hammer Museum and was inspired by the exhibitions on display – a blend of the most contemporary works by U.S.-based artists such as Tschabalala Self, Tala Madani and Eric Wesley, alongside works by Titian, Rubens, Van Gogh, Cezanne and Manet from Armand Hammer’s personal collection. The juxtaposition of the new with the old was exhilarating, and a reassuring reminder in today’s turbulent political landscape that great art transcends epochs, national borders and social barriers. 

At Frieze L.A. it is perhaps unsurprising that the championing of the L.A. art scene, its unique dynamism and diversity, and its global contribution to the visual arts, was the theme, celebrating homegrown artistic talent and creativity with many local artists and Los Angeles-based galleries exhibiting. 

Amongst our favourites were the Night Gallery, Château Shatto, L.A. Louver and The Pit, whose works on display were striking and instantly caught your attention, making you stop and think about what you were seeing. Whilst this was a more compact fair than its London and New York counterparts (there were around 70 galleries exhibiting, compared to over 160 galleries at Frieze London 2018) the preview days were packed with collectors, artists and curators who had flown in from across the U.S. and the world to browse the collections and appreciate the idiosyncrasies of the Los Angeles art scene in the context of Frieze’s new location, focussing on aesthetics of space and landscape, and materials and the creative process within an urban environment. 

Indeed, the sense of space was an overriding feature of many works, reflecting that space is something Los Angeles has in abundance. It was notable how many large-scale wall-hung pieces were on display, particularly in the local galleries, created for homes with large spaces to fill. Wall-based works were far more present than sculpture; although the latter was present, there were notably fewer small-scale sculptures than one sees in London or New York, surely due to the fact that both internal and external space is at more of a premium in these cities.

Reflection, location and perspective were also key themes running through the fair. The sense of nature side by side with the urban was overwhelming in the works by local artists, where pieces either melded the two harmoniously or juxtaposed them jarringly. The urban grit of Los Angeles came to the fore as well; works by Gajin Fujita were particularly eye-catching as he blended traditional Japanese fighting scenes with scrawling urban graffiti over gold leaf – the idea of taking such a dirty and ugly feature of the urban environment and putting it together with something luxurious and beautiful that suddenly made it valuable. Neon colours – symbolic of modern, urban life and its environment – were also noticeable across a range of works.

Frieze L.A. also brought to the fore the idea of art and how it relates to social issues of gender, diversity, and division. The backlot of the studios was the space for Frieze Projects, where emerging artists were given a platform to present their works, often incorporating partnership with several non-profits in the city. Installations were a key feature here. Barbara Kruger’s work, for example, prompted visitors to contemplate a series of ethical questions, with her sticker pieces also displayed at various non-profits across the city, including the 18th Street Arts Center, LAXART and The Mistake Room. Trulee Hall’s work pointed to codified social and gender roles, exposing degrees of artificiality inherent in media production. Deutsche Bank supported the artist Tom Pope whose installation was a fascinating response to London property prices – a ‘private members club’, complete with champagne cocktails, music and conversation of the visitors’ choice, in a space of only 1 x 1 m. Frieze Film was a particular highlight of this fair, blending art with the fair’s iconic filmmaking location and focussed on social themes, loosely organised around notions of humanity and how we co-exist and relate to others.

There is, of course, a commercial purpose to Frieze. Whilst there is no doubt that cities such as Los Angeles are hubs of great artistic output, there was a sense that bringing the commercial side of art to the west coast was an important step in anchoring the visual arts as an integral part of the local economy, which will initiate new conversations and dialogue around art in the region and its role. The 2018 Otis Report, commissioned by the Otis College of Art and Design, stated that in 2015 the creative industries of Los Angeles and Orange County generated $198 billion of economic output. Although a majority of this comes from film and entertainment (entertainment accounted for over 40% of all creative industries employment in 2016), visual and performing arts accounted for 10% of Los Angeles County’s creative economy workforce. The report anticipates strong growth across the creative industries. This fair was not as much about buying and selling art as it was around convening new conversations as international collectors, curators and artists descended on Los Angeles to engage with and appreciate the city, linking it not only with visual art but with a broader cultural understanding.

Partnership: private and public 

As a partnerships firm, Boster Group is at the forefront of the intersection between private sector funding and the cultural world. 

Deutsche Bank is the Global Lead Partner for the Frieze art fairs (in London, New York and now in Los Angeles). They have been supporting Frieze for over 15 years. Their partnerships and societal engagement extend far beyond visual art to encompass music, education and sport, and their Palais Populaire in Berlin is open to all, using revolutionary digital engagement to bring art to the public. Their collaborations within the arts space also demonstrate that partnership goes beyond sponsorship of an institution: the firm regularly champions individual artists, and at Frieze L.A. the experiential installations by Tom Pope and Victoria Fu were there as a direct result of Deutsche Bank’s support. 

Frieze L.A. showed first hand the power of partnership. From the support of Deutsche Bank and of Ruinart (which supports the fair in London and New York as well) to the more artistically-focussed partnerships between creatives and arts organisations, it is clear that long-term and sustainable partnerships bring great value to all parties and enable amplification of social engagement, as well as more commercial objectives. 

The importance of partnership, both public and private is also seen across the city in various iterations at its artistic institutions. The Hammer Museum, as an example, presents the Made in L.A. biennial in association with the City of Los Angeles, the Department of Cultural Affairs and private corporations such as the Montblanc Cultural Foundation. Media partnerships are provided across print and radio, ensuring reach and awareness. 

Social impact: establishing art within the community

The social engagement encouraged by Frieze L.A. and its art represents a broader narrative of the recognition of culture and creativity to uncover not only fantastic art and artists but also to tackle the deeper issues we see within society. Some of our most economically and socially disadvantaged communities are unreached by the cultural industries, and yet in Los Angeles we saw for ourselves the impact arts can have on communities, education and development. It is clear that exchange of conversation and ideas is vital to truly bride social gaps, and this was part of the strategy for both the institutions on our panel – the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Underground Museum – as well as more widely across the city.

Destination Crenshaw aims to revitalise the vibrant heart of black Los Angeles in south L.A. Art here will be free and public, reflecting the community’s past as well as its future. Destination Crenshaw will also aim to educate, telling the story of the community in an experiential, rather than a didactic or chronological way. LACMA announced last year that it intends to establish satellite museums in south Los Angeles, a big step forward in outreach. More than simply travelling exhibits, these satellites would provide permanent outposts of one of the great Los Angeles museums, bringing art into communities who might not otherwise access it regularly. LACMA sets the benchmark to which other large, established institutions can aspire.

Our panel: a summary

Our panel discussion tackled this very issue, looking at how cultural institutions and architecture can engage in social change. We were fortunate to visit the Underground Museum, whose director, Megan Steinman, was one of our panellists. The museum’s local community of Arlington Heights has felt strongly the positive effects of bringing museum-quality art to the local population. Their programme also includes screenings and regular yoga classes, providing the local community with activities to which they had not previously had access. Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of the Studio Museum in New York’s Harlem, has cemented her museum as a place for innovative education, as well as being a cultural anchor to the Harlem community. Their programmes include outreach to every kind of audience, from the elderly and caregivers, to teen programmes, adult learning and school partnerships, as well as an artist-in-residence programme. Lady Ashley Adjaye gave a short presentation before our discussion began, detailing Adjaye Associates’ research and development as they approach each new building, examining the community for which the building will be developed and ensuring that the facilities and design meets their needs and behaviour and encourages social equity.

Our panellists defined what social change meant to them. Thelma Golden spoke of how the Studio Museum, established in 1968, was founded at an important point of change in American history. She felt that it was less about addressing directly the issue of social change, but becoming an agent of change in communion with social activists and being a part of a larger civic dialogue. For Noah Davis, the founder of the Underground Museum, the social change brought about by the museum’s inception was far more personal. He and his wife saw many of their local artist friends unable to get their works exhibited – diversity within exhibition curation was simply not there. The museum became about creating a platform for their talented friends; indeed, it is inspiring that many of the artists first exhibited at the Underground Museum were now on display at Frieze L.A. Megan Steinman explained that by focussing on the changes desired by the local community, and by being responsive to local artists and to the museum’s neighbours, the conversation becomes more universal and global through example. Lady Ashley Adjaye felt that it was important to steer more closely towards social integration and equality, rather than change. She explained that the firm did not feel it was necessarily their place to create social change, but that an interest in place and space created environments that could allow people to engage and mix with each other in an organic way. 

The Studio Museum in Harlem has seen seismic shifts over two generations in community and cultural dialogues, whilst the Underground Museum is only a few years old. Thelma Golden explained that the museum’s relationship with its local community had not so much changed but evolved as the community also had changed dynamically. The Harlem community lives in its history but is always thinking ahead to its future. Cultural institutions should sit between the two, not only acting as stewards of what was through cultural collective memory, but also exploring the possibilities of the future. The question for the Underground Museum was focussed more on how the museum counteracts its increasing popularity and global recognition in terms of remaining a place for the local community it was created to serve. Megan Steinman explained that the Underground Museum was originally the home of its founders, and so its personal nature was inherent. The museum is constantly asking itself why the art contained within is important for the neighbourhood, and with its community programmes it had many different layers and meanings for different audiences. Regardless of where visitors came from, and their own assumptions of contemporary art, the Underground Museum aimed to recontextualise this. It remains a hub for its own community where people could ‘self-organise’; groups are always welcome to use the facilities and use it as their meeting place. For architects, the question centred more around anticipating how societies will change in the future, and how buildings, built for the long-term, can address this. Lady Ashley Adjaye explained that one cannot know if they will create something with longevity. When approaching the brief, there is awareness that there is always more than one client, not least the communities who will be served by the building. Keeping humanity as the focus is key. By looking at a community’s past, as well as their future, and ensuring the design is directly linked, a sense of understanding of the human spirit should be inherent.