MOCA Is Given a Patrick Martinez

Patrick Martinez, Struggle and Progress (Frederick Douglass), 2018. Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

The Museum of Contemporary Art has added a neon piece by Patrick Martinez, Struggle and Progress (Frederick Douglass), 2018. One of an edition of three, it's a gift of Wonmi Kwon and Nancy Kwon Merrihew in honor of Director Johanna Burton.

This is MOCA's first work by Martinez. Other works by the artist are in the collections of LACMA, the Museum of Latin American Art, and the California African American Museum.

For an update on MOCA's evolving collection, "Old and New Dreams: Recent Acquisitions in a Collection" runs Mar. 7 to Sep. 11, 2022 at Grand Avenue. The website description invokes "themes that have been present in MOCA's Collection from its earliest days," including "representations of technological sentience; the intersection of geometric modernism and self-taught or vernacular art; and occultism in California art."

Comments

I'd like to install that above my tombstone.
Is the photo deceptive, or is the upper register a lighter shade of lavender?
Anonymous said…
MOCA's website has this:

"Mindful of climate impact and in keeping with the sustainability mission of MOCA’s Environmental Council, which was formed in October of 2020..."

That's in regards to artist Derek Fordjour doing murals for the museum's Grand Avenue exterior walls. They're images of black members of marching bands from Southern colleges.

Unlike Danny Galieotte, Fordjour is at least a black person. Not sure, however, if he's an African American. That's because he may not be from the US.

Nonetheless, his virtue signalling is a bit better than Galieotte's is. But I'm not sure.

MOCA needs to add a Racial-Ethnicity Council and Gender-Sexuality Council too.

Meanwhile, LACMA needs to add a Windows Drapery Council and TikTok Selfie Council.