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| Joseph Albers, Homage to the Square: Transitory, 1961. Gift of Estate of Conrad Janis |
The Weisman Museum at Pepperdine University is revisiting its collection in "A Modern Look: Selections from the Permanent Collection." Not much on view is from founder Frederick Weisman (who established another eponymous university museum in Minneapolis, plus a house museum in Holmby Hills). The Pepperdine museum's most notable donors are Eric and Peggy Lieber, who supplied works by Johns, Warhol, Basquiat, Christo, Ed and Nancy Kienholz, Mike Kelley, and Betye Saar.
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| Betye Saar, Llave, 2011. Gift of Eric and Peggy Lieber |
On view for the first time are gifts from the estate of Conrad Janis (1928–2022). Conrad was heir to father Sidney Janis' New York gallery and also a jazz musician and TV actor. He bequeathed an estimable art collection to museums coast to coast. LACMA
is showing a group of Arp sculptures from the Janis estate (through May 31, 2026). The Weisman has received two Albers homages to the square plus a large Neo-Geo abstraction by 80s generation New Yorker Peter Schuyff.
"A Modern Look" is at the Weisman through Mar. 29, 2026.
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| Peter Schuyff, Untitled, 1990. Gift of Estate of Conrad Janis |
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| Installation view, "A Modern Look" |
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| Mike Kelley, Empathy Displacement: Humanoid Morphology (Second and Third Morphology), 1990. Gift of Peggy and Eric Lieber |
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| Al Souza, Ephemeral Mix, 2005. Gift of Arthur Roger Gallery, New Orleans |
Al Souza's Ephemeral Mix is a tondo assemblage composed entirely of puzzle pieces. |
| Detail of Ephemeral Mix |
Comments
> group of Arp sculptures
Nice to see modern highlighted in BCAM (or the Resnick) as opposed to contemporary art. Lots and lots of exhibits devoted to it. Some of it will be in sections of the Geffen too---at least on a few of its walls.
Add to that spaces for contemporary art in a Weisman or Marciano, much less a Broad, MOCA or Hammer. Then there are purely commercial galleries like a Hauser & Wirth.
The imbalance in LA wouldn't be as noticeable if LACMA had been created in 1915 instead of 1965, much less 1895. Then it could be more encyclopedic instead of way too contemporary.
The Conrad Janis's of decades ago must have felt their interests were homeless in Southern California. Unless they were also into displays of taxidermy, dinosaur bones and pottery made by indigenous people.
Ah, understood.
Do locals go, or is it just out of towners?
Is the collection published?
Nothing online that I have found.
A mix, mainly those in the know.
I went once and thought it was too much trouble for what is there.
The parking situation is not visitor-friendly.
It's not the Barnes Collection. No Joy of Life.
--- J. Garcin
Re "It's not the Barnes Collection.": Well, what is? No education is complete without a visit to Philly. Just sayin'