Art in L.A.

The period under study begins in the 1950s with artists Karl Benjamin, Lorser Feitelson, Frederick Hammersley, and John McLaughlin, who created paintings with crisp geometric shapes and sharp lines and who were among the first to produce a prominent and distinctive "West Coast" style. The study period continues to the present day, encompassing younger generations working in a broad variety of materials.

A particular focus of the project however is the 1960s and 1970s, two decades in which many artists embraced the use of new resins, paints, and plastics in their work and adopted innovative fabrication techniques from the industrial world for art production. This turn toward new materials and processes contributed to the creation of a distinctive body of work characterized by bright, sensuous colors and pristine surfaces, often achieved through lengthy polishing methods requiring a high level of craftsmanship.

The appearance of these flawless works became so closely associated with artists working in Los Angeles it was dubbed the "L.A. Look." Artists such as Peter Alexander, Larry Bell, Billy Al Bengston, Ron Davis, Robert Irwin, Craig Kauffman, John McCracken, Helen Pashgian, and De Wain Valentine were inspired by the natural and human-made landscapes of Southern California, as well as Los Angeles–based subcultures such as car customizing.

Although focused on Los Angeles art and artists, the research undertaken will have an impact beyond Southern California: many works by the artists under study are in major US and international collections, and the related conservation issues are often relevant to modern and contemporary art in general. The wealth of compiled information will provide conservators entrusted with the care of these works with an important framework to support conservation decisions.

• Improved understanding of artists' materials and processes as well as their intent and attitudes towards conservation.
• Knowledge creation that will support decisions regarding the storage, display, and conservation of these works of art, including technical and ethical aspects.
• Engagement with a wide mix of the Los Angeles art community—first and foremost artists, but also fabricators, conservators, and curators—in a creative dialogue about broader issues in the conservation of contemporary art
• Dissemination of project results through a variety of media, including publications and videos featuring artists demonstrating their working processes and discussing the conservation of their work.

Frederick Hammersley Foundation (Kathleen Shields and Nancy Zastudil), Long Beach Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Orange County Museum of Art, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art

John Griswold

Former project members: Kristi Parenti Kurttila, Anna Laganà, Julia Langenbacher, Emily MacDonald-Korth, Tom McClintock, Alan Phenix, Emma Richardson, Rachel Rivenc