The show is, in part, a tribute to Frimkiss and a nod to the artistic impulse passed down in the family through the generations.<\/p>\n
As the family patriarch, Frimkiss distinguished himself as a uniquely Southern California artist who infused traditional clay vessels with pop culture aesthetics and cutting-edge social commentary. <\/p>\n
Frimkiss\u2019 father was also an artist who made his mark working in graphic design. He and his wife encouraged their son\u2019s interest in art from an early age. After graduating from Hollywood High<\/b>, Frimkiss won a scholarship to the school that would become known as Otis College of Art and Design<\/b>. It was an exciting time for ceramics, with Peter Voulkos<\/b> and his students creating a new Abstract Expressionist<\/b> language for the art form.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
An undated photo of ceramicist Michael Frimkiss.<\/p>\n
(Lelia Moskowitz)<\/p>\n
In a 2000 interview with The Times<\/a>, Frimkiss talked about how a peyote trip in 1956 ended with his decision to pursue the art of ceramics: \u201cHe describes being awake for 24 hours, then having a vision like \u2018a glow in my forehead.\u2019 What he saw was material being shaped into a vessel, a process that he had glimpsed at Otis but never tried. \u2018I thought, that must be pottery. I must be throwing pots. That\u2019s the answer,\u2019 he says.\u201d<\/p>\n Frimkiss went on to work in a ceramics factory in Italy, before moving back to L.A. In 1963 he met and married Magdalena, and the couple settled into a home and studio near Venice Beach. Frimkiss\u2019 life was marked by a difficult decades-long battle with multiple sclerosis, but he went on to define himself as an iconoclastic artist noted for a no-water throwing technique that created wafer-thin pots with inimitable qualities.<\/p>\n Frimkiss\u2019 work is in the Smithsonian,<\/b> the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston <\/b>and the Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto<\/b>, among others.<\/p>\n I\u2019m arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt <\/b>looking to get my hands in some clay. Here\u2019s this week\u2019s arts and culture rundown.<\/p>\n Best bets: On our radar this week <\/p>\n Newsletter <\/p>\n You\u2019re reading Essential Arts<\/p>\n Our critics and reporters guide you through events and happenings of L.A. <\/p>\n Enter email address <\/p>\n Sign Me Up <\/p>\n You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. <\/p>\n Jacqueline Misaye as Rosaline and Brent Charles as Berowne star in the Independent Shakespeare Co.\u2019s outdoor production of William Shakespeare\u2019s \u201cLove\u2019s Labour\u2019s Lost.\u201d<\/p>\n (Mike Ditz)<\/p>\n \u2018Love\u2019s Labour\u2019s Lost\u2019<\/b> Kamasi Washington brings jazz to the new David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.<\/p>\n (Illustrations by Lindsey Made This; photograph by Jeff Kravitz \/ FilmMagic)<\/p>\n Kamasi Washington Live<\/b> \u2018Tombstone\u2019<\/b> Takako Yamaguchi<\/b> Tom Hulce in the Oscar-winning 1984 film \u201cAmadeus.\u201d <\/p>\n (Orion Pictures)<\/p>\n Ultra Cinematheque 70 Fest<\/b> Yankee Dawg You Die<\/b> Culture news LACMA has acquired Jeff Koons\u2019 topiary \u201cSplit-Rocker,\u201d pictured at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.<\/p>\n (Tom Powel)<\/p>\n The Los Angeles County Museum of Art <\/b>announced the acquisition of Jeff Koons\u2019<\/b> monumental topiary sculpture \u201cSplit-Rocker\u201d<\/b><\/a> to anchor the east side of the campus at the new David Geffen Galleries<\/b><\/a> building. The 37-foot-tall living sculpture, created in 2000, is designed to nurture more than 50,000 flowering plants. \u201cI couldn\u2019t be more thrilled than to have a piece of floral work in Los Angeles where \u2014 horticulturally \u2014 there\u2019s such a wide variety of plants that can be used in its creation,\u201d Koons said in a phone interview with Times staff writer Jessica Gelt<\/b> from his New York studio. \u201cI hope people going back and forth on Wilshire Boulevard, and people visiting the museum, are able to enjoy and experience the change in the piece.\u201d The project will be seeded in August with the hope that it will be fully established by April, when architect Peter Zumthor\u2019s<\/b> new poured concrete building is scheduled to open to the public.<\/p>\n Anaheim police have located two giant sculptures<\/b> valued at a combined $2.1 million that were stolen<\/a> from an Anaheim Hills warehouse<\/b> reports Times staff writer Andrew J. Campos<\/b>. The theft of the pieces, \u201cIcarus Within\u201d<\/b> and \u201cQuantum Mechanics: Homme,\u201d<\/b> by artist and filmmaker Daniel Winn,<\/b> apparently happened June 14 or 15 and were recovered a week later in a trailer parked at an Anaheim residence, according to police. Composed of thousands of pounds of bronze and stainless steel, the sculptures typically require \u201cabout a dozen men and two forklifts to move\u201d Winn said. \u201cThis is not an easy task.\u201d No arrests have been made.<\/p>\n Italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro<\/b> died at home in Milan<\/a> on June 22, the eve of his 99th birthday. A renowned sculptor whose art was publicly displayed around the world, including at the LADWP\u2019s John F. Ferraro Building<\/b><\/a> downtown, Pomodoro\u2019s most famous works involved large \u201cwounded\u201d spheres made of bronze. He taught at Stanford University<\/b>, UC Berkeley<\/b> and Mills College<\/b> in the 1960s and his \u201cRotante dal Foro Centrale,\u201d part of the \u201cSfera con Sfera\u201d series, can be found at the west entrance of the Berkeley campus. <\/p>\n The SoCal scene James Van Der Zee, \u201cUntitled,\u201d 1927, gelatin silver print<\/p>\n (J. Paul Getty Museum)<\/p>\n \u201cQueer Lens: A History of Photography,\u201d<\/b> the J. Paul Getty Museum\u2019s<\/b> newest exhibition, \u201cis provocative and important, and the timing packs a wallop,\u201d according to Times art critic Christopher Knight<\/b> in his review of the show<\/a>. The survey contains more than 270 works from the last two centuries and examines the ways \u201ccameras transformed the expression of gender and sexuality.\u201d Well-known artists such as Berenice Abbott, Anthony Friedkin, Robert Mapplethorpe, Man Ray<\/b> and Edmund Teske<\/b> are featured alongside many unknowns. \u201cThese days,\u201d wrote Knight, citing the present anti-LGBTQ+ fervor in statehouses across the country and Washington, D.C., \u201cthe Getty is probably the only major art museum in America that could open an exhibition like \u2018Queer Lens.\u2019 Others wouldn\u2019t dare.\u201d<\/p>\n The Tony-winning revival of \u201cParade\u201d<\/b><\/a> tells the story of Leo Frank<\/b>, a Jewish man in Georgia, who in 1913 was convicted of murdering 13-year-old Mary Phagan<\/b> in a gross miscarriage of justice. His sentence was later commuted by the governor, but Frank was kidnapped and lynched by an angry mob. \u201cThis dark chapter in American history might not seem suitable for musical treatment,\u201d wrote Times theater critic Charles McNulty<\/b> in his review of the production currently at the Ahmanson Theatre<\/b>. \u201cDocudrama would be the safer way to go, given the gravity of the material. But playwright Alfred Uhry and composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown had a vision of what they could uniquely bring to the retelling of Frank\u2019s story.\u201d<\/p>\n It may be summer in L.A., but Times classical music critic Mark Swed<\/b> found the dance scene in full bloom<\/a>. \u201cI sampled three very different dance programs last weekend at three distinctive venues in three disparate cities and for three kinds of audiences,\u201d wrote Swed. \u201cThe range was enormous but the connections, illuminating.\u201d In an expansive few days, he witnessed the Miami City Ballet\u2019s<\/b> production of \u201cSwan Lake\u201d<\/b> at Segerstrom Hall<\/b> in Costa Mesa; the American Contemporary Ballet<\/b> performing George Balanchine\u2019s modernist classic \u201cSerenade,\u201d<\/b> alongside new work by the company\u2019s founder, choreographer Lincoln Jones<\/b>, on a soundstage at Television City<\/b> in the Fairfax district; and violinist Vijay Gupta<\/b> and dancer Yamini Kalluri<\/b> combining Bach<\/b> and Indian Kuchipudi<\/b> dance at the 99-seat Sierra Madre Playhouse<\/b>. Still to come, Boston Ballet<\/b> makes its Music Center debut, dancing \u201cSwan Lake\u201d<\/a> at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion this weekend; and the L.A. Phil\u2019s \u201cTchaikovsky Spectacular with Fireworks,\u201d July 18 at the Hollywood Bowl<\/a>, will feature the San Francisco Ballet dancing excerpts from \u201cSwan Lake\u201d and Balanchine\u2019s \u201cDiamonds\u201d Pas de Deux.<\/p>\n Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times<\/p>\n Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber.<\/a><\/p>\n The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles is under construction and is expected to open its doors in 2026. <\/p>\n (Myung J. Chun \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n In case you missed it, Times contributor Sam Lubell<\/b> wrote about the landscape design<\/a> of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art<\/b>, which is scheduled to open in 2026. \u201cGeorge Lucas<\/b> and wife Mellody Hobson<\/b><\/a> chose Mia Lehrer<\/b><\/a> and her L.A. firm, Studio-MLA<\/b>, to design the 11 acres of landscape around \u2014 and on top of \u2014 MAD Architects\u2019<\/b><\/a> swirling, otherworldly, billion-dollar building,\u201d wrote Lubell. \u201cThe driving forces behind the Lucas Museum made it clear that the landscape had to tell a story too.\u201d That narrative is more than enhanced by the stunning photography of The<\/b> Times\u2019 Myung J. Chun<\/b>.<\/p>\n \u201cI like the idea of giving life to the objects I create,\u201d ceramicist Rami Kim<\/b> said in a recent interview<\/a> with Times staff writer Lisa Boone<\/b>. \u201cThey\u2019re my imaginary friends.\u201d Korean-born and raised, Kim attended CalArts<\/b>, earned a master of fine arts from UCLA<\/b> and later worked in the animation industry. She discovered clay while making figures for stop-motion animation. Drawn to the tactile sensation of the medium, Kim began working characters into various ceramic forms. \u201cBuilt by hand, their faces emerge from planters, ceramic dishes and slip-cast mugs like the cast of an animated Hayao Miyazaki<\/b> movie,\u201d wrote Boone in a compelling profile about how the artist began creating custom animal figurines for clients, many of whom, like Kim, have lost their pets.<\/p>\n \u2014 Kevin Crust<\/p>\n And last but not least<\/p>\n Looking for a Saturday complement to the Essential Arts <\/b>newsletter? Try our weekly books newsletter<\/a>. Enjoy interviews with authors, such as this one with Susan Gubar<\/b><\/a>, who spoke to Times contributor Marc Weingarten<\/b> about her new book, \u201cGrand Finales: The Creative Longevity of Women Artists\u201d<\/b><\/a> \u2014 which profiles seven creators who found a second wind in their advancing years \u2014 plus news about the latest releases, the local literary scene and our favorite bookstores.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ceramicist Michael Frimkiss \u2014 who was born to a Jewish family in Boyle Heights in 1937 \u2014 died…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":19433,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5123],"tags":[1582,276,18282,18286,18287,18283,2961,224,2444,5337,18284,18278,18280,18281,18285,18279,4370,645,2452,8066],"class_list":{"0":"post-19432","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-california","10":"tag-design-columnist-carolina-a-miranda","11":"tag-existential-questions","12":"tag-group-show","13":"tag-l-a-museum","14":"tag-la","15":"tag-los-angeles","16":"tag-los-angeles-times","17":"tag-losangeles","18":"tag-matthew-lopez","19":"tag-opera","20":"tag-pauline","21":"tag-performance","22":"tag-private-jet","23":"tag-schindler-house","24":"tag-show","25":"tag-story","26":"tag-week","27":"tag-work"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114756122344278152","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19432"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19432\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} <\/p>\n
Romance is in the air as the Independent Shakespeare Co. launches its annual Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival.<\/b> Four young gentlemen\u2019s vow to devote themselves to the chaste study of academics is derailed by the arrival of four fetching noblewomen in the comedy \u201cLove\u2019s Labour\u2019s Lost.\u201d<\/b> Catch the final preview tonight or attend Saturday\u2019s opening night. The festival second show, the Elizabethan tragedy, \u201cDoctor Faustus\u201d<\/b> by Christopher Marlowe<\/b>, debuts Aug. 6.
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through July 27 (except July 4). Outdoors at the Dell at the top of the Old Zoo, Griffith Park. indieshakes.org<\/a> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The jazz saxophonist and composer leads an ensemble 100-strong performing Washington\u2019s six-movement suite, \u201cHarmony of Difference,\u201d<\/b> in its entirety for the first time. The second two nights of a sold-out three-night stand (sign up for ticket availability alerts<\/a>) marking the public\u2019s first opportunity to visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art\u2019s<\/b> new David Geffen Galleries<\/b> prior to the installation of art. The Times will have boots on the ground reporting on the experience.
7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. David Geffen Galleries, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd. lacma.org<\/a> <\/p>\n
This premiere of a new 4K restoration of director George P. Cosmatos\u2019 <\/b>1993 western<\/b><\/a> about Wyatt Earp<\/b> and that notorious shootout at the O.K. Corral also serves as tribute to actor Val Kilmer<\/b>, who died earlier this year<\/a>. The actor\u2019s portrayal of John Henry \u201cDoc\u201d Holliday,<\/b> which former Times film critic Peter Rainer<\/b> called \u201ca classic camp performance,\u201d is one of the key reasons for the film\u2019s longevity as a cult classic. Kurt Russell<\/b> stars as Earp, with Bill Paxton<\/b> and Sam Elliott<\/b> as his brothers Morgan and Virgil.
7 p.m. Saturday. Academy Museum, David Geffen Theater, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org<\/a> <\/p>\n
In the third of its relaunched \u201cMOCA Focus\u201d<\/b> exhibitions, which present an artist\u2019s first solo museum show in Los Angeles, the institution turns its attention to the 72-year-old Japanese-born painter, whose appropriation of diverse imagery challenges ideals of ethnic identity and cultural ownership. The show features \u201carchly stylized\u201d oil-and-bronze-leaf seascapes that bring together her highly-crafted sense of \u201cEastern\u201d and Western,\u201d developed over 40 years. \u201cThe L.A.-based Yamaguchi either presents the canvas as if a sculptural element itself, painted with ridges and creases and layers of depth, or treats it as a neutral surface upon which she renders a form atop (parallelogram, eye, grid of circles), as though in shallow relief,\u201d wrote Times contributor Leah Ollman<\/b> in a 2019 review. \u201cAs she plays with illusion and dimension, these highly reduced images open up, their formal distillation yielding conceptual complexity.\u201d
Sunday through Jan. 4. Museum of Contemporary Art, 250 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. moca.org<\/a> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Milos Forman\u2019s \u201cAmadeus,\u201d Mel Brooks\u2019 \u201cSpaceballs,\u201d John McTiernan\u2019s \u201cDie Hard\u201d<\/b> and Ivan Reitman\u2019s \u201cGhostbusters\u201d<\/b> headline this summer\u2019s edition of the American Cinematheque<\/b> homage to large-format films. The monthlong, 33-film series kicks off with Stanley Kubrick\u2019s<\/b> \u201c2001: A Space Odyssey,\u201d<\/b> screening at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Aero. The festival wraps Aug. 4 with Paul Thomas Anderson\u2019s \u201cThe Master,\u201d<\/b> also at the Aero.
Thursday through Aug. 4. Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica; Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd. americancinematheque.com<\/a> <\/p>\n
East West Players<\/b> present a new production of Philip Kan Gotanda\u2019s<\/b> 1988 play about the challenges faced by Asian American actors<\/b> in Hollywood<\/b>, which, unfortunately, remains very timely. Jennifer Chang<\/b> directs Kelvin Han Yee<\/b> and Daniel J. Kim<\/b> as two performers who meet at very different junctures in their respective careers. In a 2001 review of an earlier EWP revival, former Times staff writer Daryl H. Miller<\/b> called the play,<\/a> \u201cgently comic and quietly powerful.\u201d
Thursday through July 27. The David Henry Hwang Theater, 120 N. Judge John Aiso St., Little Tokyo. eastwestplayers.org<\/a> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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