Under the Big Black Sun: California Art 1974 - 1981 October 2, 2011

FREE ADMISSION FOR BANK OF AMERICA CUSTOMERS ON 10/2!

Under the Big Black Sun: California Art 1974-1981 will constitute the most comprehensive survey exhibition to date to examine the exceptional fertility and diversity of art practice in California during the mid- to late 1970s; a period bracketed by Richard Nixon's ignominious resignation and retreat to Southern California in 1974, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, and the landslide election of California Governor Ronald Reagan and his ascent to the American Presidency in 1981. Organized by MOCA Chief Curator Paul Schimmel, Under the Big Black Sun: California Art 1974-1981 will feature works by approximately 125 artists working in a wide array of mediums and styles. The exhibition seeks to demonstrate how collective loss of faith in government and other institutionalized forms of authority yielded a pluralistic spirit of freedom and experimentation that reached its artistic apex in California, already a fertile ground for creativity and non-conformity.

This event is part of the groundbreaking cultural program, Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. from 1945 to 1980. Starting in October 2011, more than 60 cultural institutions across Southern California will come together to tell the story of the birth of the L.A. art scene and how it became a major force in the art world.

The campaign features unexpected pairings between pop culture icons of today with artists featured within Pacific Standard Time. “Celebrate the Era that Continues to Inspire the World” is the theme of the campaign, which celebrates how Los Angeles art from 1945 – 1980 continues to inspire the world of music, art, film and architecture of today.

Check out a video of Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pop Art movement artist Edward Ruscha: http://bit.ly/PSTvideos

For more information on Pacific Standard Time, visit http://bit.ly/PSTLA