Hammer time

Went to the Hammer Museum in Westwood over the weekend to check out the symposium on the recently published book, Asian American Art: A History 1850-1970. Wendy and I took turns in the auditorium while the other watched Eloise in the lobby. It was nice to see JANM's Karin Higa in academic mode. Her presentation was relatively personal, talking about firsthand brushes with art by Asian Americans in Little Tokyo. The history was surprisingly Pan-Asian, with lots of crossover between Issei, Nissei, and ABCs.


I liked editor Gordon Chang's part, too, because it included talk about The Movement, not examining the works in an aesthetic vacuum but putting them in political context. Many of the pieces were very modern looking--not stereotypically Chinky and not what you'd expect at all.


It was nice to hear the talks without worrying about being tested or looking for magazine article ideas; I RSVPed simply to learn about a topic that interests me. A great way to spend a Saturday morning. Not sure what Eloise's take on the visit was, but I'm pretty sure she dug the pink dots. She reached her limit by intermission, and we split before the panel concerning the modern Asian American art scene began... If you find Cheerios between the cushions, please pull them out for us. Thanks.