So, my friends, here is the latest. For the next two weeks, I am off to France for a press trip, organized by the Poitou-Charentes region in Western France. How can I say no? The region is famous for its ancient Roman history, medieval architecture, plenty of small museums, and beautiful landscapes - including the area known as Cognac. After that, I am off for a few days in Paris, to see the new Louis Vuitton museum built by Frank Gehry, and the renovated and expanded Picasso museum. So, stay tuned.
In the meantime, why don't you have some art adventures here in Los Angeles, in the heart of Downtown? God knows how many years it's been since, instead of driving, I simply strolled down Figueroa and Flower near 5th - just a stone's throw from LA Central Library.
City National Plaza (previously known as ARCO Plaza) is blessed with one of the most beautiful public artworks in LA -an imposing, monumental fountain sculpture by Austrian-born artist Herbert Bayer (1900-1985) titled "Double Ascension." Its twisted red metal steps, going up and down, evoke for me the dance glamour of Busby Berkeley's musicals. Hey, aren't we in Hollywood after all? And by the way, the original and rather enticing title that Bayer gave to the sculpture was "Stairway to Nowhere," but silly corporate executives rejected it, saying that it did not properly reflect company goals.
Catty-corner from City National Plaza sits Citigroup Center, once known as the Wells Fargo Building. In the early '80s, with advice from MOCA, bank executives commissioned several prominent American artists to create site-specific artworks.
As a result, when you stroll through the public spaces of Citigroup Center -- on its plaza levels and garden terraces above -- you will discover a hidden-in-plain-sight treasure trove of monumental works by the who's who of contemporary American art.
Let's start with Michael Heizer's sculptural installation consisting of four seemingly simple stainless steel geometric forms, which echo the spirit of Imperial Roman architecture. It's amazing that, thirty years later, Michael Heizer, still in top form, created for us in LA, his gigantic "Levitated Mass," now on the LACMA campus.
At the very end of the plaza hangs a huge wall sculpture by Frank Stella, which is easy to miss as it is tucked away deep behind Heizer's sculptures. Made out of brightly painted honeycombed aluminum and fiberglass panels, Stella's work recalls the tangled web of LA's winding roads and freeways.
Going one level above the plaza, I rediscovered a large horizontal sculpture by Robert Rauschenberg, with his trademark collage of images of newspapers, maps, paintings, fabrics, and books -all tacked behind a thick layer of plastic. If you were standing in front of this sculpture in a museum, you wouldn't dare touch it. But here, on the terrace, people comfortably rest their behinds on this great work of art, which is probably exactly how Rauschenberg wanted it to be.
It takes some ingenuity to find your way to one of the upper garden terraces, but if you succeed, you will be rewarded by the sight of the 45-foot high metal sculpture by Mark DiSuvero, weighing 25 tons and constructed from 13 I-beams painted bright, vivid red. Even when you're driving through this intersection off Flower and 5th, you can easily catch a glimpse of this towering DiSuvero sculpture, which to me looks like an abstract dream of a Christmas tree.
So I hope that you, adventurous art lovers, will treat yourself to the pleasure of seeing this museum-quality public art collection in the very heart of LA.
To learn about Edward's Fine Art of Art Collecting Classes, please visit his website. You can also read The New York Times article about his classes here.
Edward Goldman is an art critic and the host of Art Talk, a program on art and culture for NPR affiliate KCRW 89.9 FM. To listen to the complete show and hear Edward's charming Russian accent, click here.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.