The List: Art Openings

So much art, so little time. How to best navigate the Los Angeles gallery and museum scene? Here are critic’s previews, openings and continuing shows for the week beginning Thursday, June 26.

Critic’s Preview
Christopher Knight, Times Art Critic

Chris & Don: A Love Story Moving and marvelously eccentric, the film chronicles one of the great modern love stories -- a 30-plus-year romance between British writer Christopher Isherwood and L.A. portrait painter Don Bachardy. In addition to their important works, the pair were immortalized in David Hockney’s famous 1968 double portrait. Opens Fri. One-week engagement. Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A. (310) 281-8223.

The Marvel and Measure of Peru: Three Centuries of Visual Histories, 1550-1880 This grab bag of illustrated historical documents will include the usual (maps, books, etc.), the unusual (woven textiles) and the incomparable (the “Historia general del Piru” by Spanish missionary Martín de Murúa, the first Pre-Columbian history of Peru, a manuscript the Getty owns). Opens Tue. Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, L.A. (310) 440-7300.

Openings, Galleries

SATURDAY

Caia Koopman: Eternal Verities and Mark Gleason Two concurrent solo exhibitions. La Luz de Jesus Gallery, 4633 Hollywood Blvd., L.A.; ends July 27. (323) 666-7667.

Mondongo: Gaslighting An exhibition of works by the Argentine art collective that includes Juliana Laffitte, Manuel Mendanha and Agustina Picasso. Track 16 Gallery, Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; ends July 26. (310) 264-4678.

Group Show Lizabeth Oliveria Gallery, 2712 S. La Cienega Blvd., L.A.; ends Aug. 16. (310) 837-1073.

Group Show: Joint Custody Project Found Gallery, 1903 Hyperion Ave., L.A.; ends July 12. (323) 669-1247.

Group Show: That’s Not How I Remember It Anna Helwing Gallery, 2766 S. La Cienega Blvd., L.A.; ends Aug. 16. (310) 202-2213.

Continuing, Galleries

SANTA MONICA / WESTSIDE

Glenn Barr Billy Shire, 5790 Washington Blvd., Culver City; ends July 12. (323) 297-0600.

Harry Benson: Politics as Usual Photographs. David Gallery, 5797 Washington Blvd., Culver City; ends Aug. 23. (323) 939-9069.

Matty Byloos: All New Nurses Sandroni Rey, 2762 S. La Cienega Blvd., L.A.; ends July 12. (310) 280-0111.

Joe Clower: Past and Present Cardwell Jimmerson Contemporary Art, 8568 Washington Blvd., Culver City; ends July 26. (310) 815-1100.

Eye of the Storm: War Through the Lens of American Combat Photographers Reform Gallery, 816 N. La Cienega Blvd., L.A.; ends Sat. (310) 854-1033.

D.J. Hall: Full Circle An exhibition of works in the painter’s signature hyper-real style depicting Southern California women in their sun-drenched backyards. Koplin Del Rio Gallery, 6031 Washington Blvd., Culver City; ends July 12. (310) 836-9055.

Joel Morrison: Circus Gagosian Gallery, 456 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills; ends July 18. (310) 271-9400.

Kyle Ng: We Hear It All An exhibition of mock “natural history” dioramas filled with taxidermy animals, artifacts and jewels. Flux, 326 Sunset Ave., Venice; ends July 18. (310) 295-2523.

Nicola Pecoraro Fette’s Gallery, 4255 Baldwin Ave., Culver City; ends Sat. (310) 559-7733.

Joshua Podoll and Takehito Koganezawa Christopher Grimes Gallery, 916 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica; ends Sat. (310) 587-3373.

Keith Puccinelli: The Wondercommon New drawings, sculptures and an interactive installation. Ben Maltz Gallery, Otis College of Art and Design, 9045 Lincoln Blvd., L.A.; ends today. (310) 665-6905.

Steve Roden An exhibition of new paintings, drawings, sculptures and film. Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, 5795 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City; ends Aug. 2. (323) 933-2117.

Noah Sheldon Cherry and Martin, 12611 Venice Blvd., L.A.; ends Sat. (310) 398-7404.

Corbin Smith: Portraits of Venice Boulevard Museum of Design Art and Architecture, 8609 Washington Blvd., Culver City; ends Aug. 20. (310) 558-0902.

Miya Ando Stanoff An exhibition of works using metal finishing techniques on steel panels to create luminous and ethereal “metal paintings.” Bandini Art, 2635 S. Fairfax Ave., Culver City; ends Aug. 9. (310) 837-6230.

Eva Struble: Poble Nou Angles Gallery, 2230 Main St., Santa Monica; ends July 26. (310) 396-5019.

Juan Uslé LA Louver, 45 N. Venice Blvd., Venice; ends Sat. (310) 822-4955.

Group Show: Archetypes and Icons An exhibition of photographs by Richard Avedon, François-Marie Banier, Chris Burden, Todd Eberle, Douglas Gordon, Sally Mann, Robert Mapplethorpe, Hans Namuth, Richard Prince, Ed Ruscha, Taryn Simon and Alec Soth. Gagosian Gallery, 456 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills; ends July 17. (310) 271-9400.

Group Show: Cover Version Works by Scott Hug, Mathew Cerletty, Kadar Brock, Jennifer Sullivan, Ryan Callis and Frohawk Two Feathers. Taylor De Cordoba, 2660 S. La Cienega Blvd., L.A.; ends Aug. 10. (310) 559-9156.

Group Show: Mind, Body & Soul Works by Charles Arnoldi, Karlene Boxenbaum, John Baldessari, Debbie Han, Diana Levinson, Carlo Marcucci, Roland Reiss, Sinan Revell, Janet Slom and Brad Wright. LA Contemporary, 2634 S. La Cienega Blvd., L.A.; ends July 26. (310) 713-0507.

BERGAMOT STATION

Pat O’Neill and Nancy Jackson Rosamund Felsen Gallery, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; ends July 12. (310) 828-8488.

Michel Alexis: Syllabary and Thomas Pathé: Bloom Large-scale paintings by Alexis; concurrent with an exhibition of thickly layered works by Pathé. Ruth Bachofner Gallery, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; ends July 19. (310) 829-3300.

Lewis Baltz: 1989-91 Sites of Technology Gallery Luisotti, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; ends July 15. (310) 453-0043.

Piot Brehmer: Maedchen und Landungen Samuel Freeman, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; ends Sat. (310) 449-1479.

Cayetana Conrad Frank Pictures, 2525 Michigan Ave. A-5, Santa Monica; ends July 13. (310) 828-0211.

Lawrence Gipe and Bruce Houston New paintings by Gipe; concurrent with an exhibition of sculptures by Houston in the Project Room. Lora Schlesinger Gallery, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; ends Aug. 2. (310) 828-1133.

Robert Graham: Ceramic Sculptures & Drawings Frank Lloyd Gallery, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; ends July 12. (310) 264-3866.

Gina Han: New Work and Group Show: Four Abstract Painters Paintings by Han; concurrent with a group exhibition of works by Robert Kingston, David Allan Peters, Sarah McIntosh and Tony Beauvy. Ruth Bachofner Gallery, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; ends Aug. 30. (310) 829-3300.

Jeremy Lipking Track 16 Gallery, Bergamot Station 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; ends July 12. (310) 264-4678.

Greg Miller: Unforeseen Frontier William Turner Gallery, 2525 Michigan Ave., E-1, Santa Monica; ends July 19. (310) 453-0909.

Astrid Preston Paintings. Craig Krull Gallery, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; ends July 12. (310) 828-6410.

Ali Smith and David Ryan New paintings by Smith; concurrent with an exhibition of wall sculptures by Ryan in the Project Room. Mark Moore Gallery, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; ends Aug. 23. (310) 453-3031.

Group Show: Sábado Gigante and Group Show: Pintores de Aztlán Patricia Correia Gallery, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; ends Aug. 30. (310) 264-1760.

WEST HOLLYWOOD/L.A.

Berenice Abbott: New York and Julius Shulman: Photographs Iconic architectural images from the two photographers, who documented the development of the East and West coasts, respectively. Fahey/Klein Gallery, 148 N. La Brea Ave., L.A.; ends Aug. 30. (323) 934-2250.

Arlene Bogna: Safari Americana Gallery 825/LAAA, 825 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood; ends July 18. (310) 652-8272.

James Brooks: Works From the ‘70s Paintings. Manny Silverman Gallery, 619 N. Almont Drive, West Hollywood; ends Aug. 2. (310) 659-8256.

Jean Conner: Collages Works by the San Francisco-based artist. Michael Kohn Gallery, 8071 Beverly Blvd., L.A.; ends July 19. (323) 658-8088.

Matt Dangler: Treehouse Gallery 1988, 7020 Melrose Ave., L.A.; ends July 11. (323) 937-7088.

Michael Eastman: Vanishing America DNJ Gallery, 154 1/2 N. La Brea Ave., L.A.; ends July 19. (323) 931-1311.

Brian Finke: Flight Attendants A series of documentary-style photographs of workers in the airline travel industry. Stephen Cohen Gallery, 7358 Beverly Blvd., L.A.; ends Aug. 2. (323) 937-5525.

Lullabies for the Dark Ages: Tino Rodriguez & Virgo Paraiso Merry Karnowsky Gallery, 170 S. La Brea Ave., L.A.; ends Sat. (323) 933-4408.

Robert A. Nelson: Common Ground Photographs of the forest landscape surrounding the artist’s cabin. Another Year in LA, 2121 N. San Fernando Road, No. 13, L.A.; ends July 18. (323) 223-4000.

Jerome Witkin: Revelations in Drawing Jack Rutberg Fine Arts, 357 N. La Brea Ave., L.A.; ends July 31. (323) 938-5222.

HK Zamani: Shelter From the Storm Solway Jones, 5377 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.; ends July 19. (323) 937-7354.

Jiang Zhi: Shine Upon Me DF2 Gallery, 314 N. Crescent Heights Blvd., L.A.; ends Aug. 23. (323) 782-9404.

Guillaume Zuili: Exposed Cities Couturier Gallery, 166 N. La Brea Ave., L.A.; ends Aug. 9. (323) 933-5557.

Group Show: Against the Grain Works using the theme of decadence as a point of departure by Tom Allen, Brian Bress, Robert Fontenot, Wendell Gladstone, Julian Hoeber, Anna Sew Hoy, Brian Kennon, John Knuth, Ryan Taber, Ami Tallman, Kelly Sears and Cheyenne Weaver. Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, 6522 Hollywood Blvd., L.A.; ends Aug. 10. (323) 957-1777.

Group Show: Red Wind Works inspired by and thematically related to the phenomenon of the Santa Ana winds. Blum & Poe, 2754 S. La Cienega Blvd., L.A.; ends Aug. 23. (310) 836-2062.

DOWNTOWN/EASTSIDE

Conversations That Never Happened: Tamala Poljak & Anna Oxygen An exhibition exploring the social rituals around eating. Dinner theater nights are scheduled for July 12 and 13, with a Mystery Cafe and closing performance slated for July 19 from 4 to 10 p.m. Telic, 975 Chung King Road, L.A.; ends July 19. (213) 344-6137.

Modern Soil: Brooks Salzwedel & John Palmer Black Maria Gallery, 3137 Glendale Blvd., L.A.; ends July 26. (323) 660-9393.

Rachel Rojany: Body of Work The Happy Lion, 963 Chung King Road, L.A.; ends Sat. (213) 625-1360.

Haegue Yang: Asymmetric Equality A site-specific installation by the Korean artist, her first solo exhibition in the U.S. The Gallery at REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., L.A.; ends Aug. 24. (213) 237-2800.

Group Show: Changing Ties: Reconsidering Identity Through Cross-cultural Interventions Works by Akosua Adoma Owusu, Harry Gamboa Jr., Margarita Cabrera, Nate Young, Nery Gabriel Lemus, Nikki Presley and Rubén Ortiz-Torres. The Avenue 50 Studio, 131 N. Ave. 50, L.A.; ends Sun. (323) 258-1435.

ORANGE COUNTY

danyol: At the Seams The Box Gallery, 765 Saint Clair Street, Suite B, Costa Mesa; ends July 12. (714) 724-4633.

Continuing, Museums

And Then Again: Printed Series, 1500-2007 Works charting the development of printed serial imagery from the early Renaissance to the present. Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood; ends July 13. (310) 443-7000.

The Age of Imagination: Japanese Art, 1615-1868 Paintings of the Edo Period from the Etsuko and Joe Price Collection, including screens, hanging scrolls and fan-format paintings. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.; ends Sept. 14. (323) 857-6000.

Al Held: The Evolution of Style Twenty-five works spanning 1958 to 2005 by the Abstract Expressionist artist. Cal State Long Beach University Art Museum, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach; ends Aug. 10. (562) 985-5761.

Cowboys and Presidents An examination of the ways U.S. presidents have incorporated the cowboy myth and iconography into their policies and the ways they define themselves. Autry National Center, 4700 Western Heritage Way, L.A.; ends Sept. 7. (323) 667-2000.

Philip-Lorca diCorcia A survey of the artist’s photographic works from the past 25 years, including series “Hustlers,” “Streetwork,” “Heads” and “Lucky 13.” The exhibition includes a formidable installation “Thousand,” made up of 1,000 Polaroid photographs. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.; ends Sept. 14. (323) 857-6000.

Fowler in Focus: Ceramics of Papua New Guinea An exhibition of ceramic bowls, vessels, figurative works and ornaments. Fowler Museum at UCLA, Sunset Boulevard and Westwood Plaza, Westwood; ends Sept. 28. (310) 825-4361.

A Garland of Memories: Ragamala Paintings From India and Nepal An exhibition of Ragamala, or, paintings illustrating musical expression and melody, often accompanied by a poem further elucidating the theme. Norton Simon Museum of Art, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; ends Nov. 3. (626) 449-6840.

The Hope Hygieia: Restoring a Statue’s History This Roman marble statue, found at Ostia in 1797 and restored shortly thereafter, was previously owned by Thomas Hope and later by William Randolph Hearst. Restorations made in the 19th century, removed in the 1970s, have been reintegrated for this exhibit as a means of illustrating changing attitudes toward the restoration of classical sculpture. Getty Villa, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades; ends Sept. 8. (310) 440-7300.

In Motion: The African American Migration Experience Photographs and stories documenting hopeful, self-motivated journeys across the nation. California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, L.A.; ends Aug. 31. (213) 744-7432.

Mami Wata: Arts for Water Spirits in Africa and Its Diasporas The mythological water spirit, alternately portrayed as a mermaid and snake charmer, is celebrated in a multimedia exhibition made up of sculpture, painting, masks and other artifacts. Fowler Museum at UCLA, Sunset Boulevard and Westwood Plaza, Westwood; ends Aug. 10. (310) 825-4361.

Marcel Duchamp Redux An exhibition marking the 45th anniversary of the Pasadena Museum of Art retrospective of the Dadaist’s work. Norton Simon Museum of Art, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; ends Dec. 8. (626) 449-6840.

Kori Newkirk: 1997-2007 Works spanning the last 10 years of the multimedia artist’s career. Pasadena Museum of California Art, 490 E. Union St., Pasadena; ends Sept. 14. (626) 568-3665.

Pacifika: Young Perspectives on Pacific Island Art Objects, costumes and adornments exploring the arts, culture and traditions of the people of the Pacific Islands. Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena; ends Aug. 24. (626) 449-2742.

Peter Saul The largest American museum survey of the artist’s work, spanning 1960 to 2006. Orange County Museum of Art, 850 San Clemente Drive, Newport Beach; ends Sept. 21. (949) 759-1122.

Gord Peteran: Furniture Meets Its Maker Long Beach Museum of Art, 2300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach; ends Sept. 7. (562) 439-2119.

Phantom Sightings: Art After the Chicano Movement Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.; ends Sept. 1. (323) 857-6000.

The Puppet Show A group exhibition exploring puppet imagery in contemporary art, featuring works by Louise Bourgeois, Maurizio Cattelan, Terence Gower, Christian Jankowski, Mike Kelley, Paul McCarthy, Kiki Smith, Kara Walker, Andy Warhol and others. Santa Monica Museum of Art, Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., Building G1, Santa Monica; ends Aug. 9. (310) 586-6488.

Ten Years in Focus: The Artist and the Camera An exhibition of notable works from the museum’s photography collection. Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, L.A.; ends Aug. 10. (310) 440-7300.

This Side of Paradise: Body and Landscape in LA Photographs Photographs from the 1860s to the present exploring the interplay between the city and the photographers who documented it, in all of its confounding glory. Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino; ends Sept. 15. (626) 405-2100.

Tradition as Innovation in African Art Works by more than 30 African artists, most from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.; ends Nov. 2. (323) 857-6000.