In Defense of L.A. Artists

In regards to David Pagel’s review “From Holland, a Closed-Circuit Mentality” (July 18), Pagel’s view of the “closed-circuit” overlooks the fact that local art heroes Kelley, Isermann, McCarthy and Shaw openly cite European artists Hans Bellmer, Victor Vasarely, the Wiener Aktionismus and George Grosz as their prime influences, respectively. Not surprisingly, the differences between said L.A. artists and Random Access Memory’s Dutch artists far exceed their similarities, so Pagel’s handy comparisons rather prove how readily memory clouds perception. To pretend that our regional art doesn’t share their antecedents is not only provincial but protectionist, a disconcerting conservative trend. That European galleries and institutions have shown great interest in L.A. art indicates their appreciation for an art history that still functions as an open circuit.

SUE SPAID

Los Angeles