Art is more than objects

There are so many class prejudice misconceptions and personal issues involved in Christopher Knight’s commentary about the Los Angeles County Museum of Art [“Now LACMA Is Really Rudderless,” April 5] that it would take far too long to offer a blow-by-blow criticism. But the most egregious idiocy -- “Schools are organized to deal with ideas, while art museums are structured to deal with objects” -- cries out for comment.

How simple of you to make this distinction, Christopher, since even an underdog member of the art museum public that you purport to represent understands that art is all about ideas, manifested creatively in the objects we admire. An art museum must be all about ideas -- the ideas the artist used to create his/her object, the way the objects are grouped into an exhibit to develop a theme, and the way different individuals and groups interact with and experience the art. Art is the conveyance of ideas in a wondrous array of media. Don’t you get it?

Longtime LACMA members like my family will be sad to see Andrea Rich leave. We thank her for her many contributions to our institution, and we hope that LACMA’s vital and caring trustees continue their efforts on behalf of all us poor underdogs.

David Lefkowith

Los Angeles