Category Archive for Los Angeles CA
Los Angeles modern & Japanese pop art museums! The Broad LA contemporary, Deitch Gallery, Hajime Sorayama robots.
Remember when we could go out freely, and visit art museums with friends? Those were the days… I’ll never take this simple joy for granted again!
I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying my ongoing stories of pre-pandemic travels. Let’s keep on reminiscing about sunnier times, as we go through this odd moment in history.
In January 2020, I arrived in Los Angeles with photographer Joey Wong. We spent a day getting inspired at The Broad Museum, a hip collection of contemporary art that includes phenomenal Japanese pop paintings.
I also swung by the Jeffrey Deitch gallery to see “Tokyo Pop Underground.” This exhibition brought together eccentric works by Japanese artists including Hajime Sorayama — maestro of sexy robots, as you’ll see!
Both the Broad LA and Deitsch Gallery are free to the public. When they’re open again (post-COVID), I hope you’ll take the opportunity to experience them.
I also wanted to share some “cheerio” news… I’m on the front page of Metro UK Newspaper, Travel section (May 4th edition)!
The United Kingdom’s highest-circulating paper interviewed me about my favorite insider Vancouver spots. I recommended the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Chinese gardens, and Twin Peaks themed restaurant (read more about this Lynchian venue). Come visit once our borders open again.
Now, let’s teleport back in time to LA. This fashion shoot with Joey Wong turned out to be my last one before the coronavirus locked me down.
Art museum outfit details: Sheer panel top by Goth boutique Creatures Montreal. Leather miniskirt Jeremy Scott. Polkadot head scarf Lola Ramona. Sunglasses Edwardson Eyewear. Bracelets Hermes and Bulgari.
I adore the space-age Gothic look of my Alexander McQueen mini bag. See more skull purses by McQueen below:
A close-up on my current favorite rings. The dream of the 1990s is alive on my fingers…
In love with my new black diamond and diamonds flower-power ring! The Cosmic Escape alien ring is by Alina Abegg. Find it here, and browse more of her aliens jewelry below.
Before heading into The Broad for our reserved ticket time-slot, we snapped some photos next door at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
(Short polka dot skirt by Jeremy Scott, and leather platform ankle boots by Acne Studios.)
Designed by Frank Gehry and opened in 2003, the Walt Disney Concert Hall has a design that resembles a musical organ.
(Downtown LA has plenty of space-y architecture. We also went into the Bradbury / Blade Runner building; see photos here.)
As an architecture buff, I simply had to stop by Disney Music Hall to admire Gehry’s curving, stainless steel panels. Poke around the exterior walkways, and you’ll find spaceship-like reflective walls that are perfect for fashion photography.
I didn’t go inside the concert hall that day; it’s the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and the Master Chorale. When the doors can open again, I’d love to see a performance here.
We walked back to The Broad, and took some shots against the minimalist-modern facade. Opened in 2015, the art museum immediately became a downtown LA landmark, thanks to its white honeycomb design.
The veil-like exterior is cleverly designed to let sunlight into the museum.
Important note about tickets: While admission to The Broad Museum is free, you do have to reserve a time slot in advance, via their website. Be sure to book your tickets well in advance, as the spots can sell out. (There may also be an extra charge for some special exhibitions and events.)
You can alternately show up and stand in line, but you may end up waiting a long time, so I urge you to book a free reserved ticket online. (Parking is available in the garage, at a steep $17 US for 3 hours.)
Founded by Eli and Edythe Broad, the museum collection has around 2000 contemporary art pieces by about 200 artists (from 1960 to today). The Broad’s interior is spacious, with tall ceilings and large white walls, forming the perfect setting for giant works.
Visitors can see quirky masterpieces by American artists like Jeff Koons. On the left is his Balloon Dog and Rabbit, and on the right is his Michael Jackson and Bubbles the monkey statue.
American pop art and photography take center stage at the Broad. You’ll find stunning pieces by Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, Ed Ruscha, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. Above, I’m dwarfed by the “Blue Red” of Ellsworth Kelly.
The works span a variety of sizes, styles, and media. Two of my favorites: Jean-Michel Basquiat’s “Gold Griot” (acrylic and oilstick on wood), in his signature Neo-Expressionist style. And Jeff Koons “Tulips,” a rainbow bouquet of mirrored stainless steel.
I was glad to discover works by women of diverse backgrounds, at The Broad. I’m standing in front of unnerving silhouettes by Kara Walker, which capture the painful memories of slavery in the plantation-era South.
The Broad contains more than just American pop art. Japan packs a “kawaii” punch with multiple works by Takashi Murakami. I smiled when I saw his characters Kaikai and Kiki, frolicking amidst smiley flowers.
Staring down Murakami’s “Black Daruma.” The artist brings an anime sensibility to Japanese folklore — in this case, the lucky daruma doll based on Zen founder Bodhidharma.
I’ve never seen skulls so cute or colorful. (You can see more of Takashi Murakami’s works here; I covered his exhibit in Vancouver.)
For those who love dynamic contemporary art, LA’s The Broad museum is as good as it gets. Very happy I finally got to visit.
LA has a good number of art galleries and museum that are free to the public at all times.
One of the most progressive art spaces is the Jeffrey Deitch, located in West Hollywood. The open, industrial gallery features rotating themed exhibits; I made it in time to see “Tokyo Pop Underground.”
Is Hello Kitty art? Hell yes, if you ask me!
Deitch LA brought together works by 17 innovative Japanese artists, working from 1960 to today. The gallery was filled with subversive pop culture, with an emphasis on all things cute and freaky.
“You’re wondering who I am… Machine or mannequin… With parts made in Japan — (Secret, secret, I’ve got a secret).”
Although I was impressed by all the Japanese artists, I was floored to see the fabulous fem-bots of Hajime Sorayama!
Love how the gallery displayed his feminized, biomechanoid robots. This looks like a scene from a science fiction movie… I was half-expecting one of the android ladies to burst through the glass.
The cold, curvy robots are 100% heavy metal. Hail Hajime Sorayama. (Google his name to see more of his erotic robot works; they’re a trip.)
Keiichi Tanaami’s laughing spider also caught my eye. In the back, his psychedelic collages are a mashup of geishas, monsters, spaceships…
The Deitch LA puts together fascinating shows with themes like “All of Them Witches” and “Ai Weiwei Zodiac.” Til next time.
For more modernity, you can also visit the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in downtown LA. (That is, once a certain virus is under control…)
Such a simple outing — going to free museums in LA, and posing for photos — isn’t even a possibility right now. 2020 has made me realize to the bones that we should never put off doing the things we enjoy.
Thanks to Joey Wong for the fab photography — hope we can shoot again soon, and get closer than 2 meters / 6 feet from each other!
(Close-up on my silver croco skull bag by Alexander McQueen. Browse more below):
And a wave goodbye, with my go-to rings. The silver and peridot alien pinky ring is by Alina Abegg; get one here, and discover more of her space, planets and aliens designs below.
Always looking ahead to a future filled with spaceships and stars. Take care of yourselves and keep dreaming, my friends.
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Road trip from Palm Springs to LA! The Orlando Hotel West Hollywood, Cabazon Dinosaurs, OUE Skyspace panorama.
Welcome back to La Carmina’s Big Adventure! (Do you recognize these Cabazon Dinosaurs from the Pee Wee Herman movie?)
After a few relaxing days in Palm Springs (see first post), photographer Joey Wong and I took a road trip to LA — with a pit stop at this kitschy roadside attraction.
In LA, I stayed at my favorite home-away-from-home — The Orlando Hotel in West Hollywood. At this point, taking a photo with the big O sign is tradition.
Read on for a peek inside, as well as dinosaurs and aliens, oh my!
When you’re driving west from Palm Springs to LA, you’ll pass through Cabazon. This appears to be a sleepy retirement desert town… until you see a tyrannosaurus rex in beast mode!
The Cabazon Dinosaurs are an amusing place to stop and take photos. The 20 meter tall Mr Rex is made from steel and concrete.
Dinny the Dinosaur, a 45 meter long brontosaurus, hangs out next to him. His humped back mirrors the curves of the Palm Desert mountains. Both dinos were featured in the 1985 comedic film, “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.”
(My outfit consists of a hooded top by Cyberdog, white dress by UK Swimwear, and sandals by Lola Ramona.)
I disguised myself using my silver alien backpack (get one here), and got up close to the T-Rex.
These ridiculous dinosaur statues were built in the 1960s by Claude K Bell, a former sculptor for Knott’s Berry Farm. He made them to entice highway drivers to visit his restaurant.
Things get weirder. After Claude died, the dinosaurs were sold to a group… that turned the attraction into a Creationist museum! Yes, there are people out there that believe the world was created only 6000 years ago along with humans and dinosaurs, who co-existed.
The dino attractions look like kid’s stuff. But if you look closer, you’ll notice Creationist slogans in the gift shop like “Don’t swallow it! The fossil record does not support evolution.”
The Creationist museum suggests that dinosaurs might still exist but be in hiding, citing Loch Ness and other supposed spottings.
Is the truth in there? I wasn’t about to pay the fee to go in and be dis-informed, so I just took photos outside.
One can dispute whether dinosaurs are real… but aliens exist for sure!
The drive between Palm Springs and LA is an easy one, and takes just over 3 hours (try to avoid peak traffic hours). We landed in downtown Los Angeles, which has developed significantly over the past 10 or so years.
Here’s a futuristic view from The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA (contemporary art museum). In a later post, I’ll show you the Broad art museum and Disney Concert Hall.
Don’t overlook the incredible historic architecture in this district. I popped in to the Bradbury Building: built in 1893, this is a five story masterpiece of cast iron filigree surrounding a central glass atrium.
If this setting looks familiar to you, it may be because Harrison Ford ran around here with a gun, in the 1982 apocalyptic film Blade Runner — one of my personal favorites.
The set designers added trash, fog and mannequins to The Bradbury Building, transforming it to the character J. F. Sebastian’s apartment. These geometric stairs, iron railing and open cage elevators made this one of the most memorable scenes in Blade Runner.
I’m wearing a holographic alien backpack, and pink sunglasses with built-in eyebrows by SpiltMilk Eyewear.
Time to check in at The Orlando Hotel in West Hollywood. I’ve been docking at this boutique hotel since 2011, and always recommend it to anyone coming to Los Angeles. From the valet to the front desk, the Orlando staff are a standout. Everyone shows genuine care and welcomes you warmly.
(Silk striped dress by Chaser, and skull mini purse by Alexander McQueen.)
The Orlando Hotel’s location (West 3rd Street in WeHo) can’t be beat. I dislike taking the highways and battling with LA traffic. By staying at the Orlando, I can take local streets and easily get to the beach, Koreatown, Hollywood, and downtown.
In addition, the hotel is on a hip street lined with cafes and shops, so you can access plenty of fantastic places by walking. Or, you can simply hang out at their pool.
Over the years, the Orlando has spruced up its interiors. They now house Cleo Third Street, a chic bar and restaurant named after Queen Cleopatra. Guests can order room service from Cleo as well (no need to ever leave those cozy rooms!)
I’ve stayed at a number of “design” hotels that seem luxurious, but aren’t actually that functional or comfortable. This is why I adore The Orlando: everything works seamlessly!
Here, it’s easy to find and operate the light switches. The rooms and bathroom are spacious, with plenty of storage space. The shower heats up quickly, and is easy to step in and out of (no water splashing everywhere). And the plush beds with silky sheets are among the best I’ve slept in.
I feasted like a royal at Cleo Third Street, the hotel’s restaurant. Their Middle Eastern meets Mediterranean cuisine has a modern touch, and the small plates are designed for sharing with friends. We were fans of the craft cocktails, featuring fresh juices and garnishes.
The fiery halloumi was a big hit, along with the smoked eggplant and sumac babaganoush, served with spongy laffa bread. The menu has plenty of flavorful dishes to choose from, with ingredients like harissa, tahini, and lebaneh. Cleo also has multiple options for those who are vegan, vegetarian or gluten free.
I’ve made so many wonderful memories at The Orlando Hotel over the years. My friends, from Josie Stevens to the Amazing Race Goths, have found inspiration here with me.
Next time you’re heading to LA, I hope you’ll get to stay here and see why The Orlando Hotel is my happy place!
Time to check out something new: OUE Skyspace in Downtown LA. Opened in 2016, this is the tallest open air observation deck in California.
We went up the elevator until we were almost 1000 feet above the city. From the various outdoor viewing decks, OUE SkySpace lets you take in panoramic 360 degree views of Los Angeles.
You can buy wine from the bar, and sit on the lounge chairs to enjoy the views of the horizon. OUE Skyspace has areas set up for selfies as well.
OOTD: alien backpack (from here), pink sunglasses by SpiltMilk Eyewear, mesh shirt Cyberdog, white dress UK Swimwear, heels Lola Ramona.
Be sure to ride The Skyslide, a clear glass slide that lets you shoot down the outside of the building! Although the slide only spans one floor, it’s a fast zoom that delivers thrills. (I yelled “Oueee!”)
I recommend visiting right before sunset so that you can catch the glow of dusk. Yes, that’s the moon above me.
OUE Skyspace is a must for photography lovers. Joey Wong shot these images that capture the energy of LA.
During golden hour, you can get plenty of pink-hued portraits and fashion photos.
Joey’s long exposure shows the snake-like roads and frenetic pace of downtown LA.
Love how the car lights turn into laser beams.
The last light before the darkness. If you’d like to come up here, you can learn more about OUE Skyspace and get timed entry tickets through their site.
LA LA LLA LA! I have more to come from Los Angeles and Palm Springs, as well as NYC and Portland. (You can see previews on my @lacarmina social media.)
Thanks for your patience, these are crazy times… Wash your hands and stay safe, aliens!
LA CARMINA
