BLOGGING AGAIN!

THIS IS MY FIRST POST SINCE NOVEMBER. PERHAPS
I HAVE SOME VIABLE EXCUSES? PERHAPS NOT! IN 
ANY CASE THIS POST WILL SIGNAL MY RETURN TO
BLOGGING.
TODAY ALSO MARKS THE FIRST ANNIVERARY OF
OUR MOVING TO LA.

Changes

Dear Readers,

I wanted to let you know about some changes to the blog. I have decided to rename the blog and changed the address. The blog has been renamed THE RELUCTANT ANGELENO (http://the-reluctant-angeleno.blogspot.com/).

Please make a note of the address change and change the RSS feed if necessary.

Thanks for reading. I've got some good posts in the works.

all the best,
Allon

On Los Angeles' Aspirations to Become a "World Class City"

"Downtown 2020 - Continuing the Renaissance"

On October 12, I attended the Central City Association's symposium
"Downtown 2020 - Continuing the Renaissance."
http://www.aialosangeles.org/event/downtown-2020-continuing-the-renaissance

The CCA describes itself as "lobbying government and advancing
policy in shaping the future of Los Angeles business. And it's fueling
the renaissance of our entire area." http://www.ccala.org/

Having organized and attended similar events in New York and Paris, I can
recognize a good one when I see it. This was top notch.

In an attempt to assert LA's status as a "world class city," there were
three one and a half hour sessions with some of the major players who
are going to participate in and accelerate the creation of an urban center
for Los Angeles.

At a forum focused on sensitivity to New York's urban environment held
in a ballroom at the Waldorf, I was on a panel with Philip Johnson. To make
my point - that it was as important to be as sensitive to what we build as what
we eat - I distributed loaves of artisanal bread and Wonder bread encouraging
members of the audience to taste them. The room was a mess, but I made
my point. I hope this post will be as provocative.

Downtown as An Economic Engine

The Central City Association reports that "The current renaissance has
transformed Downtown Los Angeles from a 9-to-5 business center to a
residential, cultural and entertainment destination with 27,000 new residents,
83,500 new jobs, $180 million in tax revenues to the city and county and
$10.9 billion in business revenues."

So, what kind of a city is evolving and what can we expect to happen over
the next ten to twenty years? After digesting what the various power brokers
of major and minor scale had to say, here's my take.

More than half the world's population - 3.3 billion people live in cities

According to the "United Nations Report, State of the World Population,"
this milestone was reached in 2007. By 2030, the number is expected to be
5 billion, the majority of the people on this planet. We are entering a new age
in which urban environments will continue to expand everywhere.

Awareness of a generational shift

One of the panelists stressed that there is "going to be a surge in demand for
downtown housing among the twenties." This was amplified by another who
spoke of living in Orange County and raising his family there. Unquestionably,
his children were the products of car pool culture. His son did not want to live
in the suburbs; he is living downtown. Many people with similar histories
are attracted to living and working in downtown LA. Such people are the
majority of current downtown residents and represent the nucleus of an
expanding population. For another panelists, seeing a couple walk their dog
after dark, obliterated personal safety as a factor in choosing to live downtown.

The importance of transportation infrastructure

No one disputed nor regretted the demise of the dominance of the automobile.
There was general agreement that completing a suitable local and
regional transportation infrastructure including an expanded subway
system integrated with high speed rail was the city's highest priority.
While this was being built, it was acknowledged that automobiles and
their corollaries: freeways and parking, had to be reckoned with. There
was also discussion of enhanced transportation alternatives within the
urban core.

"A walking city again"


Spring and Seventh, 1926.

One panelist said that "Streets are for everyone, not just for cars."
New York was considered a model to be emulated in developing more
pedestrian friendly streets.

High brow culture as an increasingly significant commodity

It was acknowledged that the entertainment industry has played a major role
in the growth and development of the city and the region over the last century.
With an expanded population of college educated people who have been
exposed to museums and cultural tourism, Eli Broad stressed the magnetism
of museums and concert halls as benefits to local residents as well as to
visitors and convention delegates.

The "haves" and "have nots"

One panelist acknowledged the gap between the "haves" and "have
nots" and the need to create jobs and residences for both classes. The
availability of affordable housing was seen as a necessary corollary.
One of the developers discussed his experience with affordable housing
downtown.

The giants and the dwarfs see opportunities ahead

Although they did not appear on the same panels - the giants spoke of
millions and billions while the dwarfs spoke ot thousands and tens of
thousands - the mega bankers, developers and builders shared common
ground with small scale entrepreneurs in their visions of the continuing
revitalization of downtown LA. Both envision it as a 24/7 city with a mix
of residential and office space, retail commerce, bars, restaurants, and
entertainment.

Evoking the spirit of Jane Jacobs

In the 1960's Robert Moses, the uncontrollable New York developer who left a
mixed record of accomplishments, was opposed by Jane Jacobs when he
attempted to build an expressway that would have bisected Lower Manhattan.
He lost; she won. Her book, "The Death and Life of Great American Cities,"
published in 1961 was a critique of the then current urban renewal process.
She stressed the importance of urban spontaneity where decentralized
ownership stimulates neighborhoods to regenerate themselves through mixed
use and individual entrepreneurism.

Andrew Meiran, owner of the highly successful Edison lounge, who is planning
to both revive and transform Clifton's Cafeteria on Broadway, serves as a perfect
Jane Jacobs' case study. One can predict that his transformation of Clifton's will
have a multiplier effect on Broadway encouraging other entrepreneurs to join
in creating new and innovative enterprises that will breathe life into the whole
downtown area.

No more banal Bunker Hill buildings

One of the speakers said that there had not been a new office building
in LA for twenty-two years. (The LA Live tower contains hotels and
apartment; no office space.) Given the advances in communications
technology, twenty year-old buildings are out-of-date. He promised two
new 60-story office towers in the next three years. There was no mention
of pursuing architectural quality as Eli Broad had said was so important
in planning cultural complexes.

How can we get two office towers that are architectural wonders?



Skyscrapers do not have to be square boxes with glass walls. Shanghai
Tower, above, with 128 floors is approximately 2,000 feet high. It will have
the world's highest open air observation deck, and will house: office space,
a luxury hotel, retail and cultural venues. It is organized as nine cylindrical
buildings stacked one on top of the other. The sweeping design was planned
to reduce the impact of winds often experienced in extremely tall buildings.
Incidentally, this building was designed by Gensler, an American global
architectural firm.

It blows one's mind to think of what is possible. The two towers could be
self-sustaining green buildings generating their own electrical power
with solar panels and turbines. They could recirculate their waste water.
There could be year round gardens on terraces supplying fruits and
vegetables to the building's restaurants. Tenants would flock to such
buildings. People would travel from around the world to see them. The
media would find them endlessly interesting providing LA with a positive
image whenever they are mentioned.

If we wait for the developers, real estate interests and bankers to put
together their package, the odds of getting more Bunker Hill banality are
high. Great architecture means enduring real estate value. Think 80-year
old Rockefeller Center. Great architecture generates great pr. Think Beijing
olympics. Bad architecture means bad business. At one of the panels, there
was discussion of tearing down a section of the LA convention center.

Given the fact that developers and real estate interests will be calling the
shots regarding the design and construction of the two new 60 story towers
being planned for Downtown LA, they should be encouraged to accept
community input. I recommend an international design competition
administered by the CCA. Will the CCA do it? If not, someone else should.

Once again, there is a New York precedent worth examining. The Lower
Manhattan Development Corporation organized an international design
competition in which architects and teams of architects prepared proposals
for buildings to replace the World Trade Towers at Ground Zero. The Port
Authority of New York and New Jersey owned the property and the developer,
Larry Silverstein, was responsible for construction. These proposals influenced
the final design for One World Trade Center, Freedom Tower.

Eli Broad, if willing, would be the perfect chairman for an international design
competition committee. He would have no problem finding qualified members.

The CCA is at bat. For those of us who live here now and for future generations, they need to hit a home run.

P.S. I hope that I fulfilled my promise at the beginning of this post.

The Getty Villa - A World Class Museum

Having lived in LA for nearly 8 months, I have been waiting for
" a world class museum experience." On Monday, September 27,
the hottest day (113 degrees) on record, I went to the Getty Villa.
My wish was fulfilled.



Getty Villa, September 27, 2010

Although The Metropolitan Museum http://www.metmuseum.org/
is my all time favorite encyclopedic museum, the Musei Capitolini,
designed by Michelangelo in 1536, located in Rome's Piazza del
Campidoglio, offers a special attraction on a personal level.



Musei Capitolini, Campidoglio, Rome.



Musei Capitolini, Palazzo Nuovo, first floor gallery, May 2009



Musei Capitolini, Palazzo Nuovo, first floor gallery, January
2001.

I am standing alongside the portrait bust of an unidentified
Roman citizen, dated First Century AD. For those who believe
that as individual embodiments, we have experienced multiple
lives, this comparison serves as testimony.

So, what does this have to do with my recent visit to The Getty Villa?
I view the Getty Villa, not as a unique experience, but as one episode
of an extended continuity.

Many years ago, I was in LA for an American Association of Museums
annual meeting, and visited the J.Paul Getty Museum, as I believe it was
then called. My recollections are of a less sumptuous historical recreation
with fewer objects on display. This four-part video tour in 1985 by my
friend, Professor Bernard Frischer, describes it as I recall it then.

http://vimeo.com/9404906

http://vimeo.com/9406020

http://vimeo.com/9406916

http://vimeo.com/9407401

Now, one finds an extraordinary collection of Greek and Roman objects
displayed impeccably in elegant galleries of varied dimensions. One cannot
fault the Getty Villa staff on any level of professional presentation; however,
in the area of personal taste, I find the new installation of the Greek and
Roman galleries at The Met, renovated under the watchful eye of Carlos
Picón, Curator in Charge, Department of Greek and Roman Art, to
be more to my liking.



The Met's renovated Greek and Roman galleries, 2007.



The Getty Villa's Geta Krater installation.

Overall, the Getty Villa offers distinct advantages as an experience. It is
not a museum where objects are assembled and displayed as cultural trophies.
It is the recreation of an authentic Roman villa in a physical setting which
provides a simulation approximating the original experience. Artifacts
displayed here acquire an authenticity that can never be achieved in a traditional
art museum.

In ancient Roman times the Bay of Naples hosted a colony of villas which
served as playgrounds for the rich and powerful much as the area surrounding
the Getty Villa does now. For the Roman aristocracy, these villas served as
the settings for extravagant displays of conspicuous consumption and refined
living embodied in eating, drinking and philsophizing.

Malibu - Two Ferraris in Five Minutes

First spotting: 1:45 pm, Monday, September 27, 2010.
Ferrari 612. Von's parking lot, Sunset and Pacific
Coast Highway.


As the owner parked and left his car, I had the courage to walk
around it and admire it. Suddenly, I heard a strange humming
sound emanating from the car. I assumed that it was some kind
of an alarm that would alert the owner if I got too close.



Second spotting: 1:50 pm. Monday, September 27, 2010.
Ferrari F450-7, The Getty Villa parking garage entrance.

I joined the crowd of gawkers. The owner was justifiably proud of
what appeared to be his new toy. The top was down, so you could
see inside. I said that I had now seen two Ferraris in five minutes
and asked if everyone in Malibu owned a Ferrari. He smiled.



Me and my dream car, Ferrari F458. Ferrari
showroom, San Francisco, August 1, 2005.

Until my two recent spottings in Malibu, this is as close as I ever
got to a real Ferrari. I have a friend in New York who keeps one at
his place in Water Mill on Long Island. He has offered to take me
for a ride, but I never managed to get there.




The Ferrari Story
http://www.thescuderia.net/thefactory.shtml

Ferrari Photos
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&source=imghp&biw=1019&bih=616&q=ferrari&gbv=2&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=fer&gs_rfai=

More Ferrari Photos

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&source=imghp&biw=1019&bih=616&q=ferrari+2010+model&gbv=2&aq=1&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=ferrari+2010&gs_rfai=

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&biw=1019&bih=616&gbv=2&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=ferrari+458+italia&aq=1&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=ferrari+&gs_rfai=

Now back to Malibu and Ferraris.

22 Ferraris drive thru Malibu



Ferrari F40 thrown in as closing gift with purchase of Malibu home

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/03/ferrari-f40-thrown-in-as-closing-gift-with-purchase-of-malibu-ho/

A personal footnote. If there is a Malibu Ferrari owner who would like to offer
me a ride, I would welcome it.

Renzo Piano and Olmec Sculpture: A Triumphal Partnership

Above: Interior, Resnick Pavilion, Olmec Sculpture Exhibition

In his remarks at the Press Preview on September 23, 2010, Renzo
Piano defined his design of museums as both architecture and art -
an art that is sympathetic to works of art. He decried "white boxes"
as a solution to museum architecture because white boxes are not
sympathetic to viewing works of art. From Piano's perspective,
natural light enhances viewing works of art; therefore, he creates
spaces in which natural light can be managed as a corollary to the
aesthetic experience. Although he did not say this specifically, we
can assume that he does not want his architecture to either over-
whelm or distract from the appreciation of works of art.

Achieving this delicate balance is one of Renzo Piano's hallmarks;
it distinguishes his architecture from others who pursue what could
readily be described as egocentric statements in which the presen-
tation of works of art must be accommodated within the boundaries
of the personal style of the architect. Unfortunately, most of the
new museums around the world - except those designed by Renzo Piano
- represent this philosophy. Since the opening of Frank Ghery's
Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa, Spain, virtually every museum board of
directors planning a new building has attempted to find "starchitects"
(star architects - names of firms associated with grandiose projects.
not all of which are well-designed.) who could perform "Bilboa magic."
Fortunately, the decision makers at LACMA exercised wiser judgment.



The success of Renzo
Piano's philosophy is amply demonstrated in the Resnick Pavilion. Above,
it is possible to see the skylight louver system that controls the natural
light in the gallery. There are three exhibition bays: central - Olmec
sculpture - a definitive exhibition of this early Mexican culture, right:
Resnick collection - the personal collection of the benefactors for whom the
new building is named and left: fashion - selections from LACMA's vast his-
torical fashion collection. Each exhibition in its own bay. utilizes a
different level of natural light. As the sun rises and falls; as the
weather changes from day-to-day, adjustment are made with an
iphone app.

In addition to praise for the architect, the installation design team
deserve commendation for their sensitive presentation of the Olmec
artifacts. Although relatively few in number, each of the Olmec sculptures
absorbs the vast space of the gallery without being overwhelmed by its size.





Renzo Piano Building Workshop

http://rpbw.r.ui-pro.com/

Olmec - From Natural History Museums to Art Msueums

`

www.brooklynandboyle,net

IN THIS ISSUE:

4 - the chicano moratorium by Jaime Cruz ...
6 - ask a wise latina by Josefina López ...
9 - dolores huerta at 80 by Abel Salas ...
10 - flor y canto festivals by Michael Sedaño ...
10 - alarcon's "ce uno one" review by Nina Serrano ...
13 - un solo sol kitchen byAntonia de la Torre ...
16 - lacma olmec exhibit by Allon Schoener ...




LACMA Presents First West Coast Exhibtion of
Olmec Masterworks / October 2, 2010 - January
9, 2011

http://www.lacma.org/art/ExhibOlmec.aspx

With great anticipation, I am looking forward to seeing
the Olmec exhibition at LACMA. Among what have been
described as Mesomaerican cultures, Aztec, Maya, Mixtec,
Olmec and Zapotec, the oldest is Olmec with roots tracing
back to the sixth century BCE. During my lifetime, I have
witnessed the transformation of Mesomaerican cultures
from the domain of natural history museums to art
museums.

My first contact with Olmec art, this ancient Mexican culture
most notable for its highly developed stone carving technology
producing massive stone heads that have no equal in human
history, occurred when I was a graduate student in art history
at Yale. I had the good fortune to attend a seminar focusing on
the Olmec led by the renowned Pre-Columbian scholar, George
Kubler. As an art historian, Kubler was more interested in a
stylistic interpretation of Olmec culture in which he saw the art
objects as having a life of their own, seeming sometimes to be
devoid of an association with the human beings who created
them.

The Olmecs utilized some of the hardest stones to be found on
this planet: basalt, granite and jade. Kubler marveled at the
incredible technological accomplishment of the Olmec sculptors,
who, like Ancient Egyptians, managed to create sculpture from
blocks of stone without the benefit of metal tools.

Among indigenous American cultures, there were varied writing
systems; however, there were no written languages in the
European and Asian traditions. As a consequence, we know
virtually nothing about the Olmec except the sculptures that
remain. Without a written language or some other method for
recording events, Olmec society remains shrouded by myth
and mystery more than in fact. There is much unresolved
about when and how the Olmec lived, prospered and disappeared.

Other Mesoamerican societies had highly developed glyph systems
which recorded military and political events. Buildings, walls
and stela were inscribed with historical, political and
genealogical information. While there are on-going investigations
of these written glyph systems, the spoken languages of a number
of North, South and Central American indigenous cultures persist.
Bolivia, Paraguay and Peru have one or more official indigenous
spoken languages. In the American southwest, the Navajo language
claims 200,000 speakers.

In Mexico and Guatemala, the Maya retain their cultural identity
and their their spoken language remains functional. While serving
as a consultant to the Organization of American States, I witnessed
the perpetuation of the Maya oral tradition. During lunch at the
home of the leader of a woman's weaving cooperative in Flores,
Guatemala, an elder was teaching the son of our host Ancient Maya
in an adjacent space. Recognition of elders as custodians of oral
tradition, is common in other American, African and Asian indigenous
cultures

On previous occasions, I have seen Olmec sculpture in traditional
museum settings: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of
Natural History and National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.
I believe that the Resnick Pavilion designed by Renzo Piano will
provide a new and enhanced opportunity to view Olmec sculpture bathed
in natural light. This might simulate the environment in which these
sculptures were created rather than their being seen in confined
traditional museum galleries with artificial illumination. As the
light outside changes, so will the light inside. It promises to be
spectacular.

LACMA

http://www.lacma.org/art/ExhibOlmec.aspx

BBC DOCUMENTARY ON THE OLMEC



NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY, MEXICO CITY

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/mexico/mexico-city-archaeological-museum.htm

OLMEC HISTORY

http://www.aztec-history.com/olmec-civilization.html