As my plans got scratched last saturday—much like I Want Revenge in the Kentucky Derby—I suddenly had no plans during the day. So with some free time available, I decided to go down to Laguna Beach to see Roger Kuntz at the Laguna Beach Art Museum. Prior to a recent review by Christopher Knight on the LATimes blog (in print as well I assume), I had never heard of Kuntz or knowingly seen his work. I google mapped the direction on my phone via their website, and it sent me to a private residence. Fortunately getting around Laguna Beach is not difficult and the museum is on the PCH. So after the initial mis-direction, I arrived at the museum. For the most part I thought it was really great, there were a few paintings and most of the sculptures I didn’t know what to do with (a little too Degas’s bather bronzes to my liking). Some of them are products of their times. Mainly the Lunar landscapes of Coors cans, girls and the Goodyear blimp ((all made between 1969 and 1970) there are some sample on this Juxtapoz review).
The works I liked the most, and the bulk of the show, were the variations of the overpasses. I have painted similar subjects, and I am planning to paint some more. It was also interesting how much of this concrete is still around—the catalog has some of his source images that depict places I drive on a regular basis.
In the past seeing something like this would have caused me to drop the idea, but now it makes me want to do it more. It is also why I drove 50+ miles each way to see them. I’ve been thinking about black and white images (greys) in a colorful world. To this end, I have been taking pictures like the one below to this purpose. As soon as the canvases are made, I look forward to starting a few.
The exhibition is open until May 24th. Laguna Art Museum, 307 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach, CA 92651