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Last night I attended the opening of (de)Constructing Chinatown, the Chinese American Museum‘s newest exhibit. The group art show was envisioned by curator Steven Wong as a creative way to reflect the diverse peoples and perspectives that create L.A.’s Chinatown. I didn’t get to say hi to all of the artists (or even Steve, who was in New York) but I did get to catch up with my old friend Shizu Saldamando (above). Her impossibly fine–and effortlessly cool–pen-on-bedsheet works are featured prominently, right next to the show’s main signage and statement.
You might recall my gushing review after attending preview night at the Chinese American Museum for its current show, Breaking Ground: Chinese American Architects in Los Angeles (1945-1980). I returned to the Downtown L.A. destination when it wasn’t so crowded to talk to co-curator Steven Wong (above) about the show.
MW: Architecture can’t be easy to show in a museum because so much of it is felt when you walk in a building or stand in its shadow.
SW: It’s hard to show architecture in a museum, and to understand architecture as an art form is even harder. But it’s something we interact with on a daily basis. Everyone has a relationship with architecture whether it’s conscious or not. When I was doing research for the show, I realized that Chinese American architects were responsible for many iconic buildings that really molded my experience as an Angeleno growing up.
Last night I went to the member’s preview of Breaking Ground: Chinese American Architects in Los Angeles (1945-1980) at the Chinese American Museum. The Pacific Standard Time-affiliated show’s topic is self-explanatory and very cool, showcasing styles from Googie to Modernist with some photography by Julius Shulman.