In 1950s California, and especially in Los Angeles, there existed few venues for contemporary art. To a whole generation of California artists, this presented a freedom, since the absence of a context for their work meant that they could coin their own, and in uncommonly interesting ways. The careers of Ed Ruscha, Wallace Berman and Ed Kienholz all begin with this absence: Ruscha turned to books as a means of dissemination, Berman pioneered mail art through his magazine Semina and in March 1957, Ed Kienholz, in collaboration with curator Walter Hopps, co-founded one of California's greatest historical galleries, Ferus. Within months of opening, Ferus, which is Latin for "wild," gained notoriety when the Hollywood vice squad raided Berman's first--and, in his lifetime, last--solo exhibition, following a complaint about "lewd material." Shows by Kienholz and Jay DeFeo followed, but 1962 was Ferus' annus mirabilis, with solo shows by Bruce Conner and Joseph Cornell, and the first solo shows of Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol on the west coast. The following year, Ferus also hosted Ed Ruscha's first solo exhibition. After Kienholz and Hopps parted ways--Hopps went on to mount the first American Duchamp retrospective at the Pasadena Art Musuem--the reins were handed to Irving Blum, who got Ferus out of the red and ran the gallery until its closure in 1966. A Place to Begin is an illustrated oral history of this heroic enterprise. With 62 new interviews with Ferus artists and more than 300 photographs (most previously unpublished), it retrieves a lost chapter of twentieth-century American art. Edited by Kristine McKenna, noted expert and co-editor of the critically acclaimed Semina Culture.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
LA Art Rediscovered,
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This review is from: THE FERUS GALLERY (Hardcover)
During the period covered in this book I was not only living in Los Angeles but was spending a good part of my time -- and money! -- In the company of this book's main characters. During those years -- the late 50'sthrough to the late 60's -- Los Angeles had a vibrant art scene that remained virtually unknown beyond it boundaries. For more than 30 years New York was treated as the only wheel in town when it came to new art in America. But this finally changed as the result of a couple of major museum shows and a video film called The Cool School produced by Christine McKenna, who is also the author of this book. Now, The Ferus gallery has appeared and fills in many of the gaps. The Ferus Gallery, as an art gallery, has become emblematic of that period and place, but was certainly not the whole thing. And so by focusing on the late Walter Hopps, an art dealer, museum director and mentor to a generation of both artists and collectors, she has created a picture of the birth and maturity of an artistic avant garde with world-wide significance.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ferus Gallery Scene,
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This review is from: THE FERUS GALLERY (Hardcover)
Excellent account of the late 50s/60s Los Angeles avant garde artists. Comments from the actual participants with their photographs bring this innovative, energetic scene alive. Thanks to Kristine McKenna's extensive research and dedication, we now have an accurate portrayal of how the Ferus developed from it's rough, creative beginning to become a fashionable, successful gallery. The lost of the early spirit that forged it makes the history somewhat bittersweet. The rebels were embraced, money came into the equation, and the original vitality disappeared. Fortunately, not all was lost. Some of this unusual work is still around today, and we can see for ourselves what a wonderful period that was for California artists.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For the Ferus minded,
By Nee Montgomery (Hollywood) - See all my reviews
This review is from: THE FERUS GALLERY (Hardcover)
Immaculately written, and filled with details (and wonderful photos) about this magical time in the art world in Los Angeles.
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