Customer Reviews

THE FERUS GALLERY

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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.

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.

Immaculately written, and filled with details (and wonderful photos) about this magical time in the art world in Los Angeles.

I enjoyed the hell out of this book. I got it from the "library" at our local arts supply store after seeing the movie "The Cool School - Birth of Los Angeles Art," which was awesome. This book is good on its own and very well structured, with bios of the key artists followed by a chronological timeline told in the player's (mostly artists) words.

My favorite artists in the book were John Altoon, Ed Moses, and Hassel Smith. I've seen some of Moses' work around, but not much of Altoon and Smith's and will be looking further. There are some breathtaking images of Altoon's paintings. Smith I know from his figurative period, but he seems to have had a lot of different styles/periods.

Also loved the cross pollination with San Francisco and New York. Really good book. And don't forget the movie (see title above).