13 Women
“In 1962, 13 audacious women came together to found the Balboa Pavilion Gallery—OCMA’s predecessor institution—with the goal of bringing modern and contemporary art to Orange County.”
Oct. 8, 2022 - Aug. 20, 2023
This exhibit pays homage to the vision the 13 founders had for their institution. 13 Women highlights art from the founders and artists whose art captures the message of OCMA.
A recognizable piece is Barbara Kruger’s Untitled, 1989, a 3x3 square with a picture of a hand holding a stopwatch repeated 9 times with word under each, “Happy, Sad, Awake, Asleep, Hopeful, Doubtful, Relaxed, Tense, Alive.”
Another standout piece is Ink Box, 1986 by Charles Ray. This piece was easily the most illusive at the show, a seemingly minimalist, shiny, black cube of about 3ft. by 3ft. by 3ft. However, the four sides and bottom are polished black stainless steel, making a hollow top-less cube. The cube was filled to the brim with black printer ink, creating the illusion of a lid. Ink can be seen leaking over the sides and had to be wiped every so often.
An amazing mega-sculpture titled Ghosts by Alice Aycock consisting of wood, steel and string. The constructed piece resembles a piano’s skeleton or a loom of some kind only to actually be a non-working machine construction. Be sure to walk around the piece to fully appreciate it.
