West LA: MOCA's Mark Rothko Exhibit at PDC

MOCA just opened their Mark Rothko exhibit at their Pacific Design Center (PDC) site on Sunday, the 5th. As fans of Mark Rothko, my friend and I decided to be cultural buddies for the day and venture out to the West LA location. Parking's available at the PDC for a flat rate of $6 on weekends, but there's plenty of metered street parking on San Vicente Blvd. and Melrose Ave. Actually, since it was a Sunday, I ended up not having to worry about parking costs at all (the free admission didn't hurt either). The exhibit presents MOCA's own monographic holdings of 8 paintings, and the museum setting is curated in a way that allows the viewer to experience the intensity and spirit in the canvases. There's a marked difference between experiencing a Rothko painting that's hung up among other contemporary works and experiencing several Rothko paintings collectively hung in one intimate room. After the exhibit, my friend and I decided to walk around the surrounding neighborhood. Walking further along Melrose, we passed by little boutiques and stores, a quirky used book store, another gallery, and cozy cafes with outdoor seating (Le Pain Quotidien and the well-known Urth Caffe) which all seemed fitting for a bizarrely warm November Sunday afternoon in Southern California. The exhibit will continue until January 21, 2007.

-Sarah Koo, ExperienceLA Arts/Cultural Marketing Intern