Although New York wears the crown of the contemporary art world, sometimes smaller regional galleries can provide a more intimate and friendly experience with art. That is definitely the case for the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art which has a top notch collection of contemporary art in two locations, one in downtown San Diego and the other in nearby La Jolla.
Currently on display is a show called Pleasure Point: Celebrating 25 Years of Contemporary Collections. The title is derived from the museum's showcase piece by artist Nancy Rubins (2006) of nautical boats lashed together to create a site-specific sculpture (shown in the photograph above). Also on display are other works in the museum's collection including works by Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, Hans Hoffman, Cindy Sherman, John Currin, and Damien Hirst.
Although I just missed a retrospective of Tara Donovan's visually arresting organic installations using toothpicks, paper cups and other non-traditional sculpture materials, I had a long conversation with one of the security guards about her installation. When would that ever happen in New York?
Pleasure Point: Celebrating 25 Years of Contemporary Collections
San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla
700 Prospect Street, La Jolla
February 20 to May 16, 2010
858-454-3541
