Monday, October 10, 2011

LACMA Is Moving Mountains...Well, Boulders


The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is doing all it can to accommodate artist Michael Heizer's plan for "Levitated Mass", a project that has been in the planning stages with LACMA for over five years. Heizer has been contemplating the installation since the 1960s, however it has only recently been implemented with the help of LACMA. But to make this project happen, LACMA has been going to great ends.


"Levitated Mass" will feature a 456-foot long slot into the earth, over which a giant granite boulder will be installed so as to appear to hover. The boulder was selected by Heizer from Stone Valley Quarry, located about 60-miles east of LACMA. It is 340-pounds of solid granite, and measures at 21-feet high. Selected for its natural beauty, the granite is black -and-white with rust speckled throughout its mass. 

Moving the boulder will require quite a bit of effort on the part of LACMA, however. Even though the quarry site is 60-miles away, the specialty rig required to move the boulder will need to take a route comprising of more than double the mileage. The rig, which is 295-feet long and 27-feet wide, will caterpillar its way at 6-miles per hour over the course of two weeks. The start date for this sojourn has been pushed back several times, currently slated to start on October 17th. 

I am eagerly anticipating the installation of the boulder, however. I am hoping that it will be in place by the Thanksgiving holiday, when I will be visiting Los Angeles. The installation enables visitors to walk under the boulder, which will hover 15-feet above their heads. 

I think that the use of LACMA's lush grounds as a space for public art is phenomenal. Possibly capitalizing on the success of Chris Burden's "Urban Light" installation, which has become a popular destination and photo op for tourists and residents alike, director Michael Govan seems to be actively pursuing a museum with a collection that exists outside of the walls, as well as inside. 

However, costing $10 million has certainly raised concerns from the public. Considering the economy, particularly in California where budget cuts have become the norm, an endeavor of this magnitude is something to be considered carefully. Govan defends the expense, and makes a good point that these funds are going back into the California economy. LACMA is putting people to work, both at the quarry, with construction at LACMA, operating the rig, etc. But even if you do understand how the funds will effect the local economy, the cost and efforts of LACMA to move a rock still seem slightly frivolous. 

All I can say is that I hope that this installation is worth it -- both in cost and effort. 

1 comment:

  1. I read about this as well and thought perhaps the article didn't do the artist and project justice. If this were a class in say, marketing, we might ask about the RoI (return on investment) for this project. If we invest 10 mil of LACMA's money, what kind of return can we expected from a Levitated Mass? I suppose the title of this work of art (looking at your next blog) lends a certain levity (!) to the question of titles, especially when the object in question is a boulder and Levitated Mass sounds, well, rather sacred. Is LACMA supporting a project that seems thoroughly grounded in the earth but changes the viewer's expectations of earthly properties? One might argue that 10 mil could be better spent on any public project over this feat of conceptual art, but then we tread into mushy territory that questions the merits of giving to the arts in times of "real" need. And clearly the folks at LACMA have a fundraising strategy up their sleeve (Eli Broad? The Resnicks?)

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