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A Seed of Modernism: The Art Students League of Los Angeles, 1906-1953
A Seed of Modernism The Art Students League of Los Angeles 19061953 Author:Will South, Marian Yoshiki-Kovinick, Julia Armstrong-Totten An account of the rise of L.A. s modern art scene. A Seed of Modernism chronicles the vibrant artwork that came out of the Art Students League of Los Angeles, one of the city s earliest art schools. Explorative, bold, and visionary, the league was influential in the formation of Los Angeles s distinct contemporary aesthetic. For years, pre-W... more »WII Los Angeles was thought of as a cultural desert, but in fact the artistic community was both vibrant and ambitious. Initially a series of informal sketch classes, the league gradually grew into a center of creative exploration that fostered a fearless approach to art and launched friendships, scandals, rivalries, and even marriages. Many members found inspiration in Los Angeles s burgeoning immigrant cultures, some incorporating Japanese themes and techniques to create a unique aesthetic, and the league had a strong contingent of immigrant artists. Japanese American league members who were interned during WWII at Heart Mountain, Wyoming, formed a branch of the Art Students League there. For decades, the Art Students League of Los Angeles pushed the boundaries of self-expression. In its ideals and achievements we can follow the heady rise of modernism on the West Coast and also throughout America.« less