A Very "Good" Friday

Joan @The Pavilion for Japanese Art

I had the day off from work today.  Joan came over in the morning and we headed up to the L.A. County Museum of Art. We wanted to see a couple of exhibits. First stop, The Pavilion for Japanese Art. We saw the exhibit, "Raku: The Cosmos in a Tea Bowl." When I was a ceramics student at Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts, we fired some of our pieces by Raku methods. Our process was primitive. We buried our glazed pottery in the ground over hot coals and covered everything with leaves. This gave our pieces a very rustic look.  

Joan and I viewed a film on the centuries-old process of firing in Kyoto, Japan. The firing methods are different than I remember and the results are striking!

I love walking on the ramps inside the Japanese Pavilion. You can see the roof line from the floor above.

On the ramp, inside Japanese Pavilion

We walked over to the Broad building, 2nd floor to view the photo show, "Larry Sultan: Here and Home."  

View from the Broad Building @LACMA

Sultan took some iconic shots of his parents at home in the San Fernando Valley in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Their home definitely has a 1970's Palm Springs vibe to it!

Larry Sultan's Parents at home in the San Fernando Valley

There were lots of family photos included in the exhibit, along with photos of Sultan's collaboration with photographer Mike Mandel. 

Larry Sultan's family photos.  His family home in the San Fernando Valley, 1962

We wanted to see a few more exhibits, but hunger got in the way and our parking time was up!  We drove over to the Normandie Bakery and Cafe for sandwiches and salads.  I didn't recognize the outside of the place.  The little pig on the roof is gone!  Chef Josette painted the south end of the building black, white and pink and now calls it the Culinary Institute of Los Angeles!  The restaurant and the bakery are the same...thank goodness!

I miss the pig on the roof!

It was a lovely day with my friend, Joan!  Have a great weekend.