Attempting to investigate the settlement and later development of the state of Southern California during the first 100 years of its establishment, Heritage Square Museum is a working history museum that is situated in Southern California. Eight Victorian-era buildings that were allocated to the museum were spared from being demolished and now serve as the ideal foundation for educating the public about life in Southern California from the 19th century through the 20th century. (Heritage Square Museum). From the simple presentation of the Longfellow-Hastings Octagon House to the majesty of the William Perry Mansion, the Heritage Square Museum of Southern California provides a unique approach into viewing the lifestyles of people who contributed the most towards the development of modern Los Angeles as it is known today.
The main exhibit that we are looking at in this museum of Southern California is that of Crickets. The exhibition showcases new sculptures, various paintings, and videos. The works that are presented in this exhibit are a reflection and are inspired by the observations of everyday activities in the urban surroundings which are near the Heritage Square Museum. Given that the buildings in the Heritage Square Museum make up a history guided tour, the various Lajarin objects are scattered throughout (Heritage Square Museum).
There is a collection of small paintings of various living rooms from many homes around the Heritage Square Museum which will displayed at one of the many buildings within the museum which is the palms depot. The main information that this Crickets exhibit will be trying to portray is the changes that have occurred in the areas surrounding the Heritage Square Museum over time through the various portraits and performances that will be conducted. The particular choice of having the exhibit at Palms Depot, helps provide a brief history of the transport sector in the region which comprised of the first steam trains in the area in the year 1876. We get to understand the efficiency that was brought by this means of transport into Southern California which provided more efficient means to haul mail, freight and moving people from one place to another. Various farmers are shown to have benefited in the areas where the rail traversed.
This exhibit however fails to depict the real History of the area by just focusing on the events of the 19th and 20th century not appreciating the atrocities that had to be effected to allow the foreign settlers get land in the area. The indigenous communities of the area are not well represented by the depiction of the Crickets exhibit.
Space and order in the Crickets exhibit plays a crucial role for they both help depict different time periods when the various events take place. As one takes a tour around the Palms Deport, one is taken to a tour through the history of the state of Southern California. The paintings and artifacts are arranged in order from the oldest to the latest, giving the audience a sense of how things have changed since the first steam train began operating in the area. What is quite clear about the exhibit is that, there is no congestion which many at times leaves the audience confused, and not just in the presentation of the artifacts but also in the use of the stage for the various performances, space is effectively used.
One key aspect that is missing is the contribution of the disadvantaged groups within the area who had to lose their land to make room for the foreign settlers. Little appreciation is shown to these groups if any, for there is no depiction of the native communities in any piece of art in the exhibit (Sleeper-Smith 126). Perhaps the reason this happens is due to the main focus or message the exhibit tries to present to its audience. The main point that is being portrayed in the exhibit is that of change and ultimate modernization, which ultimately consumes the aspect of native communities and disadvantaged groups. When it comes to gender, both male and female motivated pieces of art are presented in the exhibit which at least provides some kind of balance and overcomes the challenges of male dominated exhibitions.
Heritage Square Museum transports the visitors to the end of the 19th Century, a time when California was once a fledgling state. On the other hand, it helps it takes the visitor back in time when El Pueblo de Los Angeles began transforming into a modern metropolis that we know of today. One of the recent exhibit that I attended was Crickets, which was conducted between February 17th and April 9th 2017. Crickets as an exhibition-taking place in the museum displayed the paintings, videos, sculptures and performances, which are inspired by the walks, digressions and observation in all lifestyles especially in the context of urban surroundings. It is clear that the aspect of gender, ethnicity, and sexuality have been addressed in the exhibit. The dance in particular helps in shedding light on the arrangement of the relocated buildings. I loved the dance since there was a balanced aspect of gender and race in the performers. There were four of them with two males and females who helped in wandering across the landscaped grounds. Besides, they were all of mixed race and ethnicity such that there were two whites, one black and one Latino. I believe striking such a balance was an act of art as well.
The exhibit helps in presenting different intersections. Crickets offer a rumination of the conditions in the contemporary urban life. It was indeed a history of focused guided tour where Lajarin’s objects would be scattered throughout. At one of the intersection, there is a collection of small paintings of the living rooms from the homes neighboring the museum at a place called Montecito Heights. Besides, the adjacent neighborhoods have been displayed at Palms Depot. At the second intersection, there is Plein Air paintings, which have been displayed to be in tandem and contrasting some of the historical house. At another intersection, there was an opportunity to see an eight-foot plywood sculpture called Castling which was to be activated three times by the four performers who will make it wander through the landscaped ground with the dance playing a critical role in understanding or rather emphasizing the peculiar arrangement of the buildings on the property. In some parts of the exhibit, there are certain objects that require or rather demand the attention, hence placing the view into what can be termed as the formal negotiation between the past and the present. For instance, in the Ford House, Fence recreates a situation where there is fence with peepholes, which would help in viewing the other side. It demands a keen eye to see that some of the objects live in harmony with the houses. What I could say about the exhibition is that it was a like a poetry which helped in communicating some of the impressions of the environment where we all live in. Indeed, it was a remarkable sight and would love to see such uniqueness in art when another chance presents in the near future.
I am amazed by the way the artist presents all the aspects of the exhibit in terms of showcasing all that needs to be seen. One way that the artist uses is the aspect of videos/films. The artist when portraying some of the unexpected situations where objects are in conflict with the familiar places has used the videos. He also incorporates the elements of paintings in the exhibit, which have been complexed in the context of dancing performance (Heritage Square Museum). This is the aspect of exhibition is unique and enables one to view art using a different angle. In another separate performance, the artist makes use of a playful scene which helps in providing the view of what is on the other side with objects being in harmony with what can be seen using a keen eye. Peepholes offer a better view of or rather recreates a condition where an individual is able to see or rather peep through the fence and see something on the other side. I love this aspect since it helps in recreating the true view of the artificial world in the context of sightseeing.
I would ask Aitor Lajarin several questions regarding the artistic display. One of the question that I would love answered is why he chooses to use the aspect of the Fence to provide the desire view of the opposite side. Besides, I would like to know why Castling has be activated by the four performers who would help in wandering through the landscaped grounds. I would also love to know what the name of the artistic style where some of the objects are scattered through the whole display. I would also love to know how the common objects in the display are placed in conflict with the familiar places. Perhaps, this helps in explaining some of the accepted aesthetics in the in the whole presentation. Above all, I would love to know from the curator the name given to such kind of exhibition and how one can start practicing it as inspired from the artist.
Works Cited
"Heritage Square Museum » Blog Archive » Crickets." Heritage Square Museum, 2017, heritagesquare.org/events/exhibits/crickets.
Heritage Square Museum. Heritage Square Museum of Southern California, The State of Southern California, 11 May 2017, heritagesquare.org/events/exhibits/crickets. Accessed 15 May 2017.
Sleeper-Smith, Susan. Contesting Knowledge: Museums and Indigenous Perspectives. Use of Nebraska P, 2009.
