California Art Scene (Part 1): Los Angeles

This hour-long documentary, written and directed by David Howard, features interviews with 13 contemporary artists and 17 art gallery directors on topics ranging from definitions of modern art to the uneasy alliance between creating art and making money. The premise of this made-for-video production seems sound: to give an overview of the contemporary art scene in L.A.; but the execution is rather amateurish. First off, it is difficult to gauge Howard's intentions as an interviewer. Occasionally, he will pursue a difficult line of questioning, but more often he does not (too, Howard appears frequently in the latter half of the program wearing arty sunglasses and striking annoying poses). But the major problem here is that very little art is seen, and too many artists are given the unchecked opportunity to ramble on about the meaning of life. To be fair, a few are candid about the thought processes which produce a work of art, but, by and large, the elicited comments are vague, pretentious, general, and sometimes incoherent. (Perhaps not surprisingly, the art gallery directors are much more lucid and much more interesting). Recommended only for libraries with large contemporary art collections. (Available from: San Francisco Center for Visual Studies, 49 Rivoli St, San Francisco, CA 94117).