Posts by Bondo Wyszpolski
Bringing that blank page to life
“Novelist as a Vocation,” by Haruki Murakami, trans. by Philip Gabriel and Ted Goossen (Alfred A. Knopf, 208 pp, $28) by Bondo Wyszpolski With over 20 books available in English, Haruki Murakami is the most widely-read Japanese author in this country. His recent novels include “Killing Commendatore” and “Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of…
Read MoreRoots of the Romantic era
“Magnificent Rebels”, by Andrea Wulf (Alfred A. Knopf, 495 pp, $35) by Bondo Wyszpolski I suppose not many people in this country have heard of Jena, which in the late 18th and early 19th centuries had a population of about 4,500. It was, however, a university town, and for some years an oasis of free…
Read MoreIt’s spider season in Palos Verdes!
Spiders from Mars… and other 8-legged wonders by Bondo Wyszpolski Visitors to the Spider Pavilion, a tent-like enclosure at the South Coast Botanic Garden, are greeted near the entrance by a tarantula of gargantuan proportions. It’s either a signal to turn around and go home or to bravely step forward and enjoy your arachnid experience.…
Read MoreStep right up, folks! Circus Vargas is back
All aboard for the “Circus Vargas Express” Thrills and chills under the big top by Bondo Wyszpolski The pandemic hasn’t been kind to traveling shows of any sort (when was the last time you saw an ad for Cirque du Soleil?), but there’s been a gradual comeback, and among those who’ve taken to the road…
Read MoreCy Twombly: Something to be desired?
Classical gas Works by Cy Twombly at the Getty Center by Bondo Wyszpolski It would be fair to ask me, Why did you persist in reading through the entire catalogue for “Cy Twombly: Making Past Present” when you were all but convinced that he’s an overrated artist? It’s because I wanted one of the essay…
Read MoreHot and heavenly: My Three Angels
Trouble in the tropics “My Three Angels” onstage in Manhattan Beach by Bondo Wyszpolski If we mix in a few ingredients — French Guiana, 1910, Christmas Eve, and 104 degree weather — I think we’ll have the makings of a compelling play. Samuel and Bella Spewick certainly thought so, and in 1953 they wrote a…
Read MoreLucia di Lammermoor: A killer opera
It’ll get a little crazy “Lucia di Lammermoor” opens the new season at LA Opera by Bondo Wyszpolski Things are frenetic from the get-go in “Lucia di Lammermoor,” Gaetano Donizetti’s tale of murder, madness, and betrayal. Bolstered by Salvatore Cammarano’s smart libretto and based on Sir Walter Scott’s 1819 novel, “The Bride of Lammermoor,” the…
Read MoreThere’s no getting out of this one
Trouble in the kingdom “Oedipus” at the Getty Villa by Bondo Wyszpolski It’s a story as old as the hills, but as presented by Deaf West Theatre and directed by Jenny Koons, who also adapted this ancient treasure, “Oedipus” springs to life in a way we assuredly have not seen before. That’s because the narrative…
Read MorePrecious metal at ShockBoxx in Hermosa
Heart of gold Christina Smith’s solo show “Integrated” opens Saturday at ShockBoxx by Bondo Wyszpolski Traumatic events can change a person for the worse and push them into a hole from which they may never emerge. But if a traumatic experience leads one to delve into the essence of who they are, and to explore…
Read MoreCA 101: an art extravaganza
Your highway to fine art CA 101 opens Friday evening in Redondo Beach by Bondo Wyszpolski Back with a vengeance, CA 101 returns to Redondo Beach, this time with 230 artworks by 73 different artists, and the opening is Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. in the historic library inside of Veterans Park. Curated by…
Read MoreMarion McCally’s soulful portraits
On the street, in the studio An afternoon chat with artist Marion McCally by Bondo Wyszpolski Less than three months ago, two things occurred, fairly insignificant at the time, but without them you wouldn’t be reading about Marion McCally and looking at her artwork in this magazine. Early in June, one of McCally’s neighbors invited…
Read More“Time” at ESMoA: Into the mind of movie production designer Rick Carter
Journeys past, present, and future ESMoA’s treasure trove of artwork by film production designer Rick Carter by Bondo Wyszpolski There must be hundreds of people named “Rick Carter” but there’s only one Rick Carter who’s worked as the production designer for cinematic heavyweights Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Robert Zemekis, and J.J. Abrams. And it’s this…
Read MoreIn the garden of delights
Overseeing 87 acres of paradise In the summer sun with Adrienne Nakashima by Bondo Wyszpolski She’s lived most of her life in and around the South Bay, but right now Adrienne Nakashima is at the top of the world. I mean, how can anyone say otherwise when Nakashima heads up one of the loveliest spots…
Read MoreLong on activism, short on art
Loud voices for the voiceless Works by artist-activist Andrea Bowers at the Hammer Museum by Bondo Wyszpolski The causes she actively and tirelessly promotes are commendable — the rights of the undocumented, the marginalized, the bullied and abused, women’s autonomy over their own bodies, the preservation and dignity of nature, etc — but Andrea Bowers,…
Read MoreScare tactics under the big top
It’s a nightmare in Redondo Anything goes under the black and red tent of “Paranormal Cirque” by Bondo Wyszpolski Leave the kiddies at home. On Thursday, August 11, the self-described thrilling, wicked, sexy, and even dangerous Paranormal Cirque opens the dark maw of its tent for six shows in Redondo Beach. They say it’s not…
Read MoreAnd then we’ll take tea
A walk in the park “Excursions of Imagination: 100 Great British Drawings from the Huntington’s Collection” by Bondo Wyszpolski The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens had begun to celebrate its centennial over the course of 2019 and 2020, and this show, “Excursions of Imagination,” was earmarked for that occasion. Like much else, it…
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