Posts by Bondo Wyszpolski
The 10,000 faces of portrait artist Susan Whiting
Portrait of a portrait artist If it has a face, Susan Whiting can paint it by Bondo Wyszpolski It’s possible you’ve had your portrait done by Susan Whiting and don’t know it; and if not you then maybe a family member or good friend. None of you might suspect that the drawing, whether on the…
Read MoreDavid Benoit, Keiko Matsui, in concert
David Benoit, Keiko Matsui, and an evening of jazz and classical music at the Norris Theatre For the symphony, a new name and an anniversary by Bondo Wyszpolski The wheels are again starting to turn for David Benoit and the Pacific Vision Youth Symphony (formerly the Asia America Youth Symphony). “The first year of COVID,…
Read More“The Lehman Trilogy” – a sound investment
The bigger they come, the harder they fall “The Lehman Trilogy” at the Ahmanson by Bondo Wyszpolski It would seem like a hard sell: a three-and-a-half hour play about the fourth largest investment bank in the United States and its demise, in 2008, as the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history. But never mind all that.…
Read MoreLady behind the lens: early 20th century photographer back in focus
Reclaimed and recognized “Imogen Cunningham: A Retrospective” at the J. Paul Getty Museum by Bondo Wyszpolski While Imogen Cunningham is not as well known as other early- and mid-20th century photographers such as Paul Strand, Alfred Stigelitz, Edward Wilson, Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange, her work parallels and bears comparison to theirs in many respects.…
Read MoreTuning up for BeachLife’s SpeakEasy
BeachLife rolls out the barrel… and the lineup Toasting BeachLife’s SpeakEasy by Bondo Wyszpolski The other evening friends, influencers, and members of the press were invited over to the BeachLife Beach House in Redondo to raise a glass to the music (and art) lineup that will grace the SpeakEasy stage, a more intimate music setting…
Read More“Slave Play”- different strokes for white/black folks
Unchained melody Provocative “Slave Play” at the Taper by Bondo Wyszpolski What we’re faced with here is a dramatic piece of theater that does what art is supposed to do, which is to confront, challenge, engage, and provoke the viewer. It’s also both forceful and smart. “Slave Play,” and let me stress that the “play”…
Read MoreParty Pictures: Poussin and Watteau
Music and dance: two French fantasies Nicolas Poussin and Antoine Watteau at the Getty by Bondo Wyszpolski Let’s do this chronologically, with Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) the subject of “Poussin and the Dance,” just opening, and on view through May 8, at the Getty Center. To my surprise, I’ve read the entire catalog by Emily A.…
Read MoreIn Nature’s corner: Charles Lynn Bragg on view at the Manhattan Beach Art Center
Bragging rites Halfway home: a mid-career survey of Charles Lynn Bragg by Bondo Wyszpolski It’s quite possible you’ve held, in your hands, a reproduction or two by artist Charles Lynn Bragg. More likely you held it gingerly between your fingers, and that’s because in 1994 he designed a set of four stamps, called “Wonders of…
Read MoreNow on view: “Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking?” at the Malaga Cove Library
Lassie walks through the Louvre and the Man in the Moon has dinner Fanciful new titles, pictures, added to “Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking?” Artist-led tours on Wednesdays, 1 to 3 p.m. and a reception on Saturday, Feb. 26 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. by Bondo Wyszpolski The pandemic has been an unruly passenger,…
Read MorePeter Paul Rubens: a lad from Antwerp
Lights, camera, Rubens! “Rubens: Picturing Antiquity” at the Getty Villa by Bondo Wyszpolski The Marvel Superheroes of yesteryear were the gods and goddesses of classical mythology, and it took an “action painter” (no, not Jackson Pollock) to capture them in the heat of the moment, whether that moment be wrestling lions, spearing wild boars, riding…
Read MoreOut front with Jim Lindberg of Pennywise
Off the beaten path Jim Lindberg sounds off on his solo album, “Songs from the Elkhorn Trail” by Bondo Wyszpolski Pennywise singer and songwriter Jim Lindberg needs little or no introduction, since the band (with Fletcher Dragge, Randy Bradbury, and Byron McMackin) has been a hard-rocking local—and national—sensation since the 1990s. On his just released…
Read MoreRanchers for Peace play Collage in San Pedro: music well-crafted and meaningful
A musical journey, a long time coming Ranchers for Peace playing Sunday, Dec. 5 at Collage in San Pedro by Bondo Wyszpolski I haven’t purposely put off writing about Charles Duncan for 40 years (and, yes, that’s 4-0), it’s just that the opportunity has never quite presented itself until now. Of course, if I’d written…
Read MoreRoss Moore: coastal views of the South Bay
It’s all autobiographical Ross Moore shows his newest paintings Saturday in Redondo Beach by Bondo Wyszpolski Many artists, before sitting down and getting creative, struggle with what to make and how to say it best, in the medium of their choice. Maybe they wrestle with motivation and self-confidence as well. None of this, from what…
Read MoreArt by David A. Peters featured in Manhattan Beach
Form and formation David Peters’ first solo show is on view at the Manhattan Beach Art Center by Bondo Wyszpolski In the early spring of 2020, Time4Art’s Homeira Goldstein had an impressive lineup for the Manhattan Beach Art Center, a group show of the StudioEleven artists who’d been working with and learning from Tom Wudl…
Read MorePV Art Center: Paintings and lyrics into songs (how it happened and why)
Turning paintings into songs Saturday at the Palos Verdes Art Center from 2 to 4 p.m. “Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking?” is an exhibition of paintings by 34 local artists on view at the Palos Verdes Art Center. Each artwork originated with a title pulled from inside a fortune cookie that had been attached…
Read MoreA brief encounter: Handel’s “Alcina” this Friday at LA Opera
Disguise and deception Handel’s “Alcina” this Friday night at LA Opera by Bondo Wyszpolski You won’t find me singing along with the “Messiah,” but Handel’s oratorios, cantatas, and in particular such operas as “Xerxes,” “Tamerlane,” and “Giulio Cesare” are a few of the reasons why I’m drawn to Baroque music, when the ensembles were of…
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