Kim Martindale on LA’s Evolving Art Scene
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Originally from Southern California, Kim Martindale has, from the spirited age of 16, organized art shows around the American West.But he’s also an artist in his own right and someone who has developed varied interests during a nomadic life. Martindale hasKim Martindale on LA’s Evolving Art Scene
Originally from Southern California, Kim Martindale has, from the spirited age of 16, organized art shows around the American West.But he’s also an artist in his own right and someone who has developed varied interests during a nomadic life. Martindale has lived and studied in Asia, worked for Sotheby’s in Los Angeles and Hong Kong, and is well-known for producing events in the American tribal world.He is now settled in Southern California; he began producing the LA Art Show more than 20 years ago, and has helped develop Los Angeles as a premier art destination in the United States.In an interview with BLOUINSHOP, he discussed the evolution of art collecting in Los Angeles, what a comprehensive art show looks like, and the exciting developments in downtown LA and the city at large. The LA Art Show will take place from January 23-27 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.Can you give an overview of what people can expect from this year’s edition of the LA Art Show?There’s something to expect every year at the LA Art Show as it is a really comprehensive show. We have work that extends from cutting edge Contemporary, to the Roots section of the show, which is historic work and there’s about 10 galleries in that area. The emphasis of the show is Modern and Contemporary, and then it’s about showcasing things from 18 different countries.But then we have these other sections that help broaden one’s perspective of art and where art came from and important artists in the past and artists that are doing different types of artwork.Can you give an example of something that “broadens” one’s perspective?Renoir. Trinity House from London and New York is part of Roots, and this year they’re bringing A Renoir painting.Is there an aspect you’re most excited for personally?This year I’m really excited for the ink painting part of the show. We have seven galleries bringing ink paintings from China, Korea, and Japan. It’s something that, in the Western pantheon, no other show emphasizes ink paintings and it’s a huge part of the art world. It’s a tradition that’s older than oil painting. It’s a tradition that, in Asia, has had many artists equal to those that paint in oil.I’m also very excited this year [for] DIVERSEartLA. We donate space to various nonprofits and museums from around the world and local museums and nonprofits as well:LACMA, Museum of Latin American Art, Contemporary African Art Museum, many different nonprofits from Southern California. We also have museums and nonprofits coming from Argentina, bringing one of the leading artists in Argentina, Marta Minujin.LA is now an arts destination. Can you speak to how the art scene in LA has evolved over the years?It’s evolved in a really big way. Twenty four years ago, when the LA Art Show started, there weren’t a lot of collectors in Los Angeles. People decorated their homes, but it didn’t even have to be an original piece. In these 24 years, I’ve seen a transition to people really becoming collectors and wanting to form collections and to have pieces in their home that are original pieces and important works of art. Even though LA has a lot of collectors, up until a few years ago many of those collectors would fly to other places to buy their art, even if it was an LAbased artist. That has changed. People are now very proud of buying work in Los Angeles.Los Angeles is on the precipice of being one of the most important, if not the most important, collector cities in the world.Are you from LA originally?I was born in Santa Ana. So, basically LA, Southern California. But I’ve lived lots of other places around the world. I’ve been back, with LA as my base, for about 18 years now.For people visiting the Art Show is there a neighborhood or even a particular hotel where you’d recommend people to stay?We moved the show six years ago to downtown. I saw downtown was changing and becoming really exciting. (Laughs) I even say this to my friends who live in Los Angeles, come spend the weekend in downtown LA, because, for some of you, it’s a whole other experience.Where would you recommend people go out for dinner?I just ate at a restaurant that changed ownership. Many people knew it before and it’s completely changed. It has an impressive Japanese art collection inside. It’s called Mrs. Fish and they have great food, mainly sushi, sashimi, but they specialize in Japanese whiskeys and pairings of food with whiskey.Is there a non-art museum you would recommend?I think it depends how you define art. A museum like the Autry [Museum of the American West] has lots of Native American and Western materials. They’re one of our partners actually, they’re doing a tequila tasting and a tour of the museum. For me, that’s a hidden gem.What are some local galleries you find exciting?Art Share [LA] is part of our show this year. Building Bridges [Art Exchange] in Santa Monica, I would recommend. When I started the Show 24 years ago, there was definitely interest in art. It’s actually surprising to me that more people didn’t collect art at that point because in reality Los Angeles is one of the most creative cities in the world and it has been for 100 years. For me, at this point, LA is finally being recognized for the city that it always has been. And the people in the city are taking pride in that.This interview appears in the January 2019 edition of BlouinShop magazine. To subscribe, visit http://blouinsubscriptions.com/https://www.blouinartinfo.com/ Founder: Louise Blouin Read more