Art Here and Now (AHAN): Studio Forum has developed into an important conduit for bringing Los Angeles-based artists into the permanent collection. The history of AHAN: Studio Forum goes back to the early 1960s when, as a cash award, the money provided for artists’ necessities in exchange for an artwork for the collection (see the full list of artists below). In recent times, the honor has focused on bringing the work of emerging (such an elusive term) artists into the collection; thus, we do our best to pick significant works that also serve to illustrate the phenomenal range of artist practices in Southern California.

Noah Davis, The Missing Link 4, 2013, purchased with funds provided by AHAN: Studio Forum, 2013 Art Here and Now purchase

Erika Vogt, Field of Debris, 2012, purchased with funds provided by AHAN: Studio Forum, 2013 Art Here and Now purchase

In early 2013, fellow curator Christine Y. Kim and I ventured out with the AHAN: Studio Forum group into the studios and work spaces of a handful of artists. Our enthusiastic members did two marathon days of studio visits with us, joining us on a bus from Lincoln Heights, downtown Los Angeles, and on to the San Fernando Valley. As is our process, Christine and I received feedback from the group in a discussion convened shortly after our visits. We weighed the opinions expressed during the forum with our understanding of the artists’ trajectories, all the while considering what will make most sense in LACMA’s collection.

Ry Rocklen, Second to None, 2011, purchased with funds provided by AHAN: Studio Forum, 2013 Art Here and Now purchase

Jedidiah Caesar, no title, 2013, purchased with funds provided by Raquel de Lavandeyra, through AHAN: Studio Forum, 2013 Art Here and Now purchase

This year, works have been acquired by Jedidiah Ceasar, Noah Davis, Liz Glynn, Ry Rocklen, Ricky Swallow, and Erika Vogt. All of these artists work in a particular medium—whether sculpture, drawing, painting, video/film, and/or installation—based on the conceptual demands of the project at hand. Their far-reaching—often research-driven—interests encompass geology, design, architecture, film, archaeology, art history, and sports—to name a few. As would make sense given the legacy of assemblage and installation art in California, each artist has a predilection for the found object, whether scavenged, reengineered or poetically reimagined.  These artists join an impressive roster of awardees as we celebrate a record breaking year in 2013.

Liz Glynn, VAULT [Allegorical Set 1], 2013,
Installation view at Frieze Projects, New York (elements of installation to be selected), Purchased with funds provided by
AHAN: Studio Forum, 2013 Art Here and Now purchase

Ricky Swallow, Chair study/relief (soot), 2013, purchased with funds provided by AHAN: Studio Forum, 2013 Art Here and Now purchase

Young Talent Award/AHAN Artists, 1963-2013

1963: Llyn Foulkes
1964: Tony Berlant
1965: Melvin Edwards, Lloyd Hamrol, Phil Rich
1966: Terrence O’Shea
1967: Mary Ann Corse, Michael Asher
1968: Ron Cooper, Barry LeVa, Joseph Vaughan
1969: Chuck Arnoldi, Greg Card, Michael Olodort
1970: John Alberty, David Deutsch, Patrick Hogan
1971: Barbara Munger, John White, Joe Ray
1972: Jud Fine, Ann McCoy, Tom Wudl
1973: Jack Barth, Chris Burden, Steve Sher
1974: Jay McCafferty, Alexis Smith
1975: Jon Abbott, Paul Dillon, Loren Madsen
1976: Charles C. Hill, Eugene Sturman, Elyn Zimmerman
1977: James Hayward, John Okulick, Margit Omar
1978: Michael McMillen, Gwynn Murrill, John Sturgeon
1979: Richard Oginz, Steve Kahn
1980: Elaine Carhartt, Sandra Mendelsohn-Rubin
1981: Andrew Wilf, Jay Phillips
1982: Joe Fay, Karla Klarin
1983: Roger Herman, Jim Morphesis
1984: Don Sorenson, Gifford Myers
1985: John Frame, Peter Shelton
1986: Sabina Ott
1987: Tim Ebner
1988: Jill Giegerich, Karl Matson
1989: Bob Zoell
1990: Paul Tzanetopoulos, Dan Wheeler
1991: Minoru Ohira, Dominique Blain
1992: Liz Young
1993: Darren Waterston, Marc Pally
1994: Buzz Spector
1995: Rachel Lachowicz
1996: Tim Hawkinson
1997: Pae White, Frances Stark
1998: Kevin Appel, Ginny Bishton, Enrique Martinez Celaya
1999: Lynn Aldrich
2000: Ruben Ortiz-Torres
2001: Jon Pylypchuk, Jason Meadows
2002: Darcy Huebler, Mark Bradford
2003: Gajin Fujita
2004: Lecia Dole-Recio
2005: Tomory Dodge, David Ratcliff
2006: Elliot Hundley
2007: Lara Schnitger
2008: Ruben Ochoa, Steve Roden
2009: Aaron Curry
2010: Friedrich Kunath, Rodney McMillian
2011: Zoe Crosher, Mark Flores
2012: Mark Hagen, William E. Jones, Sanya Kantarovsky, Dianna Molzan, Brenna Youngblood
2013:  Jedediah Caesar, Noah Davis, Liz Glynn, Ry Rocklen, Ricky Swallow, Erika Vogt

Rita Gonzalez, Associate Curator, Contemporary Art