The weekend begins with the final installment of film series Street Clothes: Contemporary Costuming in New Hollywood. From the witty and oft neurotic Woody Allen, see Annie Hall at 7:30 pm, winner of Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Picture at the 1978 Academy Awards. Then at 9:20 pm, Harvey Keitel stars in Fingers, the story of a brilliant young pianist who squanders his potential by working as a collector for his loan-shark father. More film happens on Saturday with a special screening of Boogie Nights at 7:30 pm from Film Independent at LACMA. In collaboration with Larry Sultan: Here and Home, Boogie Nights, set in the San Fernando Valley, stars Mark Wahlberg as adult film star Dirk Diggler in this kinky 1997 feature from Paul Thomas Anderson.
Earlier on Saturday afternoon, join the talk Full Exposure: Art and Pornography in Los Angeles in the Brown Auditorium. Moderated by LACMA assistant curator Ryan Linkof, four panelists examine the historical relationship between art and pornography, specifically in L.A—arguably the center of global porn production. The discussion is presented in conjunction with Larry Sultan: Here and Home, which features The Valley, in which the photographer documented pornographic film sets, highlighting domestic details and actors between takes. The talk is free and open to the public.
Opening on Saturday to the public, Lens Work: Celebrating LACMA’s Experimental Photography at 50 is a small presentation the medium’s history as well as demonstration of LACMA’s curatorial experimentation in photography. See it in the Hammer Building, adjacent to the Egyptian art galleries. And also a new entry, Islamic Art Now: Contemporary Art of the Middle East is our first major installment from this part of the collection and features approximately two dozen works by artists from Iran and the Arab world.
Finally, free tours on Saturday and Sunday include an immersive look at Japanese art at 2 pm on Saturday and a 20-minute overview of American ceramics on Sunday at 1 pm. Visit Andell Family Sundays at 12:30 pm to learn about abstract art and Sundays Live at 6 pm on Sunday presents flutist Susan Greenberg and friends. See you at the museum.