Exhibition

Lari Pittman: Mood Books

Los-Angeles based artist Lari Pittman (b. 1952) is known for his exuberant, colorful, and graphically complex works. Huntington visitors can see the artist at his hallucinogenic best in this new exhibition.
Lari Pittman, from 12 Verified Occurrences During a Full Moon, 2015, acrylic and lacquer spray over gessoed, heavy-weight paper board, 27 × 25 × 4.5 inches. © Lari Pittman, courtesy of the artist and Regen projects, Los Angeles.

Lari Pittman, from 12 Verified Occurrences During a Full Moon, 2015, acrylic and lacquer spray over gessoed, heavy-weight paper board, 27 × 25 × 4.5 inches. © Lari Pittman, courtesy of the artist and Regen projects, Los Angeles.

Lari Pittman, from 9 Apparitions During Times of Anxiety and Distress, 2015, acrylic and lacquer spray over gessoed, heavy-weight paper board, 27 × 25 × 4.5 inches. © Lari Pittman, courtesy of the artist and Regen projects, Los Angeles.

Lari Pittman, from 9 Apparitions During Times of Anxiety and Distress, 2015, acrylic and lacquer spray over gessoed, heavy-weight paper board, 27 × 25 × 4.5 inches. © Lari Pittman, courtesy of the artist and Regen projects, Los Angeles.

Lari Pittman, from 12 Tableaux in Which the Avant-garde and the Folkloric Kissed, 2015, acrylic and lacquer spray over gessoed, heavy-weight paper board, 27 × 25 × 4.5 inches. © Lari Pittman, courtesy of the artist and Regen projects, Los Angeles.

Lari Pittman, from 12 Tableaux in Which the Avant-garde and the Folkloric Kissed, 2015, acrylic and lacquer spray over gessoed, heavy-weight paper board, 27 × 25 × 4.5 inches. © Lari Pittman, courtesy of the artist and Regen projects, Los Angeles.

1
Lari Pittman, from 12 Verified Occurrences During a Full Moon, 2015, acrylic and lacquer spray over gessoed, heavy-weight paper board, 27 × 25 × 4.5 inches. © Lari Pittman, courtesy of the artist and Regen projects, Los Angeles.
Lari Pittman, from 9 Apparitions During Times of Anxiety and Distress, 2015, acrylic and lacquer spray over gessoed, heavy-weight paper board, 27 × 25 × 4.5 inches. © Lari Pittman, courtesy of the artist and Regen projects, Los Angeles.
Lari Pittman, from 12 Tableaux in Which the Avant-garde and the Folkloric Kissed, 2015, acrylic and lacquer spray over gessoed, heavy-weight paper board, 27 × 25 × 4.5 inches. © Lari Pittman, courtesy of the artist and Regen projects, Los Angeles.

Los-Angeles based artist Lari Pittman (b. 1952) is known for his exuberant, colorful, and graphically complex works. Huntington visitors can see the artist at his hallucinogenic best in this new exhibition. Six monumental illustrated books, each opening to more than four feet in width, contain 65 paintings by the artist. They draw from a variety of aesthetic traditions, ranging from decorative art and design to advertising and folk art. Combined with Pittman’s brilliant draftsmanship and acidic color, the images advance an astute and acerbic social commentary embedded in narratives rich with real and invented mythologies.

The impact of the books is further elevated by an installation conceived by award-winning Los Angeles architect Michael Maltzan. Grand, sculptural pedestals hold the books open so visitors can enjoy a direct, unimpeded experience. Page openings will be changed periodically during the run of the show, and a large touch screen will make it possible to view all the paintings and text in sequential order.

Gallery Guide