Reflections on art and architecture by TIME critic Richard Lacayo.

I'm Outta Here

I'm on vacation next week, visiting family. During that time I'll only post once, on Valentine's Day, to re-run my long post from last year on the color red. When you've got your own blog, you can do things like that.

Meanwhile I want to recommend Christopher Knight's review in yesterday's L.A. Times of BCAM, the new Broad Contemporary Art Museum on the campus of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which opens Feb 16. I haven't seen the opening show, so I don't know that I would agree with what Knight has to say on all the particulars, but his general summing up of the disadvantages for museums and museum visitors of a world where collectors make the rules is required reading.

Most notable statistic:

Of 176 works on three floors, 139 are by artists who have shown with the same gallery -- Gagosian, commonly considered today's leading commercial powerhouse. That's nearly 80%. BCAM turns out to be GCAM. Such a narrow vision feels insecure, more investment deal than adventure.

Okay, back on Tuesday, Feb. 19.

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