On now through March 2010 is an exhibit of black and white photographs called “Faces of Fashion.”  They are all divine and choosing only one would be simply too difficult.  The solution? A bigger closet in which to hang each and every one.  Starting with two images of Coco Chanel, one by Horst P. Horst taken in her youth and another by Douglas Kirkland later in her life, you’ll continue through the exhibit by peering into the seductive eyes of a number of women hidden behind black, mesh veils in photos by William Klein, Irving Penn, Lillian Bassman, and Horst P. Horst.  From there, you find yourself face to face with Twiggy and then you’re desperate for a new chapeau.  Each photo brings to life some part of the fabulous, graceful world of fashion that has shifted in recent years.

In the same way that we reminisce about the golden years of Hollywood when audiences had screen sirens as opposed to reality stars, these photos remind you of a time when one “got dressed” for dinner, when long white gloves were a common fashion accessory (not part of a Halloween costume), and when women in fashion had a certain intrigue.  That sounds like just what I’d want my closet to remind me of… I’ll take ‘em all!

P.S. Stop and take a closer look at the only color print in the show: a photograph by Ormond Gigli called “Models in the Window.” Tell us what you think!

“Faces of Fashion” and “Lillian Bassman: Women” are on view at Peter Fetterman Gallery at Bergamot Station now through March 7, 2010.  For more information, please call (310) 453-6463 or click here.

On Tuesdays, it is a little easier to wake up.  Some (and I am not naming any names) prefer to pour themselves a cup of ambition after they tumble out of bed to the wise words of Dolly Parton.  We love it and we won’t tell anyone.

Getting up for the grind any day of the week is hard. You’ve got to pay the bills somehow.  And if you have a voyeuristic tendency (and we assume you do), you can turn back the clock to see dozens from Paris, London, and New York in the early ‘50s welcome the working week in Irving Penn’s exhibition, Small Trades.

Penn photographed trades people in their uniforms (or lack of) alongside the tools of their occupation in the Small Trades series.  Each person is photographed in front of a neutral backdrop in style that forms the large body of images taken over decades.  This exhibition will feature photographs handpicked by Penn that the museum acquired last year, including 155 gelatin silver prints and 97 platinum/palladium prints.

You can whistle, workin’ 9 to 5, what a way to make a living, on your way there.  That is, if you can get the time off.

Irving Penn’s exhibition Small Trades is currently on display at the J. Paul Getty Museum.  Click here for more information.

Photo: Irving Penn, Seamstress Fitter, London, 1950; Credit: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Ø    Stuck in customs… Crewest Gallery in downtown LA has just opened their exhibit of Iranian artists, but as a result of remaining turmoil due to the election uproar, the artists’ biographical information and even artwork has been extremely difficult to obtain.  Now a painting of a group of men against a green background remains in Iran as officials refuse to allow a work that depicts Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s oppression to be shown.  Green has become the color that symbolizes political oppression in the country.  (LA Times)

Ø    More cuts… The UBS Art Gallery in Manhattan, run by the Swiss bank, will be closing at the end of October in an effort to save money.  This comes as less than stellar news considering how often UBS has financially supported international arts organizations.  (ArtINFO)

Ø    Glenn Beck stirs the pot… Glenn Beck, of FoxNews fame, has ignited controversy with his “9/12 Project” poster design.  Earlier this month, Beck went on one of his typical rants speaking out against the “communist” artwork and design at Rockefeller Center.  Then, he released a poster for his taxpayer march in Washington DC with three, red thrusting fists superimposed on the US Capitol reminiscent of posters created in the early 1900s used by the Industrial Workers of the World union and then used in the 60s by both feminist and anti-war movements.  (LA Times; Culture Monster)

Ø    Off to the races… With September comes a fresh new start for the art world.  A new season has begun: last night LA’s galleries were open till all hours offering food and drink (mostly from our city’s famed trucks) in honor of a new round of exhibits and artists to discover.  The Irving Penn exhibit at the Getty, for example, will be one for the books.  The Daily Beast’s “Art Beast” is getting excited about the Juergen Teller exhibit at Lehmann Maupin in NYC and Xavier Veilhan’s conceptual art installation at Versailles in France.  (Daily Beast)

Ø    On the hunt… Detectives in Los Angeles are searching for ten paintings by Andy Warhol that went missing from the private home of collector Richard L. Weisman.  The paintings include images of famous athletes including OJ Simpson, Chris Evert, and Jack Nicklaus, which were commissioned by Weisman and called the “Athlete Series.”  He’d tried selling the pieces as a group in 2007 for $28 million, but no luck.  He just happens to be related to Norton Simon himself – quel controversy! (NY Times)