Sachi Price: Consumer Art @ LACMA
Rohin Guha
July 22, 2008
The museum gift shop is tantamount to a little shop of horrors. One one hand, the life's work of artists seems thoughtlessly streamlined and replicated onto coffee mugs and baby-doll tees. On the other hand, these kitschy little things make for keepsakes that speak volumes louder than a dinky ticket stub. And then there are conundrums like Murakami, who designs LV purses -- clearly for the sake of commerce -- but then decides to include them in his show, for the sake of art. Let's assume then, that museum gift shops are lengthening the lifetime and reach of artists otherwise fated to languish in fringe culture, or worse, on the syllabi of advanced art history classes. So maybe it's worth noting the ambitions of Sachi Price.
The daughter of Etsuko and Joe Price (who privately own the art presented at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s ”The Age Of Imagination: Japanese Art from 1615 to 1868”> exhibition), Price’s approach to draw unlikely crowds to Japanese Edo Period art is inspired. She’s taken images from paintings—such as one of a warrior battling a dragon—and emblazoned it across the underside of skateboards. This same image will also be one of many to feature on snowboards this fall.
Though she’s angling for awareness, Price’s best intentions will probably end up appealing to style-conscious aesthetes than extreme sports fanatics. While those seeking to battle the streets with the spirit of the dragon can throw down $130, art fans have until September 14 to check out “The Age of Imagination.”
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