The exhibition Kent Twitchell – A Study of Murals at the Ronald H. Silverman Fine Arts Gallery, tells the story of the creative process behind iconic Los Angeles murals. Twitchell has been an important artist in the Los Angeles mural scene since the 1970s and he remains highly relevant and energetic today. He currently has three murals in the works in Los Angeles, Monuments to Martha Alf, Charles White and fellow Cal State LA alumnus, Edward James Olmos.
As an alumnus of Cal State LA, Twitchell has generously agreed to work directly with me, Abraham Suskind, a Cal State LA Art History student, Silverman Gallery intern as I curate the exhibition. To work with Twitchell is an exceptional opportunity for me and my fellow interns at the Gallery to learn from a master.
Allen Cruz (Communication Studies) is photographing and documenting the entire process of the exhibition. Charlene Amante (Graphic Design/Visual Communication) and I are responsible for publicity and together we created the exhibit Announcement. The installation and de-installation are being accomplished by Alexandra Pedraza (Graphic Design/Visual Communication), Bianca Castro (Art Education), Samuel Mokelu (Studio Arts and Theater), Allen Cruz and myself. I have been working one-on-one with Twitchell to develop an exhibition which documents the process he uses to create his murals side by side with the murals themselves. I hope the exhibit is interesting, engaging and educational both for Cal State LA students and the greater LA community.
Twitchell’s attention to detail and hyper-realistic portrait murals bring life and color to the stark exterior walls throughout Los Angeles. From a mural of Steve McQueen on the side of a house to an eight-story mural of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra visible from the northbound 110 Freeway to murals of X and X on pieces of the Berlin Wall, Twitchell has done it all. Some of Twitchell’s murals no longer exist due to vandalism, and some have just been painted over. However, fortunately, the upcoming Silverman Gallery exhibit will include photographs of some of those lost murals, as well as photographs of Twitchell working in his studio. Viewers will be able to travel along with Twitchell on a journey to create a mural.
Last but not least, we, the Gallery interns, appreciate deeply the Gallery director Dr. Mika Cho for creating this opportunity for us and for her support, both professional and personal.
By Abraham Suskind, Curator of the Exhibition, October 20, 2019
https://artandcakela.com/2019/12/01/kent-twitchell-the-man-who-paints-giants/
