The Broad: In Search of Prints

Image courtesy of The Broad Collection

The Broad, a young contemporary art museum in the Bunker Hill neighborhood of DTLA, is an excellent destination for anyone in search of rad artwork and more specifically prints. Making your way directly to the third floor and veering right, a visitor starts a roughly chronological exploration of the various galleries with quintessential Andy Warhol welcoming you at the first stop. One of my favorites, Two Marilyns, 1962, shows Warhol's genius as he embraced the flaws of the printing process, the breakdown of the screen over time in large editions, and instead showcased it in this artwork as a metaphor for what was happening to Marilyn Monroe's image after her untimely death. As newspapers disseminated her likeness feverishly across the front pages, Marilyn's life was obscured and reduced to mere celebrity gossip. The bright color palette draws you in, but the ideas keep you looking.

Continuing on we see more great screenprinting with an untitled work by Robert Rauschenberg that depicts images of JFK, a satellite (Sputnik?), plates and other seemingly dissociated motifs. Even further along we come across the works of Barbara Kruger, whose art implements photographic silkscreen techniques on vinyl as well as one silkscreen on mirror. Untitled (You are a very special person), 1995, is a standout, mostly for the sarcastically aggressive tone of the image. The work is effectively confrontational and wryly humorous at the same time.

Image courtesy of The Broad Collection

Several other prints are on display as well, delivering on all accounts an amazing and well rounded museum visit. Others not to miss; Glenn Ligon's ten lithographs Runaways, 1993, and a Christopher Wool piece in the neighboring gallery. There's really no way you can go wrong with a visit to The Broad. If you haven't already, carve out some time to visit this world class museum!