As an artist, I visited MOCA with the hope of coming away feeling impressed and inspired. Instead, I left feeling bored and depressed.

True, many of the "big names" in modern art are represented by a work or two. But, I couldn't help but feel they weren't any of the "seminal" or "important" works by those artists. The entire collection seems lifeless and without a soul. Drab and dank.

Despite glowing reviews about the architecture, to me it's just an ordinary building I've already forgotten.

I had the opposite reaction to another collection of the modern masters. The Hess Winery in Napa has a far superior collection (though smaller), including many of the same "name" artists and several very impressive others whose work I viewed for the first time. Japanese sculptor Katsura Funikoshi was an exciting discovery for me. And, I'll take the charm and natural beauty of the Napa vinyard where the collection resides over downtown L.A. anytime.

The MOCA/Geffen Contemporary (or "Temporary Contemporary") is hidden behind the Japanese American Cultural Center in Little Tokyo, just seven or eight blocks from MOCA. It only shows a couple artists at a time, so one's enjoyment of it is almost completely dependent on the highlighted artists. Only fairly big names appear, however, and so it's a pretty good bet for an enjoyable exhibition. Plus, the space is fun to see. I happened to stumble in on a fantastic show--Juan Muñoz (with Yutaka Sone in the open outdoor area).

The Geffen is a warehouse-like, cavernous space, separated by 3/4 walls and a raised platform. It was the perfect setting for Juan Muñoz--almost eerie and enough open space to feel deserted--who plays with presence, felt absences, and vacantness. His Hanging Figure (1997) is haunting; it was inspired by a Degas painting (Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando) that takes its perspective from below. Here, one looks up at a figure dangling from a rope on the ceiling by his teeth, and the matte grey body twists ever so slightly back and forth.

The most striking of all, though, was Many Times (2000)--MOCA shows all 100 of the original figures upon a raised platform, behind Hanging Figure. They are painted in the same matte grey, and arranged in such a fashion that they appear to be in a town square or plaza--some are talking, others looking up at something the viewer can't see, others strolling. One can walk up among them, and upon further inspection, one notices that they're all missing feet. They each have on identical Mao-era coats and pants, colorless eyes, and similar expressions--giving a sterile, frozen, and inaccessible feel. One can see them gesturing, yet can't fathom what they're talking about. It flips the traditional art-for-the-audience motif, and the viewer tries in vain to access the figures.

Yutaka Sone's Jungle Island (2003) is located outside in the open-air annex, which has white marble models of four separate LA freeway interchanges hidden amongst a jungle of plants and trees and a small web of cedar chip trails (which smell delicious). The context shows the interchanges as "flowers in the city"--or in an urban jungle--especially meaningful to a city so defined by automobiles.

There's a tiny bookstore that's packed with lots of interesting books and magazines, and single cooler where you can purchase a drink.

The current show only lasts until July 27th, and upcoming shows are TBA (check MOCA). There are extended hours on Thursday evening, and Thursdays are free for everyone (but it'll be a little busier).

Tues.-Wed., Friday-Sun., 11am-5pm; Thurs. 11am to 8pm.
$8 general; $5 students and seniors; under 12 free. Free to all on Thursday.

If you like modern art or just looking for a nice way to spend the afternoon, the MOCA is worth a trip. When we went, we saw an exhibition my Gabriel Orozco, whose work involved a wide range of art media like photography, industrial elements, sculpture, video, and drawing. I'm not really an expert on modern art, but it was interesting to see how he used everyday elements and ideas and translated them into something new. They also had a black-and-white photography installment, as well as an enormous architecture exhibit housed in the Pacific Design Center.

The shuttle bus takes you to this building (about 5 minutes away). The Design Center is a huge industrial warehouse space (1.2 million square feet to give you a visual) and was perfect for this exhibit on the history of architecture with models and drawings of designs. I only wished that I had more time.