Just in, proof that this happy Corner has the most eclectic readers on all the world-wide web:

Mr. Robinson, Wonderful interviews with Tom Wolfe. I just returned from a trip to Los Angeles and made the mistake of going to the Norton Simon before going to the new Broad museum at LACMA [the Los Angeles County Museum of Art]. Wolfe’s description of a charming aristocracy explains very well our abrupt transition from the intense understanding of light and color brought to us by the impressionists into the more or less continuous series (over almost 80 years!) of petty jokes and self-conscious irony that informs the Broad collection. If you happen to get to LA, skip the Broad and go instead to the Chicano art exhibit: http://www.lacma.org/art/ExhibPhantom.aspx It ain’t pretty. However, to the extent that art consists of opening your eyes and painting what you see the Chicano movement artists clearly have the edge over our aristocrats.