March 2008
Issue 03-08

The Museum of Contempoary Art - San Diego

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The Museum of Contemporary Art - San Diego

The Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego is housed in three buildings. Two of these are downtown, one in the train station and one across the street from the train station. The third is in a small town several mile north of San Diego called La Jolla (pronouced, La Hoya). The two buildings downtown are either in or next to the train station and are eminently close to the the Red Car stop for San Diego's light rail.

The MCASD in the train station downtown

The MCASD in La Jolla
On the occasion we visited the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego the entire downtown museum galleries were dedicated to an installation of the artist Robert Irwin, famous for his work in light and perception. The work in the two downtown galleries were made specifically for the architectural shape and form of the rooms, windows, and the sources of light for the rooms. The show is called "Primaries and Secondaries" and is an exploration of perception, the docents are wild about the installation as they change constantly in responce to the sun, to clouds, to traffic on the street and the people in the galleries. I thought, what a treat for the docents to be in a gallery that does not remain static but changes constantly throughout the day. A few pieces in the exhibition are so subtle that it needed to be pointed out, Squareing the Room was one such piece where a simple piece of white translucent fabric is used to alter an oddly shaped room into a rectangular shape with right angle corners.

Photos by MCASD

The play of perception, shape, color and light are integral to Robert Irwins' work. The exploration of the phenomenology of art, playing in the fields of perception areone of the points of this work. Do you see what I see? The most basic of phenomenolical questions, when you see the color blue, do you see what I see?

Questions that cannot be answered but in Robert Irwins' work can be confronted and experienced.

At the MCASD galleries in La Jolla, Erwin Redl, Matrix II
While the galleries in La Jolla display some of the permanent collection of contemporary paintings and sculptures, this facility also contained many hypnotic and engaging works of perception and experieince in sight and in sound. The MCASD provides an opportunity to have a unique museum experience, the emphasis on large and participatory works is quite different from the viewing of art in conventional settings. The MCASD is in a word, magical.
The La Jolla location also features the MCASD sculpture gardens.

Niki de Saint Phalle "Big Ganesh"

Nancy Rubins "Pleasure Point, 2006"

The downtown facilities do not offer a restaurant although there are many little cafes and patisseries around the light rail station. The galleries are just a very short walk from the train station and light rail stop but there is street parking available and the musuem will validate for parking in the local parking structures. Parking at the La Jolla facility is on the street only and on a week-end you may need to walk a bit. The La Jolla museum includes a cafe with light Mediterranean/Californian cusine and an excellent wine list (but a dreadful handful of lagers).

The La Jolla musuem should not be missed, not just because of the art collection and sculpture gardens, but also because La Jolla is a great little beach town and the museum has a beautiful ocean view.

Next Time: Institute of Art - Chicago

Previous profiles:
Seattle Art Museum
Museums and Galleries of Mumbai, India
British Museum, London
The Getty Center, Los Angeles
The Getty Villa, Malibu, California