Downtown Los Angeles, in
particular the Bunker Hill neighborhood, is home to a notable collection of
public art by famous international artists, much
of it installed in plazas during the skyscraper building boom of the
1980s.
As you go along this self-guided
tour you will see
other works of art--sculpture and murals--that are not mentioned
here. There is usually a plaque embedded in the plaza or mounted
on a wall nearby which identifies the artist.
To begin your walking tour,
park nearby or take the Metro Red Line to the Civic Center
station and walk 2 blocks up Second Street to Grand
Avenue. After this steep uphill climb, most of the route in
flat or downhill.
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The Walt
Disney Concert Hall, designed by Frank Gehry,
has become a landmark building in downtown Los
Angeles.
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And the Disney Concert Hall is an excellent place to start your
tour. This building takes architecture clearly into the realm of
sculpture. Completed in 2003, it is home to
the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
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One block
south of Disney Hall is the Museum of Contemporary
Art (MOCA) which
houses an world-class collection of contemporary art.
In the courtyard beside
MOCA is Nancy Rubin's' monumental sculpture
created primarily from old airplane parts, welded and
wired together. |
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Behind MOCA you
will find a cascading fountain and walkway lined with
trees--a cool haven on hot summer days. At the southern end is Mark
di Suvero's "Pre-Natal Memories". Like
many of the sculptures on this walking tour it was cast in
pieces and assembled later at this site. |
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