The Scene @ OCMA Tonight

Notes on the crowd: An intimate gathering, overall. There were about 200 guests, tops, half and half of young and old; a comfy mix. Strangely, no programs were available, but management at OCMA allowed all the photography guests wanted, which is also rare and special when it happens. I'm very convinced I saw LA artist Mark Bradford in attendance, only with eyeliner and a polished suit. (He can't hide being so leggy at 7-feet tall. It must've been him!) The music was smooth (a DJ was spinning throughout the event in the main room where Martin Kersels' "Trouble Room" is installed). Hors d'oeuvre were served and Shirley Temples were only $1 (and tasty) at the cash bar.

Notes on the exhibit: Something about the new show ("Disorderly Conduct: Recent Art in Tumultuous Times") felt unfairly fussy. Perhaps that is the goal, hence the name. So, yes, it was appealing in a wacky, playful, artist-plays-the-whimsy-psychologist manner. I'd also return to get a closer glimpse of another show called "Art Since the 1960s: California Experiments." Above is a video of artist Mike Kelley's "Gospel Rocket."

OCMA's "Disorderly Conduct: Recent Art in Tumultuous Times" opens Sunday, Feb. 3.

Videos by Barbara Navarro.

Barbara's Weekend List

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Photo Credits 1.-ART STAR: Robin Rhode, Color Chart, 2004-06, digital animation, 4:50 minutes; Orange County Museum of Art; 2-A TIME TO BE SO BIG: Louis Leplee (Gerard Depardieu), Edith Piaf (Marion Cotillard) and Momone (Sylvie Testud); Photo by Bruno Calvo; 3-AUTUMN BLOSSOMS IN SPRING; Photo via Darla Baker

This first week of classes: so overwhelming. While I recommend a lot of sleep to all of you, there are still so many more things to do. Here is my little list of what's happening.

1.
Global chaos and disorder are examined in a vast collection by various artist at the Orange County Museum of Art for their newest exhibit, "Disorderly Conduct: Recent Art in Tumultuous Times." Their opening reception is Saturday night, Feb. 2, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Expect to leave all sense of balance at the check-in door. From all the press material I've seen, it's looking to be a show that'll tilt your perception.

2.
"La Vie en Rose" is a beautiful film. This movie, from the very beginning, does an interesting hopscotch around Edith Piaf's life-map. Her emotions, history, pain and spotlight alike, were all so colossal and great and at the same time surprisingly low, it was so interesting to meet this woman from another era in today’s time through Marion Cotillard’s fine performance as the legend. I recommend you rent the DVD and watch this Olivier Dahan masterpiece with all the lights out. (This movie has a dark tone.) I also recommend you read Marion Cotillard’s interview with Newsweek, a piece that came out about a week after her grand Oscar nom for her act in “Rose.”

3.
Whether you're into Yohji Yamamoto or YSL, or simply "Project Runway," you've gotta know: the New York Fashion Week is officially on, starting Friday! I look forward to seeing what's ringing for fall season and I wonder who will give better coverage—The Moment or Teri Agins at the Wall Street Journal? But I'm almost more interested in seeing who is featuring American supermodel Darla Baker. (I've been following her career since her time on MySpace, a long time ago now. But her stardom on the catwalk has been so demanding she's disappeared from cyberland, maybe indefinitely.) Autumn is my favorite season, so I'm always excited to see what will be the trends later on.

What are you doing this weekend?