Magdalena Suarez Frimkess: The Finest Disregard is the first museum exhibition of L.A.-based and Venezuelan-born artist Magdalena Suarez Frimkess (b. 1929). Trained in painting, print-making, and sculpture in Venezuela, Chile, and New York, Suarez Frimkess’s most recognized works are clay. Spanning over five decades, The Finest Disregard features ceramics, paintings, and drawings, including an important selection of works made collaboratively with her husband, Michael Frimkess. Although her work is usually considered to stand outside the California ceramic tradition, this exhibition demonstrates otherwise. With many works shown in public for the first time, The Finest Disregard offers insights into the artist's fascination with art history books, popular media, cartoons, animation, autobiography, and the humor found in the folds between the layers of everyday life.
In Homage for Jasper Johns, two icons meet as Minnie Mouse dances across the Star-Spangled Banner. The artwork’s title nods to Jasper Johns and his painted renditions of the American flag, which Magdalena encountered after moving from Venezuela to America.
Printmakers at Make-Ready in London carefully transformed the original artwork, a handmade ceramic tile, into a limited edition print. Two layers of silkscreen varnish recreate its lustrous surface, while a subtle printed shadow creates the illusion of a three-dimensional object.
