Rebels in Paradise: The Los Angeles Art Scene and the 1960s (Henry Holt and Company/on sale: July 19, 2011), by Hunter Drohojowska-Philp, is the first definitive look at the rise of the Los Angeles art scene. In the 1960s, L.A. was the epicenter of cool. Sharing anecdotes from the artists and gallerists themselves, Rebels in Paradise reveals L.A.’s importance in the canon of art history.
Freed from the European establishment and the pressures and expectations of New York, the artists in L.A. cultivated their own compelling aesthetic and style. This new era spawned countless innovations, including Andy Warhol’s famed Campbell’s Soup Can exhibition; the work of Ed Ruscha, David Hockney, Robert Irwin, and John Baldessari; the architecture of Frank Gehry; and even the music of the Beach Boys, the Doors, and countless others.
As the contemporary art scene flourished, L.A. established itself as a hotbed for contemporary art. Today many of these artists are considered founders or innovators of the pop, minimal, and conceptual art movements, and many of their paintings and sculptures continue to define contemporary art throughout the world. REBELS IN PARADISE opens the door to this madcap era and shares the stories, the relationships, and the exhibitions that propelled this group of artists to international fame.
Hunter Drohojowska-Philp is the author of Full Bloom: The Art and Life of Georgia O’Keeffe “the definitive life of O’Keeffe as long as the public continues to be fascinated with her story” (Los Angeles Times). Drohojowska-Philp, who contributes to ARTnews, Art and Auction, Artnet, the Los Angeles Times, and other publications, lives with her husband, David Philp, in Los Angeles.
