Crafting a bolt of denim into a great fitting, comfortable, fashion forward pair of jeans is a form of art in itself, but London-born artist Denimu makes denim into art in a whole different way.  Initially attracted to the textures and wear patterns of denim, 27 year-old Denimu quickly discovered that working with denim was a way to breath life into garments that had passed their prime, but still carried a lot of personal meaning for people. By cutting and layering denim into different shapes and patterns, Denimu creates beautiful portraits, urbanscapes, pop art, and pretty much anything else that can be interpreted in denim. This is the type of life passion that can only come from a true denimhead. In his own words:

“I became fascinated by the rich heritage of Denim.  A story that has run alongside that of modern history. A material that abounds in dualities and meanings. A symbol of both egalitarianism and of materialism. A reflection of the world in which we live.”

We’re just hoping he is aware of the colored denim trend – that could open a whole new realm of possibilities, and we can’t wait to see the results.

Los Angeles continues to reinforce its reputation as one of the premier artistic centers in the world with a new collaboration called Pacific Standard Time. Started by The Getty Research Institute in 2002, the initiative set out to locate, archive, and acquire some of the most important works by LA artists since WWII. Ten years on, the initiative has evolved into a collaborative series of exhibitions and public art events across 30 participating LA museums, showcasing paintings, sculpture, film, photography, design, performance art, and concept work created between 1945 and 1980.

You can explore all the exhibitis of Pacific Standard Time on their website, and even create a customized calendar of all the exhibits you don’t want to miss. No matter what your art preference is, there is something for everyone, and you will want to cancel that ticket you bought to Crystal Bridges. Here’s what we’re most excited about:

Pacific Standard Time: Crosscurrents in L.A. Painting and Sculpture, 1950–1970
J Paul Getty Museum - October 1, 2011 – February 5, 2012.

This is the flagship exhibition of the entire intiative and also the broadest, featuring “an indigenous strain of modernism evident in the hard-edge paintings, assemblage sculpture, and large-scale ceramics of the 1950s, the subsequent development of iconic Pop images of the city in the 1960s, and the conceptual and material contributions of Light and Space art and process painting that fostered the advanced art of the 1970s.” Whoa.

California Design, 1930-1965: “Living in a Modern Way”
LACMA - October 1, 2011 – March 25, 2012

A collection of more than of the most iconic midcentury modern design pieces, including furniture, home décor, fashion, graphic design, and industrial design. You may just want to move right in.

In Focus: Los Angeles, 1945-1980
J. Paul Getty Museum – December 20, 2011 – May 6, 2012

This is a smaller exhibit, featuring 25 photographs from the Getty permanent collection. We love a good black and white photo, and we also love any excuse to get up to the Getty for a bottle of wine.

Under the Big Black Sun: California Art 1974 – 1981
Museum of Contemporary Art – October 1, 2011 – Febuary 13, 2012

The MOCA exhibit explores a tighter period from 1974 to 1981, when the modernist movement, “characterized by a master narrative of progress and succession, reached a dead end”. The exhibit explores a variety of styles and genres that emerged after art ceased to fit into any type of master category for Art Historians.

Trouble in Paradise: Music and Los Angeles 1945-1975
The GRAMMY Museum – February 22, 2012 – April 2, 2012

The GRAMMY Museum is an underrated museum mostly overshadowed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. This exhibit is a good excuse to finally make the trek. While details are still scarce, there is a lot of potential for an exhibit featuring a “wide-range of iconic images from the period… album art, handbills, concert posters, etc.” You can probably expect music, too.

The Pacific Design Center, a collection of home décor showrooms on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, always keeps the lobby interesting with new art installations. Between photo exhibitions, furniture pieces upholstered in the same fabric as matching summer dresses, or even the recent giant toppled head of Venus, we always try to walk through the building when we are in the neighborhood.

Right now you can see a “yarn bombing” installation by Olek, featuring a full bedroom – four poster bed, picture frames, television and all – covered in pink, green and purple knitting. Operating a small faction of the street art movement that is sometimes called “grandma graffiti”, artists like Olek are known for taking ordinary, everyday objects, including statues, bicycles, people, or even the Wall Street bull, and covering them in creative crochet.

OLEK AND THE CHARGING BULL ON WALL STREET from olek on Vimeo.

See more images in this slideshow from the New York Times.