Little Sister and Kerry James Marshall at the MOCA

There are very few things left on the LA list that we didn’t get to but the good news is that there is always next year.  I really wanted to get to the MOCA to see the Kerry James Marshall exhibit even though I went to see it three times at the Breuer in NYC.

Going back to see this exhibit in the post of our Presidential election makes it even more powerful.  It was also interesting to see how differently curated the exhibit was at the MOCA vs the Breuer with the exact same pieces.  I actually preferred MOCA as the pairings of the pieces in each room seemed to make more sense and pack a bigger punch.  This piece that represents the 60’s, speaks to everyone that it might have been quite a time but it isn’t over.

This is one of the first pieces in the exhibit that sets the tone.  Marshall painted this piece in 1986.  This piece including the many he painted between 1980-86 represent his reaction to reading Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man.  Those eyes are visible yet nothing else is.

We stopped in Little Sister to have lunch.  I wish that Little Sister was on the west side because the food here is fantastic.  The sweet, sour, spicy flavors of Vietnam pack a powerful punch.  Each dish had perfect balance.  We had three dishes.   Beer keeps the fire of the food at bay.

Imperial roll filled with shrimp, crab, pork, taro root and glass noodles inside a light crispy covering.  Take some of those crushed peanuts, chile sauce, a roll and wrap it up in the lettuce before taking a bite.

Salad of thinly sliced cabbages, mango, onion, and cucumber mixed with cashews and a lemongrass-cilantro dressing with large charred shrimp on the side.  I could eat this every day.

Spicy deep fried lemongrass chicken pieces mixed with slices of jalapeno and cilantro.  If you wanted to get involved you can pick up each piece and gnaw the bones.  The combination of flavors are perfectly balanced.  You get the full on punch of the lemongrass with the spice of the chiles and the crunch of the chicken.  Wow.

The afternoon was classic LA…get the car washed before heading home.