The conceptual art of mezcal
A recent interview with Ron Cooper in Class Magazine reminded me that long before he got into mezcal he was a dynamic and important part of the Los Angeles art scene that has been exhaustively chronicled by the big Pacific Standard Time exhibits across LA this year. There’s a bit more about it in this LA Times Magazine piece from 2009 but here are just a few great reminders of the fecundity of that scene and Cooper’s role in it:
A still from the original Ball Drop film
A recreation of the Ball Drop film for the the PST series. John Sedlar’s second Los Angeles restaurant Playa celebrated the entire PST exhibit by creating a secret menu featuring a special Ball Drop cocktail for their PST menu in February. I can attest that it was something special.
Just to round things out, a few examples of his work since 1970 and recent Cooper paintings.
None of this is exactly news but given that Jonathan Barbieri from Pierde Almas and Guillermo Olguín from Los Amantes are both painters perhaps there’s a trend here. Who knows what other creative ventures by mezcal makers are out there.
